Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis is being employed to dramatically improve the speed and effectiveness with which freight containers are being inspected for dangerous gasses. Every year, millions of these freight containers arrive in international ports; about 20% of these containers possess hazardous levels of vapors and gases. Utilizing FTIR analysis, a Dutch firm of […]
Beach Party in The Lab??
Two of our recent FTIR testing projects: The labels were peeling from the bottles shown in the picture above. The customer wanted to know the cause of the poor adhesion to the bottles. The ideal materials testing method for failure analysis is FTIR testing. Several […]
FTIR Analysis Identifies What Caused Valve Failure During Shipping
Case Study: How FTIR Failure Analysis Uncovered the Cause of Valve Failure During Shipping All product manufacturers have rigorous quality control processes that aim to ensure all products are properly functioning before sending them off to customers. However, some quality issues may not present themselves until they’re exposed to different conditions. At least, that’s what […]
FTIR Analysis of Molds and Bacteria in Factories
Last October, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a shocking report that detailed the hideous conditions inside a Massachusetts pharmaceutical lab, as reported in the New York Times. The lab was the source of a nationwide outbreak of meningitis that killed 25 people, made 313 ill, with as many as 14,000 people having been […]
Why Plastic Parts Occasionally Fail & How FTIR Analysis Can Help
When manufactured plastic parts fail, quickly determining the cause is vital for minimizing production downtime and protecting your company’s bottom line. But what causes plastic parts to fail in the first place? And how can you determine the cause and prevent it from happening again? The truth is that plastic parts fail for a myriad […]
Forensic Fiber Analysis Helps Make Criminal Case
Did you know that there was a Sherlock Holmes of France? His name was Dr. Edmond Locard, born in 1877, a criminologist and pioneer in forensic fiber analysis. In 1910, Locard created the world’s first forensic laboratory in an attic above the police department.
Combining Chemical Testing Techniques to Battle Counterfeit Drugs
Microscopy/Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (SEM/EDS) are often paired together in chemical testing. FTIR analysis is best used in testing organic materials and SEM/EDS primarily examines inorganic materials. Now, scientists are exploring their combined use in the world of counterfeit medicine. Counterfeit drug manufacturers design the drugs to look identical to the real thing. These drugs are often […]
Adulterating Products for Economic Gain
A growing problem within organizations in countries like China is the adulteration of products for economic gain. The FDA’s working definition of Economically Motivated Adulteration (EMA) as the “fraudulent, intentional substitution or addition of a substance in a product for the purpose of increasing the apparent value of the product or reducing the cost of […]
FTIR Testing: Pinpointing Sources of Food Contaminants
According to the National Institute of Health, 48 million people in the U.S. get sick from contaminated food each year. Harmful bacteria are the most common cause of food borne illness. (Source: NIH) Microorganisms, such as bacteria, yeasts and molds, can cause food spoilage and deterioration during food production. The American Meat Institute conducted research […]
FTIR Testing Identifies Unknown Materials
One of the inventors of the early telegraph, Dr. David Alter, a nearly forgotten Pennsylvanian, found a fragment of a great mass of very brilliant glass from a glass house, which had been destroyed in the great Pittsburgh Fire of 1845. From this, he made a prism through which he went on to discover Spectrum […]
