We get some FAQs here in the analytical lab…one recurring question here at Gateway is “Why did/didn’t you do Raman?” During foreign particulate matter investigations, the use of spectroscopy is pretty common. Spectroscopy allows us to study the way a material interacts with energy, in order to identify a material. Sometimes, a scientist may use FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy)(1) …sometimes, Raman(2) may be chosen as the choice method; however, there are times where both methods are employed.
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, or FTIR, is a vibrational spectroscopy method which is based upon the measurement of specific frequencies which occur between chemical bonds in a given material. Interestingly, as materials may be unique in chemical nature, so are the infrared spectra which they yield, resulting in a unique “fingerprint” for a given material. As such, this makes FTIR a very resourceful tool for such things as:
On April 2nd, Dave Exline, Senior V.P. and Antonio Scatena, Laboratory Manager at Gateway Analytical hosted a webinar designed for manufacturing managers, quality control managers and analytical lab personnel. During this webinar, our presenters discussed the various areas of an industrial forensic investigation, including contamination testing to control contamination of raw materials, processes and products; different types of quality control systems; and took the audience into the lab to discuss how to prepare samples for testing using various analytical techniques including microscopy, SEM/EDS, FTIR and Raman. They also discussed how to interpret the data collected and what type of conclusions can be made from your findings. Finally, our presenters provided example case scenarios to demonstrate the methodology of industrial forensic analysis.
PITTSBURGH, PA – Gateway Analytical announced today that the company received its 17025:2005 accreditation from the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). This accreditation is another illustration of Gateway’s commitment to quality and technical expertise, and focuses on material science and industrial forensics laboratory testing.
On October 24, 2012, Forensic Magazine and Bruker will be hosting a webinar on the topic of "Trace Analysis by Infrared and Raman Spectroscopy".