Stolk labs, Inc’s chemical analysis capabilities are an essential part of the design, production and post manufacturing process for any materials company. Our technical data and top-quality chemical analysis services are used to identify the contents, composition and quality of materials (chemical composition, material identification, trace analysis, impurity identification) used to make products composed of metals, plastics, paints, polymers, adhesives, raw materials and amorphous goo.
Our specialists are experienced in analyzing samples and evidence from a variety of industries. We test to meet your required industry standards/specifications (ASTM, UNS, SAE, etc.), whether you seek to verify a material certification or to obtain a detailed breakdown of an unknown material.
Accredited Chemical Testing Services
Stolk Lab’s offers a variety of chemical composition testing and other chemistry testing services, performed by our team of scientists. We are ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited through PJLA in the following chemical testing services:
- Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) of aluminum, iron, (stainless steel, carbon & low-alloy steel) and nickel
- Carbon and sulfur content by combustion in metals, ceramics, sands and glass
- Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), ATR and Micro FTIR of organic materials, plastics, and polymers (including paint, powders, fabric, etc.)
- pH testing of solutions in which the solvent is water (aqueous solutions)
- Moisture content in plastics, soil and rock
- Ash content in plastics (gravimetric/weight change)
- Zinc coating weight in metals
- Elemental composition via Wavelength Dispersive Spectroscopy of metals
- Semi-quantitative elemental compositions via Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS)
Other Chemical Testing Services
We offer Positive Material Identification (PMI) by Portable XRF and Flammability Testing. The specification we test to is dependent upon your needs.
Positive Material Identification
With our hand-held XRF elemental analyzer, we can analyze and identify metals or nonmetals in seconds. This technique provides elemental testing and spectrochemical analysis of materials in varying conditions. This test method can also be done in the field. If you require our technician to travel to a local site for testing, we can make that happen.
Let our chemical testing specialists help you determine if your material meets chemical specifications!
Quantitative Chemical Composition Testing:
Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES)
Verify metal composition
- Aluminum and its Alloys
- Iron-Based Alloys
- Nickel Based Alloys
- Wrought, Cast or Treated Conditions
Determine the chemical composition of an unknown sample
Optical emission spectroscopy is an excellent technique when the quantitative breakdown of a metal is required. A metallic sample (blades, tubes, bolts, rods, wires, plates, and many more) is placed on the unit and after testing, there is only a 5mm mark remaining. OES is fast and measures a wide range of elements and concentrations. It is highly accurate and can also be used to measure trace elements or contaminants in materials (components of a furnace charge, molten metal, castings).
Even if you do not know the chemical make-up of the sample you are submitting, our spectrometers can identify up to 29 elemental concentrations (including oxygen and nitrogen contents). Stolk Labs offers two dedicated optical emission spectrometers for aluminum, ferrous, or nickel-based alloys. Both spectrometers are standardized before each use with various homogenized Set Up Samples. In addition, NIST-traceable certified reference material standards are used to verify different alloy types before a chemical analysis of an unknown sample. These spectrometers can analyze metals in a wrought, cast, or treated condition.
Accredited Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) Services:
Standard Test Method for Analysis of Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys by Spark Atomic Emission Spectrometry – ASTM E1251
Standard Test Method for Analysis of Austenitic Stainless Steel by Spark Atomic Emission Spectrometry – ASTM E1086
Standard Test Method for Analysis of Carbon and Low-Alloy Steel by Spark Atomic Emission Spectrometry – ASTM E415
Standard Test Method for Analysis of Nickel Alloys by Spark Atomic Emission Spectrometry – ASTM E3047
Carbon and Sulfur Content by Combustion
Verify carbon/sulfur content using your specifications
Determine the carbon/sulfur composition of an unknown sample
- Carbides
- Cast Iron
- Ceramics/Sands/Glass
- Copper Alloys/Brass
- Aluminum Alloys
- Ferro Alloys
- Refractory Metals
- Steels
- Mold Powders
- Lime/Limestone/Ores
- Inorganic Materials
Analyze various sample forms
- Solid Pieces
- Powders
- Millings
- Chips
Quantitative ultra-low carbon and sulfur concentrations are accurately determined by a variable power combustion furnace and two separate dedicated Infrared Cells. The MS Windows®-based software gives the operator complete access to instrument control, analysis settings, diagnostics, and report history. To meet new ASTM test requirements, crucibles are baked in a muffle furnace at 1000 °C for one hour and stored in a desiccator and must be used within four hours. The Autocleaner, equipped with a high-velocity vacuum system, keeps dust and debris contained between sample runs. The instrument complies with many approved standard test methods, including: ASTM E1019, ASTM E1941, ISO 9556 and ISO 10719.
Accredited Carbon and Sulfur Testing Services:
Standard Test Methods for Determination of Carbon, Sulfur, Nitrogen, and Oxygen in Steel, Iron, Nickel, and Cobalt Alloys by Various Combustion and Fusion Techniques – ASTM E1019
Qualitative Chemical Composition Testing:
Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR)
Verify a known reference material to an unknown sample
Identify unwanted contaminants
Qualitatively determine the identity of an unknown material
- Plastics/Polymers
- Paint
- Coatings
- Powders
- Rubbers
- Liquids
- Particles
- Inclusions
- Laminates
- Fibers
Applications
- Failure Analysis
- Product Consistency Verification
- Reverse Engineering
- Surface Analysis
- Mineralogy
- Forensic Analysis
Techniques/Modes
FTIR Microscope/Infrared Microscopy – MCTA-detector liquid nitrogen cooled (4000-600cm-1)
- reflectance
- transmission
FTIR Benchtop-DGTS Detector (4000-400 cm-1)
- transmission
- Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR)
- Diamond window – hard samples, universal
- Germanium window – soft, high absorbing samples such as rubbers
Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is beneficial because different chemical structures/molecules produce different spectral fingerprints. Most molecules are infrared active except for diatomic molecules such as O2, N2 and F2. We have a library of over 300,000 naturally occurring and synthetic spectra to assist in identifying compounds. If you have an unusual reference material, our chemist can create a custom library for your company to compare with your unknown sample.
Our research-grade FTIR spectrometer includes the benchtop and microscope. The benchtop FTIR is equipped with a DGTS detector and produces spectra in the infrared wavelength range of 4000 to 400 cm-1. The benchtop is ideal for liquids using transmission analysis. This transmission technique involves liquid being placed onto a salt crystal (NaCl or KBr). We also have an attenuated total reflectance (ATR) smart accessory to attach in our benchtop spectrometer. This technique is ideal for strongly absorbing or thick samples that typically produce intense peaks via transmission.
Infrared microscopy (microFTIR) is another technique we have here at Stolk Labs. The FTIR microscope is equipped with a MCTA detector that must be cooled using liquid nitrogen. The microscope has an automated stage and a 50 µm2 aperture to analyze very small areas of interest. This Infrared microscope allows simultaneous viewing and spectral collection of the sample. This provides high confidence in results.
This FTIR spectrometer is ISO/IEC 9001 certified in design and manufactured hardware/software. The OMNIC software enables the user to have complete access to analysis control, method settings, diagnostics, reporting and more in a highly-organized and immersive environment.
Accredited Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) Testing Services:
Standard Practice for General Techniques for Obtaining Infrared Spectra for Qualitative Analysis – ASTM E1252
Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR)
Standard Practices for Internal Reflection Spectroscopy – ASTM E573
Standard Practice for Rubber Chemicals—Determination of Infrared Absorption Characteristics – ASTM D2702
Accredited Micro-FTIR Testing Services:
Standard Practice for General Techniques of Infrared Microanalysis – ASTM E334
Additional Chemistry Testing:
pH Test of Aqueous Solutions
pH is a number that indicates whether a solution is acidic or basic. Improper pH in coatings and adhesions may reduce the strength of corrosion inhibitors, preservatives and adhesion composition. This could mean a shorter shelf life for your product. Typical pH measurements range from 1 to 14 with a value greater than 7 being considered basic. Acidic solutions typically have a pH value less than 7 due to high hydronium concentrations and low hydroxide concentrations. pH values can be less than 0 or greater than 14 for extremely strong acids and bases.
The pH of a solution can be measured with pH paper or a pH meter. The pH paper is soaked with a solution/chemicals and gives an approximate value of the pH to the nearest unit. The pH meter has a probe that is immersed in a solution and the meter provides a quick and accurate measurement, usually to the nearest tenth. The pH meter is our preferred technique and the minimum sample volume required for this testing is 20mL.
Accredited pH Testing Services:
Standard Test Method for pH of Aqueous Solutions With the Glass Electrode – ASTM E70
Determining Moisture Content in Products
Moisture affects the processability, shelf life, usability and quality of many products (plastic, rock, soil). The right moisture content of your raw materials means problem-free compounding and injection molding, smooth surfaces and standard mechanical properties of the injection-molded parts. We offer different methods for determining moisture content in materials. Give us a call and let us help you determine which method best suits your needs.
Accredited Moisture Content Testing Services:
Standard Test Method for Determination of Moisture in Plastics by Loss in Weight – ASTM D6980
Standard Test Methods for Laboratory Determination of Water (Moisture) Content of Soil and Rock by Mass – ASTM D2216
Inorganic Content in Plastics
Destructive ashing is a technique which determines the inorganic content in polymers. This procedure helps to quantify the amounts of fillers, catalyst residues, colorants, anti-block additives, reinforcements and/or stabilizers within the polymer. These variables are very important to the manufacturing process. During this test, samples are flamed over a burner and then ashed in a muffle furnace or they are both burned and ashed in a muffle furnace. The ash is then weighed and results are presented in an easy to read data table.
Accredited Gravimetric/Weight Change (ash, mass%) Testing Services:
Standard Test Method for Ash Content in Plastics – ASTM D5630
Zinc Coating Weight and Hexavalent Chromium (Cr6+) Concentration
Zinc is used as a corrosion preventive coating on iron and steel products. When applied properly, this coating allows the iron and steel products to withstand many types of environmental conditions. For coated steel surfaces, Hexavalent chromium-bearing treatments can be applied to prevent stain during storage. Our scientists and technicians are able to tell if your materials have been metalized, hot dip galvanized, zinc rich painted, galvanized, electroplated and/or pretreated. We can determine the weight (mass) of the material’s coating for specification requirements or to help determine if the lack of coating is why a product failed.
Accredited Coating Weight Testing Services:
Standard Test Method for Weight [Mass] of Coating on Iron and Steel Articles with Zinc or Zinc-Alloy Coatings – ASTM A90/A90M
Standard Practice for Detection of Hexavalent Chromium On Zinc and Zinc/Aluminum Alloy Coated Steel – ASTM D6492 OR SM 3500-Cr B
We can help you determine the chemical composition of a variety of types of materials. We currently serve private individuals seeking material identification as well as manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, legal, biomedical, oil and gas, power generation, microelectronics and telecommunications industries and sectors. Don’t see your industry listed here? Give us a call. Our engineers, scientists and technicians have over 75 years of combined experience with materials testing in a variety of industries.
With our vast industry experience, Stolk Labs, Inc. offers our professional services for subrogation/claims investigations.
- Joint Investigations
- Joint Inspections
- Fire Investigations
- Insurance Investigations
- Product Liability Investigations
- Equipment Defect Investigations
Call and schedule your tour today!