Sem/eds analysis and elemental mapping company in the USA
Eds testing and elemental mapping services with MicroVision Laboratories? Approach: MicroVision Labs’ staff consulted with the client, and determined that, unfortunately, there could be a number of potential sources of a white material. Even before the bottle with the suspended material arrived, it was determined that there was less than 50 mL of water remaining, and likely less than a gram of material suspended in the water. The client was aware that this material could represent precipitated minerals from the source water, a polymer residue from the bottles, some form of biological tissue that might have formed despite sterilization procedures, or could very well represent some completely unforeseen foreign material. The issue facing the client is how to have the material tested, as most tests that they might request for one or the other of these known potential sources would destroy or alter the sample. Choosing a test was therefore something of a gamble, because if they tested for calcium (mineral precipitate) and it came up negative – that didn’t actually tell them what the powder was, just that it didn’t have any calcium. Based on this conversation, the non-destructive, specialized testing at MicroVision Laboratories was chosen as the best choice.
The unique properties of birefringence allow for the differentiation of fibers, minerals, ceramics, and other biological materials. Particles can therefore be identified and comparatively quantified, resulting in the characterization of the components of a sample. Complimentary optical techniques such as Nomarski/DIC, bright field and dark field imaging add to the amount of information our Optical Analysts can obtain from your samples. Additionally we have a range of light sources and filters to outfit our stereo microscopes for fluorescent microscopy.
Do you give lab tours? Yes, we routinely give lab tours to our clients and potential clients. Please call and we would be happy to schedule a tour for you and your co-workers. Do you have other locations around the country? We do work for companies all across the United States, with one laboratory which is located in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. Did MicroVision Labs ever operate under a different company name? No, we have always been MicroVision Laboratories, Inc. Our founder, John Knowles, used to work for another laboratory that underwent several name changes (Eastern Analytical Laboratories, Industrial Environmental Analysts, American Environmental Network, Severn Trent Laboratories, and EMLab P&K Billeria) and was located nearby in Billerica. When that laboratory was closed in 2008, John hired a few of the remaining analysts and acquired its equipment, client list and phone number. Read more details on website link.
Also, the color EDS map highlights the iron particles in the mineral filled PVC floor. These iron particles were concentrated in areas were the tile showed signs of impact which indicated some metallic object impacted the tile leaving behind small particles and over time the materials oxidized which created darker spots in the tile. The data indicated that a significant portion of the dust was from the insulation in the attic. The contractor had replaced a portion of duct work running to the master bedroom. During this replacement, fiberglass insulation was knocked into the ducting. The small glass insulation fibers were spread through the AC ducts and settling out of the air throughout the house. The client was relieved to know what was causing their skin irritation and the significant dust build up. Using the results garnered from the analysis from MicroVision Labs they were able to have the contractor clean out the duct work and act to prevent further spread of the insulation fibers and properly clean up the settled dust in the house that was the cause of the homeowner’s skin irritation.
?We partner with companies in all phases of product development and sales, including R&D, manufacturing, QC, advertising and failure analysis. Our laboratory offers a highly-trained and experienced staff utilizing a powerful set of analytical tools (SEM with EDS and backscatter detectors, Bruker X-Flash elemental mapping, X-Ray imaging, Micro-FTIR spectroscopy, Micro-XRF, light microscopy, cross sectioning/precision polishing and microhardness testing).
Dust samples were analyzed using polarized light microscopy (PLM) to provide percentages of the particle types present in the samples. MVL was able to determine that there was significant loading of glass fibers in the dust samples with the likely source being contractor’s work in the attic which involved disturbing the fiberglass insulation. The image on the right shows a few distinct glass fibers with a binder material adhered to them, consistent with fiberglass insulation. Read even more details on here.