Have the chemical composition of your products checked
Our fixed-price packages eliminate hidden costs for environmental compliance assessments, budgeted per part/material.
Our Montreal laboratory and our experts (chemists, PhDs, certified auditors, project managers) manage projects from Canada, with a global network of partners.
We provide a certificate of compliance or a detailed corrective action plan for clear and complete product compliance.
Regardless of your industry
Our expertise in laboratory testing extends to several key sectors, such as:
With this in-depth knowledge of regulatory requirements and industry-specific challenges, we are also equipped to perform compliance testing for all other areas, ensuring comprehensive verification of your manufacturing materials, regardless of your industry.
X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is a widely used solution in various industries, particularly for testing the environmental compliance of heavy metals such as lead and mercury. Its non-destructive nature makes it valuable for analyzing samples without altering them.
How XRF works
XRF involves directing a beam of X-rays at a sample, causing it to emit fluorescence. Fluorescence occurs when electrons transition from a higher energy state to a lower energy state, emitting photons of light whose energy corresponds to the elemental composition of the sample. The emitted photons are detected and analyzed to determine the presence and concentration of elements.
Capabilities
XRF excels at detecting heavy elements such as lead and mercury, but struggles to detect compounds and light elements. It is suitable for chemical testing under regulations such as RoHS, EU REACH, and the European Battery Directive, which limit heavy metals.
Other applications
X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is used for quality control (e.g., electronics) and failure analysis. Its minimal sample preparation and portable devices offer useful on-site screening options, helping companies quickly identify materials that may require further laboratory testing.
Ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry (UV-Vis) is a reliable technique in the field of chemical analysis, enabling the detection and quantification of substances that absorb light in the ultraviolet or visible range. It is commonly used for regulatory testing, including hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), analysis in metals and coatings following IEC 62321.
How UV-Vis works
UV-Vis involves passing ultraviolet or visible light through a liquid sample and measuring how much light is absorbed at specific wavelengths. The absorbance is linked to the concentration of the target substance in the solution.
For hexavalent chromium testing, the sample extract reacts with a color-developing reagent, typically diphenylcarbazide. If Cr(VI) is present, a colored complex forms. The UV-Vis instrument then measures the absorbance, commonly around 540 nm, and compares it with calibration standards to determine the Cr(VI) concentration.
The UV-Vis process includes sample extraction, reagent addition, color development, absorbance measurement, and concentration calculation.
UV-Vis analysis can be used with different sample preparation approaches, depending on the material and regulation, such as:
Metal coating extraction
Polymer or electronic material digestion
Colorimetric reagent-based analysis
Calibration with Cr(VI) standards
Each approach has its own preparation requirements, detection limits, and suitability depending on the material being tested.
Capabilities
UV-Vis provides sensitive and quantitative results for selected chemical substances when the appropriate method and reagent system are used. The technique is especially useful when a substance cannot be identified by elemental screening alone.
For environmental compliance, UV-Vis is valuable for confirming and quantifying hexavalent chromium in metal coatings after XRF screening indicates the presence of chromium. This makes it an important tool for RoHS, REACH, and broader product compliance assessments.
When technical documentation does not confirm compliance with regulations such as REACH or RoHS, analytical testing offers another way to ensure product compliance.
How GC-MS works
GC-MS involves two main steps:
Additionally, tandem gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) improves sensitivity by performing mass spectrometry analysis twice, allowing for accurate characterization of substances with the same m/z ratio.
Capabilities
GC-MS is effective for analyzing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) covered by regulations such as RoHS and REACH in the EU. It is used to test regulated substances such as phthalates and to analyze the root causes of electronic product failures.
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is a powerful analytical tool widely used in scientific fields to analyze gases, liquids, and solids with minimal sample preparation. It is particularly effective for detecting phthalates and ensuring compliance with regulations such as the EU RoHS Directive and IEC 62321.
How FTIR works
This versatile and efficient technique offers rapid analysis in seconds and minimal sample preparation requirements. It is used in various scientific fields, including organic synthesis, polymer science, pharmaceuticals, and analytical chemistry.
Capabilities
FTIR covers the infrared region, allowing molecular structures to be characterized by infrared absorption.
Most molecules exhibit infrared activity, allowing them to be detected, with the exception of diatomic molecules such as et .
Direct analysis in real-time mass spectrometry (DART-MS) is a revolutionary technique in the field of chemical analysis, enabling the rapid detection of various compounds such as flame retardants, phthalates, and polyaromatic amines without extensive sample preparation.
How DART-MS works
The DART-MS technique combines direct analysis in real time (DART) and mass spectrometry (MS), using DART as an ionization source for MS analysis. The technique ionizes the molecules in the sample using a high-temperature plasma flow, then separates and detects the ions based on their mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) in the mass spectrometer.
The DART-MS process includes sample introduction, ionization, mass spectrometry analysis, and ion detection.
DART-MS can use different ionization source systems such as:
Each has its own advantages and sample preparation requirements.
Capabilities
DART-MS enables rapid analysis, operating under ambient conditions, and providing sensitive and accurate results. The technique requires minimal sample preparation, making it versatile and cost-effective for a variety of applications.
The DART-MS technique can detect pollutants such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).