Identification of Unknown Materials

One of the most difficult problems manufacturers face today is identifing unknown materials or substances discovered in their products as a result of routine quality assurance testing or consumer complaints. Determining what these materials are and how they ended up in the product can become a major concern. This is where a commercial laboratory that specializes in identification of unknowns can help.

These investigations start with a collection of background information as to how and when the problem was discovered. Then, a visual inspection of the unknown material is performed to better understand the morphology and homogeneity of the unknown substance.

If the unknown substance is distinct and does not appear to be biological in nature, micro analytical techniques are utilized, such as Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy for organic samples or Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) for inorganic samples.

Biological samples are processed using microbiological plating methods, biochemical methods and/or Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).

Sometimes the unknown substance needs to be separated from the material in which it was discovered. In these cases, separation techniques are utilized, such as Gas Chromatography with Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) for volatile compounds, High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS) for nonvolatile compounds or Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) for compounds of varying molecular weights.