Materials Characterization Services
Search for Analytical Techniques and Test Methods
We are currently working on updating our list of supported methods. If you don’t see the test method you need below, please submit a special request with details about the method you need and we will check to see if we can provide it.
Description: Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis (ESCA), also known as X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), is a surface-sensitive analytical technique used to investigate the chemical composition and electronic structure of materials. It is based on the interaction between X-rays and electrons in a sample’s surface, providing valuable information about the elemental composition, chemical bonding, and electronic …
Description: Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) is a powerful materials characterization technique used to analyze the crystallographic structure of a sample at the micrometer to nanometer scale. EBSD relies on the interaction of electrons with the atomic lattice of a material to obtain information about its crystallography. Here, I’ll describe EBSD, its applications, strengths, and limitations: …
Description: Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is a versatile and powerful tool for imaging and characterizing the topography, mechanical properties, and surface interactions of a wide range of materials at the nanoscale. It was developed in the 1980s and has since become an essential instrument in various scientific disciplines, including materials science, biology, physics, and chemistry. …
Description: Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) is a surface-sensitive analytical technique used to determine the elemental composition and chemical state of the top few atomic layers of a solid material. It operates based on the Auger effect, which is the emission of Auger electrons when an atom in an excited state relaxes to a lower energy …
ASTM D2240 – Standard Test Method for Rubber Property—Durometer Hardness Description: Scope 1.1 This test method covers twelve types of rubber hardness measurement devices known as durometers: Types A, B, C, D, DO, E, M, O, OO, OOO, OOO-S, and R. The procedure for determining indentation hardness of substances classified as thermoplastic elastomers, vulcanized (thermoset) rubber, …
ASTM D1653 – Standard Test Methods for Water Vapor Transmission of Organic Coating Films Description: Scope 1.1 These test methods cover the determination of the rate at which water vapor passes through films of paint, varnish, lacquer, and other organic coatings. The films may be free films or they may be applied to porous substrates. 1.2 A …
ASTM D412 – Standard Test Methods for Vulcanized Rubber and Thermoplastic Elastomers-Tension Description: Scope 1.1 These test methods cover procedures used to evaluate the tensile (tension) properties of vulcanized thermoset rubbers and thermoplastic elastomers. These methods are not applicable to ebonite and similar hard, low elongation materials. The methods appear as follows: Test Method A—Dumbbell …
ASTM A123 – Standard Specification for Zinc (Hot-Dip Galvanized) Coatings on Iron and Steel Products Abstract This specification covers the standard requirements for hot-dip galvanized zinc coatings on iron and steel products made from rolled pressed and forged shapes, castings, plates, bars, and strips. This specification deals with both unfabricated products and fabricated products, for …
Description: Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) is an analytical technique used to study the chemical composition and molecular structure of surfaces at the nanometer scale. In TOF-SIMS, a primary ion beam is directed onto a surface, and this beam sputters secondary ions from the surface. The secondary ions are then analyzed in a time-of-flight …
Description: X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), also known as electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA), is a surface-sensitive analytical technique used to determine the elemental composition, chemical bonding, and electronic state of materials. In XPS, a sample is bombarded with monochromatic X-rays, which excite electrons in the sample’s surface layers. The electrons are ejected from the …
