Custom Chemical Analysis

Do you need to identify or quantify a substance that is not covered by a standard testing catalogue? BJL Laboratoires assesses requests for custom chemical analysis of environmental and industrial matrices.

Your enquiry may also concern a particle, dust, deposit, residue or inclusion of unknown composition or origin. In these cases, characterisation using electron microscopy and elemental microanalysis may be considered.

Analysis Tailored to Your Problem

A custom analysis usually starts with a few essential details:

• which substance, element or contaminant needs to be investigated;
• the sample matrix;
• the expected concentration range;
• the purpose of the analysis;
• or, for a particle, the circumstances in which it was found.

You do not need to know which analytical technique to use in advance. BJL Laboratoires reviews your enquiry and determines the most suitable approach using the available resources.

Examples of Custom Analysis Requests

• Testing for specific metals or elements
• Testing for environmental pollutants
• Quantification of substances in water or effluents
• Characterisation of soil or materials
• Testing for organic contaminants
• Comparison of multiple samples
• Raw material testing
• Investigation of process-related contamination
• Comparison of conforming and non-conforming batches
• Identification or characterisation of unknown particles
• Analysis of dust or deposits
• Characterisation of inclusions in materials
• Adaptation of an existing method

Which Analytical Techniques Can Be Used?

The technique depends on the sample, the target compound and the information required.

Several techniques may also be combined when an investigation requires complementary information.

Custom Analysis of Organic Compounds

Depending on their physicochemical properties, organic compounds can be investigated using techniques such as LC-MS/MS or GC-MS.

LC-MS/MS is particularly suitable for many targeted analyses of compounds compatible with liquid chromatography, while GC-MS is suitable for many volatile or semi-volatile organic compounds.

LC-MS/MS analysis | GC-MS analysis

Custom Analysis of Metals and Elements

For elemental analysis, BJL Laboratoires has ICP-OES / ICP-AES capabilities.

This technique enables multi-element analysis of water, effluents, solutions, soils and materials following suitable sample preparation.

Learn more about ICP-OES / ICP-AES analysis

Identification of Particles, Dust and Deposits

When the investigation concerns a particle, dust, deposit, residue or inclusion rather than a dissolved substance, BJL Laboratoires can assess the suitability of characterisation by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) combined with EDX microanalysis.

This approach can provide information on:

• particle morphology;
• particle dimensions;
• appearance;
• elemental composition;
• differences between particle populations;
• similarities with potential contamination sources.

Applications may include:

• airborne particles;
• industrial dust;
• surface deposits;
• residues;
• particles found in materials;
• inclusions;
• process-related particulate contamination.

EDX primarily provides information about elemental composition. Results are therefore interpreted alongside particle morphology and the sample context.

Learn more about particle identification by TEM-EDX

Contamination Investigation and Sample Comparison

Custom analysis can also form part of a wider investigation.

For example, it may be useful to compare:

• a conforming sample and a non-conforming sample;
• several production batches;
• materials from different suppliers;
• a raw material and a finished product;
• different stages of a process;
• an unknown particle and a material suspected to be its source;
• workshop dust and contamination found on a product.

Learn more about analytical investigations of non-conformities

Analytical Feasibility Assessment

Before proceeding, the laboratory assesses compatibility between:

• the matrix;
• the substance, element or particle to be investigated;
• the concentration range, where known;
• the required analytical performance;
• the available sample quantity;
• the available analytical resources.

Where necessary, a method development, adaptation or optimisation phase may be proposed.

Learn more about analytical method development

What Information Should You Provide?

To help us assess your request promptly, please provide the following information where possible:

• The matrix: water, liquid, soil, powder, material, product, dust, deposit, etc.
• The target substance or element, if known
• The CAS number, where available
• The approximate expected concentration
• The required limit of quantification, where relevant
• The available sample quantity
• The number of samples
• The background and purpose of the study

For an unknown particle or deposit, please also indicate:

• where it was found;
• the circumstances in which it appeared;
• the materials or equipment potentially involved;
• whether control samples or comparison materials are available.

Not Sure Exactly What to Look For?

A custom analysis enquiry can begin with a simple description of the problem:

• “An unknown particle has appeared on our product.”
• “Our two batches are giving different results.”
• “We suspect metal contamination.”
• “We need to identify the source of a deposit.”
• “We need to quantify a compound in a new matrix.”

In these cases, BJL Laboratoires can assess the most appropriate analytical strategy before defining the tests to be performed.

Explore our analytical expertise and consultancy services

Related Services

• Analytical expertise and consultancy
• Analytical method development
• Analytical investigations of non-conformities
• Particle identification by TEM-EDX
• LC-MS/MS analysis
• GC-MS analysis
• ICP-OES / ICP-AES analysis