Carbon Testing
Midwest Microlab is capable of testing solid or liquid samples for total percentage of Carbon with a range of 0.01% (100 ppm) to 100%. Accuracy for Carbon Testing is within +/- 0.15. Glove Box handling is available for Carbon Testing on environmentally sensitive samples. Please refer below for testing methods, interferences and sample size.
CHN Testing
Carbon Testing
Hydrogen Testing
Nitrogen Testing
Finding Total Percentage of Carbon
Carbon Analysis & Techniques
The Carbon analysis & techniques method used is an upgraded form originally researched in Switzerland. It has since been marketed by various firms in the U.S. Fundamentally, the scheme involves combustion of a sample in ultra-pure oxygen at 990 deg C in a closed system.
The products (gasses) are swept through copper to remove excess Oxygen and Silver salts to remove Halogens, Phosphorus, and Sulfur. Since the heat conductivity depends upon its composition, the mixture of remaining gasses is sensed. The H2O is removed. Later the CO2 is removed and finally only N2 remains. Sensing is done after each removal.
The instrument is calibrated using various standards from the NIST. Thus Carbon can be determined in one run, from the same sample selection. Running one sample at a time enables us to check for inorganic residue post combustion, greater accuracy rates and eliminates cross contamination.
Air Sensitive / Glove Box Handling
Air sensitive analysis is available for any combination of Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen and Oxygen testing. For an accurate evaluation of purity, air-sensitive samples require weighing under an inert atmosphere. Midwest Microlab maintains a reduced oxygen and moisture free handling system. Very highly hygroscopic samples many times will also benefit from this type of special handling. The glove box is operated with 99.9% EXTRA dry nitrogen. Purging is done under vacuum before any samples are handled. An oxygen monitor continually checks the internal environment for the presence of oxygen. The system also contains electrostatic reduction equipment to aid in handling. Samples weighed under an inert atmosphere MUST be transferrable. These samples must be either liquids or solids. Please click on the following link for Air Sensitive / Glove Box fees: Midwest Microlab Price List
Interferences Associated with Carbon Analysis:
Known interferences for Carbon analysis include :Very High Carbon samples may require additional combustion aid prior to analysis.
Suggested Sample Size according to Total Percentage Theory:
Theory % Carbon Single Carbon Duplicate Carbon Triplicate
0-5 % 10 mg 20 mg 30 mg
5-20% 5 mg 10 mg 20 mg
Above 20% 3 mg 6 mg 9 mg
For Air Sensitive samples we would recommend sending an additional 3 mg per run.
Turnaround Time
Standard Turnaround time for the total percentage of Carbon results is within 3-5 business days. RUSH services are available for an additional fee per sample,per analysis with per single run. Rush results turnaround time for Carbon analysis is within 2-3 business days.
Midwest Microlab does NOT handle any samples containing Osmium, Uranium, or Thallium within the molecular formula. Midwest Microlab is able to perform samples with Depleted Uranium but must be clearly indicated on the submission form. Please indicate on the comments section of the submission form if samples have a high toxicity or strong stench. We do not handle any Finished Pharmaceuticals for release or highly volatile liquid samples with boiling points of less than 40 deg C.
Carbon Analysis & Techniques: What is Carbon?
Atomic weight 12.01, Atomic Number 6, Melting Point 3550 C, Boiling Point 4,827 C.
Carbon is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol C and atomic number 6. An abundant non-metallic, tetravalent element, carbon has several allotropic forms.
Carbon occurs in all organic life and is the basis of organic chemistry. This nonmetal also has the interesting chemical property of bonding with itself and a wide variety of other elements. This bonding forming nearly ten million known compounds.
Carbon Analysis & Techniques: Carbon in Nature
When united with Oxygen it forms Carbon Dioxide, which is vital to plant growth. Sample is then united with Hydrogen. It forms various compounds called hydrocarbons which are essential to industry in the form of fossil fuels.
Combined with both Oxygen and Hydrogen it can form many groups of compounds including fatty acids, which are essential to life, and esters, which give flavor to many fruits. The isotope carbon-14 is commonly used in radioactive dating.
Carbon is a remarkable element for many reasons. Its different forms include the hardest naturally occurring substance (diamond) and one of the softest substances (graphite) known. Moreover, it has a great affinity for bonding with other small atoms, including other carbon atoms, and its small size makes it capable of forming multiple bonds.
Because of these properties, Carbon is known to form nearly ten million different compounds, the large majority of all chemical compounds. Carbon compounds form the basis of all life on Earth and the Carbon-Nitrogen cycle provides some of the energy produced by the Sun and other stars.
Moreover, Carbon has the highest melting/sublimation point of all elements. At atmospheric pressure it has no actual melting point as its triple point is at 10 MPa (100 bar) so it sublimates above 4000 K. Thus it remains solid at higher temperatures than the highest melting point metals like tungsten or rhenium, regardless of its allotropic form.
Carbon was not created during the Big Bang due to the fact that it needs a triple collision of alpha particles (helium nuclei) to be produced. The universe initially expanded and cooled too fast for that to be possible. It is produced, however, in the interior of stars in the horizontal branch, where stars transform a helium core into Carbon by means of the triple-alpha process. It was also created in a multi-atomic state.
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