Paper Industry Chemical and Microscopic Analysis

Chemical and microscopic analysis of papers, coatings, contamination and production problems.

Intertek provides chemical testing and microscopic analysis of paper and paper materials. The paper laboratory handles quality issues, customer complaints, and benchmarking. Modern instrumental techniques combined with classical methods of analysis, working on behalf of paper industry clients to provide information and solve problems, saving clients time and money. 

The paper laboratory staff have detailed knowledge of papermaking and printing processes, combined with years of experience, providing a focused approach to your analysis requests. 

The paper lab can tackle a wide range of paper quality and production issues, including contamination, spots, deposits, environmental factors, water, effluent, air monitoring, customer complaints, raw materials, production problems, sizing, fillers, multilayer coatings, lamination, printed materials, residual solvents, product deconstruction, benchmarking, research & development, and patent support. The laboratory provides standard methods and internal and client test methods. 

Paper laboratory testing instrumentation:

• infra-red (FTIR), reflectance (ATR)
  
• gas chromatography (GC) with FID / mass spectrometry
• thermal desorption (ATD), pyrolysis (py)
• solid phase micro-extraction (SPME)
• liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UVDAD / RI detection
• size exclusion chromatography (SEC / GPC)
• differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), linear and modulated
• thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)
• atomic absorption (AA) flame, hydride, Hg vapour
• X-ray fluorescence (XRF)
• UV / visible spectrometry
• pH, conductivity, electrochemistry, ion specific electrodes (ISE)
• stereo optical microscopy
• microtome - cross sectioning
• scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with EDX elemental mapping

The paper testing laboratory has extensive spectral libraries for both infra-red and mass spectrometry, specific for materials used in the pulp, paper and print industries. We can also draw on the experience of Intertek's wide network of analytical and physical testing specialists here at the Paper Technology Centre, to assist in the diagnosis of problems which require multi-disciplinary expertise.