Areas of Expertise

Polymer Conversion

  • Extrusion pelletization
  • Injection molding
  • Extrusion (sheet and film)
  • Blow molding
  • Blown film extrusion
  • Dip coating
  • Spray coating
  • Draw down coating applicator
  • 3D printing
  • Thermoforming
  • Shrink tunnel

Chemical Analysis

  • Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry
  • Gas Chromatography – Flame Ionization Detector
  • Pyrolysis – Mass Spectrometry
  • Liquid Chromatography – Quadrupole – Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry
  • Liquid Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry /Mass Spectrometry
  • Fourier Transform – Infrared Spectroscopy (attenuated total reflectance, horizontal attenuated total reflectance, transmission, diffuse reflectance, gas)
  • High performance liquid chromatography (diode array and evaporative light scattering detection)
  • Micro-Raman spectroscopy
  • Photoluminescence spectroscopy
  • Ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry
  • Fluorescence spectroscopy
  • Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Elemental Analysis

  • X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy
  • Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy
  • Microwave digestion
  • Scanning electron microscopy – energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy

Thermal Analysis

  • Differential scanning calorimetry (modulated and standard)
  • Thermogravimetric analysis (modulated and standard, air or nitrogen atmospheres)
  • Dynamic mechanical analysis (immersion and standard)
  • Thermomechanical analysis (immersion and standard)

Material and Packaging Design

  • Packaging specification
  • Packaging redesign
  • Material replacement/substitution
  • Material reduction assessment
  • Sustainable material sourcing and replacement
  • General specification design

Extraction, Mixing, and Grinding

  • Probe sonication (pulsed and continuous)
  • Bath sonication
  • Dry, dry ice, and liquid nitrogen grinding

Physical Analysis

  • Optical microscopy
  • Electromechanical analysis (tensile and compression)
  • Dart impact
  •  Colorimetric quantification
  • Electron microscopy
  • Water vapor permeation
  • Oxygen permeation
  • Surface energy analysis
  • Melt flow index
  • Coefficient of friction
  • Sealed container leak analysis

Shelf-life Analysis

  • Commercial refrigerated display cases (meat and produce, full-service and self-service)
  • Commercial frozen display cases
  • Quantification of nutritional constituents
  • Colorimetric quantification of food products and packaging components

In-process Measurements

  • Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy
  • Infrared spectroscopy (near and mid)
  • X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy
  • Volatile compound analysis

Safety and Compliance

  • Commercial microwave ovens
  • Commercial dual ovens
  • Optical temperature probes
  • Direct food contact applications
  • Code of Federal Regulation extraction apparatus
  • EU 10/2011 extraction apparatus and analysis
  • Trace molecule analysis (bisphenol sulfonate/acetone–BPS/BPA, fluorinated compounds–perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorooctanoic sulfonate)
  • Sensory Analysis (affective testing, discrimination testing, and descriptive panels)

Working in lab