Pharmacology: a brief history Our search for medicines is nearly as old as humanity itself. Medicinal ingredients from plant, mineral, and animal sources were used for healing purposes since the earliest of advanced civilizations. Herbal remedies from China date back to a couple of thousand years ago, while indigenous populations have been relying on environmental sources for healing for several millennia. Systematic descriptions of medicines have been handed down to us from the ancient Greeks and the Roman Empire, laying a foundation for contemporary pharmacology. It was not until the 16th c ..read more

Spectroscopy is not just spectroscopy—or is it? When talking with our project partners and customers, the topic of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is often automatically associated with FT-NIR spectroscopy. So, why isn’t it just called NIR? What is the difference between IR and NIR? Some of you might even wonder: “Can I replace an old IR analyzer with NIR hardware?” And additionally: “Why should I replace the IR with a NIR process analyzer?” This two-part series aims to explain the differences between these techniques and dispel some myths. Click below to jump directly to a section: A bri ..read more

History of ASTM International The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) is an organization that currently provides over 12,500 international standards. Its roots date back to 1898, when ASTM was formed by a group of scientists and engineers to address the frequent rail breaks affecting the fast-growing railroad industry. The group developed a standard for the steel used to fabricate rails. Originally, this organization was called the «American Society for Testing Materials» (1902) and was changed to the «American Society for Testing and Materials» in 1961. In 2001 ..read more

What is a lubricant? A lubricant is defined as a petroleum-derived product used to control and reduce the friction and wear of moving machinery parts (e.g., in engines and turbines). The main purpose of lubricants  is to help protect and prolong the lifetime of the equipment. Machinery and lubricants go hand in hand, as shown here. These goals are accomplished in the following ways: Lubrication by reducing friction and wear. The lubricant forms a film between the mechanical moving parts of the equipment. In this way the metal-to-metal contact and, thus, the wear is reduced. Cooling ..read more

The European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) is a single reference work for the quality control of medicines. Ph. Eur. contains norms, suggests analytical methods, and lists many properties that define quality control (QC) during the production of medicines, the raw materials used, and the instruments required to perform such tests. These official standards are legally binding in several countries – not only in Europe, but worldwide. Raman spectrometers—especially handheld and portable instruments—are increasingly used for QC of medicines and raw materials (RMID). Instrument interfaces are user-fri ..read more

What is Pyrolysis gasoline or «Pygas»? Pyrolysis gasoline, also known as Pygas, is a byproduct of naphtha cracking during the production of ethylene and propylene. Pyrolysis gasoline is an easily flammable, colorless liquid with high aromatic contents and represents a mixture of light hydrocarbons (Figure 1). It is a high octane number mixture which contains aromatics, olefins, and paraffins ranging from C5 to C12. Figure 1. Pyrolysis gasoline (or Pygas) shown here is nearly colorless, but extremely flammable. Because of its high octane number, Pygas has a high potential for bl ..read more

What is surface finishing? Surface finishing is a series of industrial processes with the main goal to alter the surface of a certain workpiece in order to obtain specific properties. This can be performed chemically, mechanically, or even electronically with the aim of removing, altering, adding or reshaping the material that is being treated. Industries that use surface finishing techniques Surface finishing techniques are used by most industries that manufacture industrial parts (e.g., metals, wafers, tools, and more). The use of surface finishing processes has been on the rise globally a ..read more

MIRA DS (Metrohm Instant Raman Analyzer) is a handheld Raman system that identifies materials using 785 nm laser excitation. The advantages of using 785 nm Raman are well understood. Excitation with shorter wavelengths produces strong Raman scattering with short acquisition times. This results in a high signal-to-noise ratio and provides excellent spectral resolution with lower power draw. These are just some of the reasons that handheld Raman has become so popular over the last two decades. The sensitivity of Raman at 785 nm also means that lower laser powers can be used. Lower laser powers ..read more

Differences between gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel Gasoline is a fuel made from crude oil and other petroleum-based liquids, containing carbon numbers generally between 4 and 12, and exhibiting boiling points of up to 120 °C. Gasoline is primarily used as a fuel for vehicles. Petroleum refineries and blending facilities produce motor gasoline for sale at gas (or petrol) stations. Most of the gasoline that petroleum refineries produce is unfinished gasoline. This unfinished product requires blending with other liquids to control parameters such as octane rating and volatility to make gaso ..read more

The combination of two well-known analytical techniques, electrochemistry and spectroscopy, gives rise to spectroelectrochemistry (SEC), an established scientific methodology. This hybrid technology combines the advantages of each technique, offering the best of both worlds [1]. The word «spectroelectrochemistry» is the result of combining these two terms as two pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly together. In this article, written for both beginners in the field as well as more experienced readers, we focus on introducing this technique from its beginnings to its advantages in research ..read more