Trace Analytics Air Testing & Analysis
Accredited Laboratory Facilities for Compressed Air Analysis
Trace's laboratory is accredited by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation. We use state-of-the-art lab equipment such as an Agilent Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer with an autosampler that allows us to analyze hundreds of compressed air samples daily with very little human intervention. The result is consistency, accuracy, precision, and rapid turnaround. Quality control and quality assurance are a major priority. Trace is an A2LA accredited laboratory complying with ISO 17025, certificate #0322-01.
Trace's laboratory successfully participates in the Compressed Air Proficiency Testing program. We are members in good standing with the Chemical Society, American Industrial Hygiene Association, National Fire Protection Association, and the Medical Gas Professional Healthcare Organization.
Six Reasons to Choose Trace Analytics:
EXPERTISE
Our team of experts has over 150 years experience in the specific field of compressed air analysis, testing, and troubleshooting. Compressed air is our specialty.
ACCREDITED
Trace Analytics is accredited by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA), Certificate #0322-01. We are an unbiased third-party laboratory with no financial interest in other compressed air products. Certification to this standard means that our laboratory meets both the technical competence requirements and management system requirements that are necessary for us to deliver technically valid test results and calibrations.
ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES
We use a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) for the analysis of gases, oil vapor and water vapor. Condensed hydrocarbons (oil mist/aerosol and particulates) are determined by gravimetry using an analytical balance. Particle counting and sizing is performed by optical microscopy. A duplicate method for water analysis includes an on-site detector tube that can be used for immediate water vapor results. The primary reason for selection of these techniques was superior accuracy and precision capabilities for the analysis of compressed air. These are expensive methods due to associated costs for the instrumentation, maintenance, NIST traceable standards, and trained personnel required to operate the instruments.
QUALITY CONTROL
Prior to air sample analysis, analytical instruments are calibrated with certified NIST-traceable standards over the entire range of interest. Media blanks are analyzed in exactly the same manner as samples to ensure contamination-free results. With each set of calibration data, a separate set of certified NIST-traceable standards are employed to determine an estimate of uncertainty (derived from accuracy and precision data) for air samples analyzed.
ESTIMATE OF UNCERTAINTY
Estimate of uncertainty is determined with each batch of air samples to ensure that the quality of the data provided to customers is sustainable and ongoing. Estimate of uncertainty combines accuracy and precision data to provide a confidence interval in which the analytical data falls 95% of the time (95% confidence interval).
METHOD VALIDATION
A series of exhaustive experiments are carried out to ensure that both the sampling and compressed air analysis methods are acceptable. Air sampling media are fortified with certified NIST-traceable standards, subjected to the same travel and holding conditions as real world samples, and results are determined for a whole range of parameters used to validate the methods. A copy of this ongoing validation study is available by contacting Trace Analytics Laboratory Director.
 |
