News from LabRulezICPMS Library - Week 21, 2025

Our Library never stops expanding. What are the most recent contributions to LabRulezICPMS Library in the week of 19th May 2025? Check out new documents from the field of spectroscopy/spectrometry and related techniques!

👉 SEARCH THE LARGEST REPOSITORY OF DOCUMENTS ABOUT SPECTROSCOPY/SPECTROMETRY RELATED TECHNIQUES

👉 Need info about different analytical techniques? Peek into LabRulezLCMS or LabRulezGCMS libraries.

This week we bring you other document by Agilent Technologies, guide by Shimadzu and brochure by Thermo Fisher Scientific!

1. Agilent Technologies: 5 Reasons You Need Onsite Metals Analysis Capabilities for Battery Recycling

• Other document
• Full PDF for download

1. Monitoring airborne particulates 

Mechanical separation e.g. shredding, creates airborne particulates, hazardous to human health and the environment. ICP-OES can be used to monitor air filters to ensure regulatory compliance. 

2. Analyzing black mass 

The powder from separation, known as “black mass”, is widely refined through hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processes. ICP-OES effectively measures impurities to ensure the final product quality meets specifications. 

3. Monitoring and optimizing recycling processes 

Efficient separation is vital for effective downstream processing. Onsite ICP-OES enables real-time monitoring and optimization at each stage, maximizing material recovery like feedstock chemicals. 

4. Ensuring QC of input chemicals 

Purity of chemicals used in battery recycling is crucial to avoid introducing contaminants in the final product. For example, leaching – a common purification step – uses strong acids and solvents to isolate compounds.

5. Monitoring environmental discharges 

Thorough chemical analysis of emissions and waste can be achieved using ICP-OES to ensure the correct and safe disposal of these by-products.

2. Shimadzu: Application Data Book - Polymer and Electronic Material

• Guide
• Full PDF for download

The Shimadzu "Thermal Analysis 60 Series Application Data Book" is a comprehensive technical compendium showcasing the use of Shimadzu thermal analysis instruments—primarily the DSC-60, DTG-60, and TGA-50—for analyzing a wide array of polymeric and electronic materials. This application-focused book is structured into several sections that highlight practical case studies across categories such as plastics, electronic materials, and battery components, demonstrating how thermal techniques can be used to measure melting behavior, crystallization, decomposition, and glass transition properties.

In the section dedicated to plastics, studies examine the thermal responses of materials such as PET, PEEK, nylon, polypropylene, and polyimide. The influence of thermal history on crystallinity and thermal stability is highlighted through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses. For instance, the book explains how rapid cooling affects PET’s amorphous structure and how glass transition shifts depending on sample morphology and processing history. Shimadzu’s DSC-60 is used throughout to detect transitions such as glass transitions and melting points with high sensitivity and resolution.

When analyzing electronic materials, the book includes examples such as thermal decomposition of diodes and quantification of quartz in epoxy resins. Using Shimadzu’s DTG-60, these analyses reveal how semiconductor components decompose and how fillers like quartz contribute to thermal resistance. Similarly, for lead-free solder materials, melting behavior is compared to traditional Sn-Pb alloys, emphasizing the importance of composition in defining thermal performance—a critical aspect in electronics manufacturing.

The section on battery and fuel cell materials underscores the role of thermal analysis in energy-related applications. Using the DSC-60, separators in lithium-ion batteries are examined for their melting characteristics, which are crucial for safety mechanisms. The book also delves into analyzing Nafion® membranes for polymer fuel cells, using DSC to interpret water cluster dynamics that influence conductivity. These examples collectively illustrate how Shimadzu’s thermal analysis instruments provide valuable insights into the thermal behavior of modern materials used across diverse industries.

3. Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Scientific iSC-65 Autosampler and Qtegra ISDS Software: reliability to power through your challenging ICP-OES and ICP-MS workflows

• Brochure
• Full PDF for download

The Thermo Scientific™ iSC-65 Autosampler, controlled by Thermo Scientific™ Qtegra™ Intelligent Scientific Data Solution™ (ISDS) Software, is a robust, feature-rich sample introduction system with advanced hardware and software capabilities designed to improve productivity and profitability in your routine workflow. 

The iSC-65 Autosampler is compatible with the Thermo Scientific™ iCAP™ PRO Series ICP-OES and iCAP™ Qnova Series ICP-MS instruments. It is ideally suited for use in applications in environmental, food, industrial, battery technology, sustainable fuels, petrochemical, and pharma markets that require reliable sampling over extended periods. 

Key hardware features 

• An industry-proven three-axis screw thread design reliably drives the sample probe with sub mm accuracy and precision. 
• Materials that are resistant to common chemicals and acid are used throughout, allowing for reliable, contamination-free operation over extended periods. 
• Up to four industry standard sample racks can be installed at one time. Racks with vial capacities of 21, 24, 40, 60, and 90 are supported. 
• A dedicated area for 50 mL (either flat or round base) tubes is provided, ideal for solutions that need to be repeatedly analyzed, for example, quality control standards.
• In case of accidental spillage, the sample rack tray can be removed, and fittings are provided to support either a gravity drain to the front or a pumped drain to the rear of the iSC-65 Autosampler. 
• The two-channel rinse station is fed by a dedicated rinse pump that can be used to remove excess rinse solution or fitted to a gravity drain. The rinse station is removable for cleaning and is connected to tubing with luer style fittings for ease of use and peace of mind. 

Key sampling capabilities 

• Step Ahead – sends the probe to the rinse station during data acquisition, using the sample volume in the probe and transfer tubing to complete the analysis. Less sample solution is required, decreasing waste and instrument wear, and less time is required to rinse, reducing rinse solution usage and accelerating sample throughput.  
• Flexible sampling depths – vial-specific probe depths enable correct sampling to avoid suspended particles that could otherwise lead to blockages, minimizing maintenance and potential exchange of sample introduction components.

Software features built on hardware capabilities 

• The Thermo Scientific iSC-65 Autosampler is controlled through a dedicated software plug-in within the Qtegra ISDS Software platform. A high clarity, easy to follow, visual workflow is carried through multiple views. 
• A dedicated view for the iSC-65 Autosampler is accessible in the Qtegra ISDS Software Dashboard that provides access to common autosampler actions – probe movement, pump speed control, etc.