Materials Characterisation

LGC is highly experienced in the application of leading edge technologies and well established materials characterisation techniques. We help our clients in the pharmaceutical sector to understand the key physical and chemical characteristics of a variety of materials such as process impurities, degradation products, metabolites and formulated products.

The technologies used at LGC include, but are not limited to:

Spectroscopy

Compound/polymer identification by vibrational spectroscopy

• Fourier Transform Infra Red (FT-IR) and Raman (microscopy);
• Ultraviolet (UV), fluorescence

Determining variations in complex products and processes

• Near Infra Red (NIR)

Structural elucidation of chemicals and biologicals

• Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS)
• Tandem Mass Spectrometry (MS/MS)
• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
• Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation Time-of-Flight MS (MALDI-TOF-MS)

Particle characterisation

Particle size analysis

• Laser diffraction (dry and wet systems)
• Coulter
• Optical microscopy and SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy)

Particle morphology

• Surface area determination
• Vapour sorption
• Porosimetry
• X-Ray Diffraction
• Density

Microscopic imaging

High resolution imaging by electron microscopy

• High resolution SEM
• Energy dispersive X-ray detection
• Backscattered electron detection

Spatially resolved mapping with chemical information

• FT-IR micro spectrometry
• Raman micro spectrometry

Optical microscopy

• Image analysis

Morphology and thermal analysis

Determination of crystal structure and polymorphic form

• X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry and Infra Red spectrometry
• Electron microscopy
• Optical microscopy

Thermal characterisation – purity, moisture and phase information

• Differential scanning calorimetry
• Modulated differential scanning calorimetry
• Thermogravimetric analysis
• Sorption studies