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Elemental Analysis in Energy: Reducing Emissions and Improving Safety

May 28, 2025

Elemental analysis plays a vital role in the energy industry, enabling producers to ensure fuel quality, reduce emissions, and maintain equipment safety. As global standards tighten around air pollution and environmental impact, accurate detection of elements like carbon, sulfur, nitrogen, hydrogen, and trace metals is essential. This blog explores how elemental analysis supports sustainability and safety goals in the energy sector, and how ATS-Scientific's analytical instruments help companies stay compliant and efficient.

Why Elemental Analysis Matters in Energy

Whether you're refining crude oil, processing biomass, or operating thermal power plants, knowing the elemental composition of materials is critical. Elemental data informs decisions across:

Emissions Control: Sulfur and nitrogen content directly relate to SOx and NOx emissions. Monitoring these levels helps facilities meet EPA and ISO emission standards.
Fuel Quality Assurance: The carbon and hydrogen content of fuels determines their calorific value and combustion efficiency.
Equipment Longevity and Safety: Elements like chlorine and sulfur can cause corrosion in turbines, boilers, and pipelines. Early detection prevents equipment damage.

Key Analytical Techniques and Instruments

Combustion Elemental Analyzers (CHNS/O)

Combustion analyzers use high-temperature furnaces to oxidize samples, converting C to CO₂, H to H₂O, S to SO₂, and N to NOx for quantification. ATS-Scientific supplies robust systems for determining:

Carbon/Sulfur (C/S): Induction furnace-based analyzers (e.g. ELEMENTRAC CS-i) provide fast, high-accuracy measurements for coal, coke, oils, and other solid fuels.
Hydrogen/Nitrogen/Oxygen (H/N/O): Resistance furnace analyzers measure volatile content and oxidation levels critical for alternative fuels and combustibles.
CHNS/O Combos: Systems like the CHS-580A offer simultaneous analysis of multiple elements in organics, ideal for fuel and feedstock characterization.

X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) Spectroscopy

XRF is a non-destructive technique that detects elements based on their characteristic X-ray emissions. ATS offers XRF systems via a subsidiary, which analyze sulfur, chlorine, and heavy metals in solid and liquid fuels. These systems are widely used for:

Screening petroleum products for sulfur (ASTM D4294)
Monitoring chlorine levels in biomass and waste-derived fuels
Determining ash composition in coal and coke

Direct Mercury Analyzers (DMA)

Mercury is a major environmental and occupational hazard. ATS’s direct mercury analyzers (e.g. DMA-80) offer thermal decomposition and atomic absorption techniques to detect trace mercury in coal, fly ash, oil, and sludge without sample digestion. These instruments comply with EPA Method 7473.

Regulatory and Industry Applications

ATS’s elemental analysis solutions are aligned with industry-standard methods:

ASTM D3176: Proximate and ultimate analysis of coal and coke
ASTM D4294: Sulfur in petroleum and diesel by XRF
EPA Method 7473: Mercury in solids and liquids
ISO 16994 / ISO 29541: Biomass carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen analysis

Industries served include:

Thermal power generation
Oil and gas refining
Bioenergy production
Environmental monitoring
Petrochemicals and additives

Data Integrity, Automation, and Safety

Modern elemental analyzers from ATS include features that support:

Automation: Autosamplers for high-throughput labs (up to 130 positions)
Integrated Software: User-friendly interfaces with compliance-ready reporting
Safety Features: Enclosed furnace systems, automated leak checks, and exhaust controls
Calibration and Quality Control: Use of certified reference materials (CRMs) and instrument verification routines

These features help labs manage larger sample volumes while maintaining analytical accuracy and traceability.

Interested in Elemental Analysis?

As the energy sector adapts to environmental demands and emerging fuel sources, elemental analysis becomes increasingly central to operations. Accurate data on carbon, sulfur, nitrogen, mercury, and trace metals ensures fuel quality, reduces emissions, and protects both equipment and personnel.

ATS-Scientific delivers high-performance elemental analyzers—from CHNS/O combustion units to mercury-specific AAS and sulfur-detecting systems—designed for rugged industrial use and regulatory compliance. Backed by expert support, automation capabilities, and industry-standard alignment, ATS tools empower energy labs to make informed, sustainable decisions with confidence.

Understanding Porosity in Tablets with the Microtrac BELSORP

May 28, 2025

In the pharmaceutical industry, the smallest details matter, especially when it comes to the design and performance of tablets. One of these critical details is porosity, the measure of how much empty space (pores) exists within a solid structure. Understanding and controlling porosity is essential because it directly affects how a tablet dissolves and how it delivers medication.

That's where the BELSORP series from Microtrac, distributed in Canada by ATS Scientific Inc. comes into play. This advanced line of gas adsorption analyzers provides pharmaceutical scientists with the tools they need to accurately measure porosity in a reliable and reproducible way.

Why Is Porosity Important in Pharmaceutical Tablets?

Porosity plays a major role in how a tablet behaves once it reaches the human body. Here are just a few reasons why it's critical:

Drug Dissolution Rate: Higher porosity often means a faster dissolution rate, which can be essential for drugs that need to act quickly.
Mechanical Strength: Porosity impacts tablet hardness. Too much porosity can lead to fragile tablets.
Stability and Shelf Life: Moisture can get trapped in pores, potentially affecting the chemical stability of the drug.
Controlled Release: In extended-release formulations, porosity must be precisely engineered to release the active ingredient over time.

What is the BELSORP Series?

The BELSORP series is a group of high-precision gas adsorption analyzers designed for measuring pore size distribution and pore volume of materials. In pharmaceutical applications, these metrics are essential for characterizing porous structures such as tablets, powders, and excipients.

Models like the BELSORP Mini X, BELSORP Max X, and BELSORP Max II offer various levels of automation and throughput, but all use gas adsorption techniques, most often nitrogen at 77K, to analyze samples with extremely high precision.

How Does the BELSORP Determine Porosity?

The BELSORP series uses a technique known as gas adsorption porosimetry. Here’s how it works:

Sample Preparation: The pharmaceutical tablet is first degassed to remove moisture and contaminants
Gas Introduction: A known amount of inert gas is introduced in the sample at controlled pressures
Adsorpotion Measurement: The gas molecules adsorb to the surface of the sample, including with its pores
Data Analysis: By measuring how much gas is adsorbed at various pressures the system calculates:

Surface Area
Pore volume
Pore size distribution (via BJH or DFT methods)

This non-destructive analysis provides detailed insight into the internal structure of the tablet, far beyond what traditional techniques can offer.

Pharmaceutical Applications

Pharmaceutical researchers and manufacturers use the BELsorp instruments in various stages of product development and quality control. Some examples include:

Formulation Development: Ensuring that excipients and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) blend correctly and result in the desired porosity.
Quality Control: Verifying that tablets produced at scale maintain consistent porosity levels for uniform performance.
Process Optimization: Fine-tuning manufacturing processes like compression and drying to control pore characteristics.

The BELSORP Advantage

What sets the BELSORP series apart from other gas adsorption analyzers is its blend of precision, flexibility, and ease of use. Each model is built with advanced sensors and intuitive software interfaces, allowing for:

High reproducibility and sensitivity: Ideal for pharmaceutical applications that demand strict quality standards.
Flexible measurement modes: From single-point BET surface area analysis to full pore size distribution, BELsorp instruments adapt to your analysis goals.
User-friendly software: The built-in software simplifies operation and data interpretation, making advanced surface science accessible even to less-experienced users.
Wide range of sample types: Whether you're analyzing bulk powders, fine granules, or compressed tablets, BELsorp systems handle diverse sample forms with ease.

Understanding the porosity of pharmaceutical tablets is crucial for developing safe and effective medications. The BELsorp series from Microtrac enables pharmaceutical scientists to explore porosity in greater detail than ever before.

With advanced gas adsorption technology, intuitive software, and high-precision sensors, BELSORP analyzers help turn complex porosity measurements into actionable insights. Their versatility, accuracy, and ease of use make them a cornerstone for pharmaceutical labs focused on formulation development, process optimization, and quality assurance.

Whether you're in early-stage research or managing large-scale production, the BELSORP series provides the confidence and consistency needed to meet modern pharmaceutical standards.

Working together… providing solutions!

As the exclusive Canadian distributor, ATS Scientific Inc. offers localized support for BELSORP instruments. Our factory-trained technical sales team has extensive expertise in scientific instrumentation and analytical methodologies, particularly within the pharmaceutical sector.

ATS provides comprehensive support that includes:

In-depth consultations to match your lab's needs with the right BELsorp model
On-site installation and personalized training
Ongoing technical support and troubleshooting from knowledgeable local staff

Thanks to ATS Scientific's product expertise and commitment to customer care, Canadian users of the BELSORP series benefit from more than just advanced instrumentation, they gain access to a comprehensive support network that ensures long-term success and confidence in their analysis.

Understanding Key Powder Characterization Techniques

May 26, 2025

Powder behavior is governed by a complex interplay of physical properties including particle size, surface area, density, shape, flowability, and porosity. Whether you're working in pharmaceuticals, chemicals, materials science, or food production, understanding these parameters is essential to ensuring process consistency, product performance, and regulatory compliance. This blog breaks down the most important powder characterization techniques and highlights how ATS-Scientific supports technical teams with precision instrumentation and expert support.

Why Powder Characterization Matters

Powders are used extensively in both product formulations and manufacturing processes. The way a powder flows, packs, dissolves, or compacts can have significant effects on processing efficiency and final product performance. For example, in tablet manufacturing, poor flowability may result in inconsistent dosing, while in catalysts or adsorbents, insufficient surface area can reduce reactivity.

By characterizing key attributes such as particle size distribution, surface area, porosity, and density, engineers and scientists can better design materials, fine-tune production methods, and troubleshoot process issues.

Particle Size and Shape Analysis

Laser Diffraction (LD) and Dynamic Image Analysis (DIA) are two of the most widely used methods for determining particle size and morphology.

LD measures the angle and intensity of scattered light to determine a particle size distribution. It is fast, reproducible, and suitable for a wide range of sizes.
DIA uses high-speed imaging to capture shape and size information, including parameters like circularity and elongation, which affect flow and compaction.

ATS-Scientific offers systems like the Microtrac SYNC, which combines both techniques in a single platform, providing a comprehensive profile of powder samples.

Surface Area and Porosity: Gas Adsorption Methods

Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis is the gold standard for measuring specific surface area via nitrogen adsorption. The larger the surface area, the more reactive or absorbent the powder typically is.

Pore Size and Volume can be assessed through BJH or DFT methods, giving insights into a material’s porosity—a key property in applications like catalysis, filtration, and controlled-release formulations.

ATS-Scientific supplies BET and gas sorption analyzers suitable for high-throughput and high-accuracy measurements, offering automated dosing, degassing, and software analysis.

Density and Packing Behavior

Powder density influences storage, transport, and process efficiency. Key measurements include:

True Density (measured via gas pycnometry): Represents the density of the solid material excluding pore spaces.
Bulk and Tapped Density: Represent how powders behave under gravity and compaction. These are critical for dosing, blending, and packaging operations.

ATS offers automated pycnometers and bulk/tapped density analyzers that conform to USP and ASTM standards, enabling consistent and compliant results.

Flowability and Compressibility

Powder flow properties directly affect process performance, especially in feeding, blending, and tablet pressing. Techniques include:

Hausner Ratio and Carr Index: Derived from bulk and tapped densities, these provide quick indicators of flow properties.
Shear Cell Testing: Provides deeper insights into interparticle friction and flow under stress.

Poor flowability can lead to inconsistent fills, segregation, or equipment blockages. ATS supports this area with instruments for both basic and advanced powder flow analysis.

Additional Characterization Parameters

Other relevant techniques in powder analysis include:

Moisture Content: Using thermogravimetric or halogen moisture analyzers.
Electrostatic Charge: For powders prone to static buildup.
Thermal Analysis: Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) for understanding heat stability and solvent content.

These complementary methods help build a complete understanding of powder behavior, especially in sensitive applications.

ATS-Scientific's Powder Characterization Solutions

ATS-Scientific provides a comprehensive range of equipment tailored to powder characterization needs:

Microtrac SYNC for particle size and shape analysis
BELCAT and BELSurface series for BET and porosity
BELPYCNO L for true density via gas pycnometry
SVM and GLT instruments for bulk/tapped density and flowability
Moisture analyzers and thermal analysis systems for compositional analysis

With these tools, ATS helps labs design efficient processes, reduce variability, and meet strict product specifications.

Looking for Powder Analysis Solutions?

Powder characterization techniques are essential for understanding how materials behave during processing and in final applications. Techniques like laser diffraction, BET surface area, and bulk density testing offer actionable insights for engineers, formulators, and quality control professionals.

ATS-Scientific offers the instrumentation, technical expertise, and compliance-ready platforms to support reliable powder analysis across industries. Whether you’re optimizing a pharmaceutical formulation or improving materials for filtration, ATS has the tools and support to help you achieve consistent, high-quality outcomes.

An Engineer’s Guide to Particle Size Analyzers

May 23, 2025

Particle size and distribution are critical to the performance, processing behavior, and quality of particulate materials across industries—from pharmaceuticals and food to mining, construction, and advanced materials. Engineers involved in product development, quality control, and process optimization need a solid grasp of particle sizing techniques, their principles, and their appropriate applications. This guide explores the leading technologies available today and how ATS-Scientific's particle analysis solutions meet the complex demands of modern industry.

Why Particle Size Matters

Particle size distribution affects a material’s surface area, flowability, reactivity, and packing density. For instance, smaller particles increase surface area and dissolution rates (key for pharmaceutical tablets), while larger, more uniform particles improve flow in manufacturing and reduce dust.

Precise particle size measurement enables engineers to:

Predict product behavior (e.g., solubility, absorption, sedimentation)
Optimize manufacturing (e.g., mixing, milling, spray drying)
Ensure consistency and compliance in final products

Primary Techniques for Particle Size Analysis

Laser Diffraction (LD): This widely used technique measures the angle and intensity of light scattered by a dispersed particulate sample. Laser diffraction is based on Mie theory and provides rapid, reproducible volume-based particle size distributions over a wide range (from submicron to millimeter scale). ATS-Scientific offers advanced laser diffraction analyzers, including integrated systems like the Microtrac SYNC, which combines LD with image analysis for dual data outputs.
Dynamic Image Analysis (DIA): DIA captures high-speed images of particles in flow and uses software to analyze size and shape characteristics, such as circularity, elongation, and aspect ratio. Unlike LD, which infers spherical equivalent diameter, image analysis delivers true shape and size data. The SYNC analyzer from ATS allows simultaneous LD and DIA analysis in a single workflow, giving engineers a more complete picture of particle morphology and distribution.
Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS): DLS determines the hydrodynamic size of small particles (typically below 1 micron) in suspension by measuring fluctuations in light scattering due to Brownian motion. It is ideal for nanoparticle analysis but less suitable for broad or polydisperse samples.
Sieve Analysis and Sedimentation: Traditional techniques like sieve stacks or sedimentation (Stokes' Law) are still used for coarse or specific applications but are slower, less automated, and limited in resolution compared to optical techniques.

Choosing the Right Method to Measure Particles

Each particle size analysis technique has strengths and trade-offs:

Laser Diffraction is ideal for fast, high-throughput sizing of powders and slurries with wide distributions.
Dynamic Image Analysis is best when particle shape and structure matter (e.g., needles, flakes, granules).
DLS is necessary for nanoparticle suspensions in colloid chemistry or biological formulations.

Key factors when selecting a particle sizing method include:

Sample type (wet or dry)
Size range and distribution
Required throughput and automation
Sensitivity to particle shape and agglomerates

ATS-Scientific supports engineers in method selection, offering modular systems with both dry and wet dispersion capabilities, high-resolution optics, and intuitive software.

ATS-Scientific Solutions for Particle Sizing

ATS offers a full range of particle size analyzers, including:

Microtrac SYNC: Combines laser diffraction and image analysis for comprehensive particle characterization in a single instrument.
S3500 Series: A modular laser diffraction system for high-volume QC and research applications.
Nanotrac Wave II: DLS-based analyzer for nanomaterials and submicron particles.
Aerotrac and Beltac series: Designed for aerosol and environmental particle analysis.

These systems are equipped with automation options, wet and dry dispersion modules, and software for real-time visualization, trend analysis, and regulatory documentation. ATS also provides application support, calibration standards, and service plans to ensure long-term performance.

Best Practices for Reliable Data

Regardless of the technique, good practices in sample preparation, dispersion, and instrument calibration are essential:

Dispersion: Agglomerated particles must be properly dispersed, using ultrasonic treatment or surfactants if necessary.
Refractive Index: Correct input of sample and dispersant refractive indices is crucial for LD and DLS accuracy.
Validation: Use certified reference materials (CRMs) and perform regular checks with standard samples.
Environmental Control: For nanomaterials, temperature and vibration stability can affect DLS results.

ATS helps labs establish SOPs and offers training to ensure reproducible, defensible data.

Interested in Upgrading to a Particle Size Analyzer?

Understanding particle size analysis is vital for engineers tasked with material development, process optimization, or quality control. With a range of techniques suited to different particle types and applications, choosing the right tool requires both technical knowledge and hands-on support.

ATS-Scientific delivers advanced particle analysis systems and expert guidance to help engineers get the accurate, actionable data they need. Whether measuring cement powders, pharmaceutical granules, or food emulsions, ATS's solutions ensure precision, compliance, and confidence in every analysis.

What Every Pharmaceutical Lab Should Know About SamplePrep Precision

May 21, 2025

Sample preparation plays a critical role in pharmaceutical laboratories. From solid dosages like tablets to finished products, meticulous analysis is required, and the process begins with precision in your sample preparation. This step ensures that the samples being analyzed produce results which are accurate and reproducible.

Why Precise SamplePrep is so Important

Homogenization: Achieving uniform particle size to ensure representative sampling.
Avoids Contamination: Preventing cross-contamination between samples.
Efficiency: Reducing preparation time without compromising accuracy.

Traditional methods, such as manual grinding with mortars and pestles, are time-consuming and prone to too much variability between batches. Modern laboratories require solutions that offer consistency, speed, and compliance with stringent regulatory standards. ATS Scientific offers a range of Retsch SamplePrep solutions which address these challenges. Here’s how:

1. Enhanced Homogeneity for Accurate Analysis

ATS offers a suite of Retsch instruments which ensure uniform particle size distribution, minimizing variability and enhancing the reliability of analytical results. This is crucial for methods like HPLC, NIR, and dissolution testing, where sample consistency directly impacts data integrity.

2. Minimized Contamination Risks

Utilizing components made from inert materials and offering closed-system processing, ATS provides solutions to contamination risks which help maintain the purity of samples, vital for accurate API quantification.

3. Optimized Efficiency and Throughput

Time is a critical factor in pharmaceutical analysis. Retsch's solutions streamline the sample preparation process, significantly reducing preparation time compared to traditional methods. This efficiency enables laboratories to handle higher sample volumes without compromising on quality.

4. Compliance with Regulatory Standards

Pharmaceutical laboratories operate under strict regulatory frameworks. Retsch's equipment is designed to meet these standards, offering features that support compliance with Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines.

Pharmaceutical Sample Preparation Solutions from ATS

ATS boasts a suite of sample preparation instruments commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry. Here we provide a few examples of ATS’s solutions designed to improve your sample preparation workflow:

· Mixer Mills for homogenizing tablet components, mixing active ingredients (APIs) and cryogenic grinding for temperature sensitive materials

· Centrifugal mills: for the preparation of granulates or powders for dissolution testing. This is commonly used in pharmaceutical labs for the milling of raw plant materials for herbal medicine.

· Cutting Mills: Ideal for SamplePrep of gel capsules and cutting up blister packs for analysis.

· Cryogenic Mills: Designed for size reduction of oily samples while maintaining chemical stability of volatile compounds

· Sieve Shakers: Ensures accurate quality control of powder formulas and essential for determining uniformity and granule size.

Exploring Sample Preparation Solutions for Your Laboratory?

Incorporating ATS's advanced sample preparation solutions into your laboratory workflow can lead to improved reliability of your analytical results, increase your lab’s productivity with faster preparation times, and regulatory confidence with a full range of equipment designed to ensure adherence to industry standards.

Whether you are upgrading your lab’s workflow or starting from scratch, ATS’s expertise and technology can help you with product recommendations to ensure your lab produces results which are precise, uniform and reproducible.