Microanalytical Facility

Overview

The Microanalytical Facility provides services of elemental analysis. In these analyses, carbon (C), nitrogen (N), hydrogen (H) and sulfur (S) are determined using instrumentation for CHNS analysis. Virtually any other element, except halogens, inert gases and oxygen, can be determined using ICP instrumentation. Elemental analysis serves numerous fields including pharmaceutical (product synthesis), petrochemical (oil and its derivatives), chemistry (polymers and other products), environmental (soil, sediments, water, leaves, wood, etc.), and food industry (protein analysis, etc.). The analysis provides information on elemental composition, purity, elemental ratio and empirical formula of chemical compounds.

NOTICE: Microanalytical Facility Usage Rules During SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic

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Contact Information, Hours, and Location

Ashleigh Lightbody, Facility Manager
Email: alightbody@berkeley.edu
Phone: (510) 642-0701
Lab: 22 Lewis Hall

Hours
Monday: 8:00am - 6:30pm
Tuesday: 8:00am - 6:30pm

Instrument Information

Instruments:

  1. ThermoFisher Flash Smart Elemental analyzer (the C, H, N, S analysis); the detection limit is 0.01%.
  2. Perkin Elmer ICP Optima 7000 DV Spectrometer; the detection limit is 0.01ppm. This is an open access instrument.

Sample Requirements:

  • Ten mg is required for CHNS analyses. Generally, samples must be solid, but oils can be analyzed, too.
  • Ten ml of aqueous solution is required for the ICP analysis of metals and other elements.

Rates

CHNS Analyzer Rates (Per Sample)

College of Chemistry and LBNL Recharge Rates:

  • CHN analysis: $62
  • CHNS analysis: $112
  • Air-Sensitive CHN analysis: $107

Outside User Recharge Rates:

  • CHN analysis: $101
  • CHNS analysis: $182
  • Air-Sensitive CHN analysis: $174

ICP Usage (Per Hour)

College of Chemistry and LBNL Recharge Rates:

  • Microanalytical Consulting: $150/hour
  • ICP Usage: $99/hour

Outside User Recharge Rates:

  • Microanalytical Consulting: $246/hour
  • ICP Usage: $158/hour

CHNS Sample Submission Steps

  1. Register with the Microanalytical Facility.
  2. Submit a sample submission form for each sample that you would like to have analyzed.
  3. Clearly write your request number (located at the top right-hand side of your sample submission form) on the vial in which you plan to submit your sample.
  4. Print out your request form and tape your sample to the sample submission form.
  5. Drop off your samples to 22 Lewis Hall, or in the after hours sample drop-off closet by the women's restroom on the ground floor of Lewis Hall. Please submit at least 10 mg of each sample.

*If you have air-sensitive or radioactive samples, please email Ashleigh Lightbody (alightbody@berkeley.edu) before dropping them off. If you have air-sensitive samples to be analyzed, please plan to drop them off at 10:00am on Monday mornings. If this arrangement does not work for you, email Ashleigh.

*Expect 7-10 business days for samples to be analyzed. Results will be displayed online.

ICP Usage Steps

  • Register with the Microanalytical Facility
  • Submit a request form stating that you would like to be trained on the ICP.
  • Email Ashleigh Lightbody (alightbody@berkeley.edu) with at least three time slots when you are available to be trained. ICP training takes approximately two hours, so please keep this in mind.

*The ICP is an open access instrument. After your training, you may use the ICP whenever it is available. Please submit a request form for each time that you would like to use the ICP.

ICP Training Instructions

Location: Please meet in 305 Latimer Hall for ICP training.

What to bring: 

  1. A blank solution (10 mL aqueous solution)
  2. Four calibration point solutions with known concentrations (10 mL aqueous solution each)
  3. A check solution with known concentration (10 mL aqueous solution)
  4. A sample solution to be analyzed (10 mL aqueous solution)
  5. Your Cal 1 Card.