Evaluation of laboratory instrumentation

An analytical methodology can be divided into four sequential steps: technique, method, procedure, and protocol. A technique is a scientific principle that rationalizes a specific phenomenon through chemical measurements. Adapting a technique for analyzing a sample of interest is termed a method. The procedure outlines the directions for performing the analysis via an analytical method. The protocol is the detailed guidelines on the procedure, which should be strictly followed to obtain the...

Instrument calibration is essential for ensuring that instruments produce accurate and consistent results. It is vital in manufacturing, healthcare, testing laboratories, and scientific research. Calibration processes are specific to each instrument and help enhance data accuracy. Each instrument has a unique calibration process tailored to its design and function to improve data accuracy.
Analytical Balance Calibration
An analytical balance measures mass and requires regular calibration to...

Accurate calibration of glassware, such as volumetric flasks, pipettes, and burettes, is essential to ensure accurate measurements in the analytical laboratory. Calibration helps maintain consistency across measurements and prevents errors arising from inaccurate volumes.
Volumetric flasks: Volumetric flasks are designed to prepare aqueous solutions of precise volumes accurately with a calibration line on the neck. To calibrate a volumetric flask, it is important to fill it with distilled...

Capillary electrophoresis instrumentation typically consists of several key components. A high-voltage power supply generates the electric field necessary for the separation by connecting to an anode (the positively charged electrode) and a cathode (the negatively charged electrode) located in buffer reservoirs at each end of the capillary tube. The system includes a sample vial, a fused silica capillary tube coated with polyimide for mechanical strength through which the sample components...

An atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) comprises several components: a radiation source, an atomizer, a monochromator, and a detector. The radiation source can be a hollow-cathode lamp (HCL) or an electrodeless-discharge lamp (EDL), both of which provide a narrow emission line of the required wavelength. However, some instruments use continuum sources and high-resolution monochromators to achieve a narrow range of radiation.
The atomizer used in AAS can be either a flame atomizer or an...

Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) is the common plasma source used in atomic emission spectroscopy (AES), a technique that detects and analyzes various elements in a sample. This method is often called inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES).
There are three main types of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy  (ICP-AES) instruments: sequential, simultaneous multichannel, and Fourier transform instruments, with the latter being less commonly used.