Polyvinylchloride (PVC) is one of the most widely produced plastics in the world and accounts for approximately 70% of new buried water distribution and sanitary sewer pipes being installed in the U.S. and Canada today. With so much more PVC in use today, there are more situations in which pipes can fail. Whether caused by […]
Read More Concrete Failure Analysis Reveals Multiple Causes Swimming pool owners noticed that their concrete pool, which had been repaired two years earlier, was once again leaking and cracks were reappearing. Findings of the original investigation concluded that a chemical reaction was responsible for the leaks and cracks but that the reaction had mitigated when the pool […]
Read More Soon after roofing shingles were installed, the shingle manufacturer received complaints from numerous homeowners who observed rust-colored staining discharging from the shingles. The manufacturer replaced the shingles and began an investigation into the cause of the discoloration. Their in-house testing using an industry-standard method revealed the presence of corrosion-susceptible particles that were thought to be […]
Read More A major manufacturer of personal care products uses talc as a component in some of its products. The manufacturer needed to know whether another country’s proposed method for the analysis of talc was accurate for the identification and quantification of trace amounts of asbestos in the compound. Specifically, they needed to know if the proposed […]
Read More FDA approval is required for everything from bedpans to pacemakers. And although a splintered tongue depressor is generally not life threatening, deterioration of the surface coating of a stent can present a more serious problem. Regardless of the application, the materials used in the production process of a medical device are critical to the product’s […]
Read More Manufacturers rely on raw materials in the production process to maintain quality control and product consistency. Should supplier, production, worker health and safety or regulatory issues require a substitute or replacement material, the manufacturer is faced with choosing a material that meets the established quality and consistency criteria. Our client needed to determine whether the […]
Read More A construction materials manufacturer needed to label its products and provide guidance for safe work practices when using its products. To do that, the manufacturer needed to know the amount of respirable dust that could be generated by workers using the products under various conditions. Workers use a variety of different tools and follow various […]
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