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The material characterisation section offers advanced materials measurement services to diverse industries such as; additive manufacturing, metals/alloys beneficiation & processing, packaging, electronics and advanced material research materials such as polymers, composites and nanomaterials. This is enabled by its high-end equipment investments, and expertise based on research and measurement services required for innovation and industrial competitiveness. The Inorganic Analysis Section is mainly focused on the analysis of inorganic elements in food, soil and water. 

The primary goal for the section is to provide measurement traceability for surface analysis, elemental analysis and material characterisation. This includes development of measurement methods, uncertainty of measurement, proficiency testing and ​ultimately to provide the Southern African Development region with capability to issue internally acceptable certificates of analysis.

Our primary goal is achieved through our participation in activities under the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance (CCQM) of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures.​

Key Fa​cts

• The materials characterisation group is the only facility in the country the offers turnkey XPS, TOFSIMS, SEM and XRD analysis to industry and academia. 

• The group has partaken in multiple international studies and provides world class measurements at competitive and economically aligned rates.

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  The group supports, amongst others, the automotive, aerospace, defence, packaging, transport and mining industries.

How we can​​ help 

• Measurements for surface and bulk analysis of nanomaterials, metals, semiconductors, coatings, glass, powders/particles and polymers

• Quality control for materials production/ manufacturing

• Problem solving on materials analysis issues

• Method development for quantitative analysis

• Proficiency testing schemes

• Trace and ultra-trace analysis of toxic and nutritional elements in food, toxic elements in environmental samples and elemental analysis of alloys, rocks and plastics​
  

Development of National Mea​​surement Standards​

The Inorganic Analysis Laboratory uses the technique of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to develop national measurement standards for the trace and ultra-trace analysis of toxic and nutritional elements in food (typically grains, plants, meat products, etc.), as well as toxic elements in environmental samp​les, such as sediments, soils, water, etc.  The laboratory has also on occasion performed elemental analysis of alloys, solder, rocks, and plastics.​

The team and contact details

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