R & D articles from June 2002

R & D archives from June 2002

High-tech supply and demand. (Editorial).(science and engineering)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2002... This year's crop of recent college graduates is having a hard time finding jobs. Those jobs that they do find often are in areas different than what they had hoped for, but they take them "to pay the bills." For example, a recent grad from the...

How to measure the temperature of a speeding bullet. (Analytical Instruments).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Infrared (IR) imaging technology offers a way to measure temperatures of objects that do not easily lend themselves to physical contact. All objects emit electromagnetic radiation, primarily in the IR waveband for objects at terrestrial...

How to use gas chromatography for trace analyses. (Analytical Instruments).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Trace gas analysis is generally the analytical technique used to determine the purity of a bulk gas. The actual quantitative level of the trace analysis is determined by a number of factors including system integrity, support gas purity, and...

How to disperse particulates. (Analytical Instruments).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... In particle characterization, particles in a sample have to be dispersed in a medium in order to be characterized. Liquid sample dispersion is an attempt to suspend a dry powder in an aqueous or non-aqueous liquid medium before analysis. The...

How to choose a single-beam optical system. (Analytical Instruments).(spectrometry)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... From the initial developments of atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) in the 1940s, the concept of the single-beam optical system was a fundamental design consideration. It allowed high-energy throughput for the best detection limits, smaller...

How to do fast LC/MS. (Analytical Instruments).(liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... The advent of high-throughput screening (HTS) technologies in the late 1980s resulted in the development of high-speed synthesis and analytical technologies. Advances in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS)...

How to increase productivity using infrared cameras. (Analytical Instruments).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Today's R&D professional is now confronted with a variety of challenges: the need to provide more research, testing, and results, all in less time--and often with less budget. An IR camera provides 78,000 individually calibrated temperature...

How to measure birefringence with ellipsometry. (Data Management).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Few realize that ellipsometry can also be used to measure the phase change in birefringent materials. Birefringent materials have a different refractive index for light traveling along different directions. The refractive index also describes...

How to do volume rendering. (Data Management).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... With the increases in desktop computing power, volume rendering is becoming more accessible than ever before. A variety of applications now use this technology, such as confocal microscopy, non-destructive testing, computational fluid dynamics,...

How to use remote data terminals. (Data Management).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... The use computers in data acquisition (DAQ) is now well-accepted as an industry standard. With recent technology, PCs and laptops, in addition to industrial computers, have become capable in this field. Still more promising are DAQ advancements...

How to collect RS-232 data. (Data Management).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Researchers need simple and reliable methods of collecting data from various measuring instruments and devices and transferring that data into PC applications for analysis, graphing, and storage. Writing down measurements and then typing them...

How to use a furnace safely. (Lab Equipment).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Several key items should be considered for safe use of a furnace, box furnace, or other heating element. These include: * Always wear safety glasses and protective gloves when operating, loading, and unloading a furnace. * Place the...

How to choose an air compressor. (Lab Equipment).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Air compressors are either centrifugal/ axial or positive placement in design. On the positive displacement side, the reciprocating piston category of compressor and vacuum pump depends on admission and delivery to the cylinder through valves,...

How to design a custom-engineered total water system. (Lab Equipment).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... To design, install, and commission a custom water purification system to feed a laboratory, suite of laboratories or an entire building, with multiple requirements including specialized equipment and individual users, requires the formation of...

How to improve R&D through standards development. (Lab Equipment).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Thousands of standards are used daily around the world by scientists and engineers conducting R&D, manufacturers and laboratories testing conformance, and government agencies specifying compliance with codes and regulations. Standards...

How to build a high-end science building. (Lab Equipment).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... When a project is first conceived, many key factors that will shape its destiny are often set into place. Projects are made or broken at this stage. Budgets are fixed, parameters are set, and irrevocable promises are often made. The one...

How to develop a relationship with the national labs. (Lab Equipment).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... The DOE has more than a dozen national laboratories (including plants and centers) around the country that companies and organizations can tap into for a wealth of capabilities. By using the high-tech resources at these facilities, companies...

How to choose a refrigerated and heating circulator. (Lab Equipment).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... The best choice when buying a new refrigerated and heating circulator is just as important as a golfer buying a new set of golf clubs--it all depends on the application. The basic terms for all liquid temperature applications are: *...

How to monitor sites from PCs. (Lab Equipment).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Meeting standard regulatory agency requirements for environmental monitoring and validation is a basic necessity in today's research industry. An environmental monitoring and access control system is invaluable when you are required to monitor...

How to fabricate SiC products. (Lab Equipment).(silicon carbide)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Silicon carbide offers superior physical, mechanical, and chemical properties over traditional materials in applications that require high strength, high thermal capabilities, and resistance to plasma and acid erosion. There are three primary...

How to select a high-temp heater. (Lab Equipment).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... A high-temperature heater depends first on its heating element. The ideal heating element is engineered so that power is balanced between center and end zones to provide temperature uniformity at varied operating temperatures while reducing...

How to choose the proper chiller. (Lab Equipment).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Chillers are robust systems that include a compressor, heat exchanger, condenser, and associated components designed to remove heat. These include recirculating baths, chillers, and immersion and flow-through systems. Choosing the right...

How to ensure reduced flow fume hood performance. (Lab Equipment).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... A fast-growing trend in laboratory fume hood design has been the introduction of reduced flow fume hoods by a number of fume hood manufacturers. These reduced flow hoods operate with substantially reduced exhaust volumes and can provide the...

How to do SFE. (Lab Equipment).(supercritical fluid extraction)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Although extraction systems vary by application, one of the most used is that of fat determination and extraction in a wide range of foods. It fills a critical need for determining quality control, product labeling, and calibrating on-line...

How to understand MEMS. (Micro/Nano).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... MEMS devices are measured on the micro-scale (a human hair <100 microns), and must be produced by processes that also traverse the micro-scale. Those processes are similar to the methods used to create integrated circuits in semiconductor...

How to do sputter coating. (Micro/Nano).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... The sputter coating deposition process, widely used in the electronics industry, is versatile in that films of nearly every element in the periodic table can be deposited this way. The process begins by evacuating a vacuum chamber to a base...

How to digitize your lab. (Microscopy).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... For years, the routine work done in labs has been undergoing a process of change. Digital technology has earned itself a permanent position in today's lab via PCs and various microprocessor-controlled synthesis, measurement, testing, and...

How to select a voltmeter. (Test & Measurement).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... If you have a source of direct current (DC) voltage with a value [V.sub.s], the expectation is that a voltmeter connected to the source will display a reading, [V.sub.m], that is essentially equal to [V.sub.s] And often this is the case....

How to prevent waterhammers. (Test & Measurement).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Waterhammer is an impact load that is the most misunderstood force known to pressure transducers today. The results of a waterhammer or impulse load are devastating to a pressure sensor. The impulse load occurs suddenly-in the millisecond time...

How to interpret leak detector specifications. (Vacuum Tech).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Purchasing a helium leak detector can be an overwhelming task. Manufacturer published specifications often reflect performance under ideal and sometimes unrealistic conditions. Additionally, manufacturers may specify features that do not add to...

How to choose a turbopump. (Vacuum Tech).(Brief Article)(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2002... Turbomolecular pumps have intrigued us from early developments in the 1960s. Researchers such as Kruger, Maulbetsch, and Shapiro at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology experimented with single-stage axial flow turbines, and their results...

How to manage water vapor in vacuum chambers. (Vacuum Tech).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Water vapor is a major problem in vacuum chambers: it increases the pumpdown time to reach the required base pressure and it adversely reacts with most deposition processes. Applications requiring control of water vapor are found in many...

How to apply cryogenics. (Vacuum Tech).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Toward the end of the 19th century, two European scientists produced droplets of liquid oxygen via the cascade principle. The inversion temperature of two premier cryogenic gases, hydrogen and helium, are quite low. In order to achieve...

Relative viscometer.(Advertising)
June 1, 2002... The model Y501 relative viscometer measures the viscosity of dilute polymer solutions and adjusts to varying QA/QC requirements. This tool can provide a variety of data, such as relative, intrinsic, inherent, specific, and absolute viscosity,...

Open air platform shakers.(Advertising)
June 1, 2002... To maximize durability, the [Max.sup.Q]2000 and [Max.sup.Q]3000 open air platform shakers were designed to operate for up to 24 hours, and with a triple eccentric drive, are able to withstand load capacities of 15.88 and 22.68 kg respectively....

Custom alloy production.(Advertising)
June 1, 2002... Depending on specific customer requirements, this custom alloy service is capable of producing alloys of differing compositions. With the capability to melt alloys via air, vacuum, or inert gas, foils can be produced as thin as 0.5 [micro]m,...

Digital particle analyzer.(Advertising)
June 1, 2002... Providing particle analysis in less than a minute, the Camsizer uses two matched digital cameras with different resolutions to provide a measurement of free-flowing powders in the range of 30 [micro]m to 30 mm. The analysis creates 19 separate...

Refrigerated and heating circulator.(Advertising)
June 1, 2002... This new circulator offers cooling and heating from -26 to 200[degrees]C and features options like a digital temperature setting and readout, external temperature controls via Pt100 remote sensor, digital interface, and safety warning...

Stereomicroscope.(Advertising)
June 1, 2002... The S8 APO stereomicroscope offers a fully apochromatic 8:1 zoom magnification system that creates magnifications 3.2 to 640 times and 600 line pairs/mm resolution. The stereomicroscope also features a built-in video/photo port, adjustable...

How to pick a particle analyzer. (Lab Equipment).(Brief Article)(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2002... Particle size analysis is an important tool in characterizing a wide range of performance factors. Selecting the most appropriate instrument for a given application depends on a number of variables. The user must determine those factors that...

Scanning Electron Microscopes.(Advertising)
June 1, 2002... There are six models of LEO 1400 Series SEMs, including conventional, variable pressure and VPSE. Combined with LEO's flexible 32-bit software and a range of chamber sizes, the 1400 series allows you to configure the ideal SEM for your...

Roots pumping package.(Advertising)
June 1, 2002... PackageLine is a large volume throughput, roots pumping package for dry, inert and non-reactive gases and gas mixtures. It is economical, environmentally friendly and compact with applications in E-Beam welding, backing high vacuum systems,...

High-performance plastic connectors.(Advertising)
June 1, 2002... Fischer's 4032 Series miniature plastic connector is available with up to 19 gold-plated contacts in a half-inch diameter housing. The patented SureGrip[TM] plug body can be securely gripped, even with wet hands or gloves. This competitively...

Cole-Parmer[R] 2003-04 General Catalog.(Advertising)
June 1, 2002... Explore the new 2003/04 Cole-Parmer[R] General Catalog. This FREE catalog features more than 2,200 pages of exclusive, hard-to-find items along with the basics you expect. Innovative products for applications in fluid handling, industrial...

Electronic flowhood.(Advertising)
June 1, 2002... Gives direct digital readout of air flow with automatic correction for local air density and back pressure. Reads 20--2,500 cfm supply or exhaust, in cfm or I/sec. Brochure describes the unit. 480/991-6744; Fax: 480/443-1267 Shortridge...

Kanthal Product Guide includes electrical heating elements, element materials and thermocouple alloys.(Advertising)
June 1, 2002... High performance Globar SiC elements join the proven SUPER[R] MoSi2 elements in Kanthal's newest Product Guide. A complete listing of thermocouple alloys has also been added to Kanthal's line of FeCrAl, nickel and copper-nickel alloys....

General purpose CW laser. (Product/Literature Showcase).(Advertising)
June 1, 2002... The Model 3900S solid state Ti:Sapphire laser remains the first choice for tunable continuous wave radiation in the near IR spectral range. This versatile laser can be tuned from 675 nm to 1100 nm, delivering up to 3.5 W of TEMoo output for...

Duniway Stockroom Corp. (Product/Literature Showcase).(Advertising)
June 1, 2002... 2002 Catalog. Specializes in vacuum equipment and supplies; ion pumps and controls; flanges, gaskets, bolts and nuts; vacuum gages and controls; mechanical pumps and rebuild kits; supplies (oils, greases, hoses, bell jars) diffusion pumps and...

2002 Goodfellow Catalog of Metals & Materials. (Product/Literature Showcase).(Advertising)
June 1, 2002... The new and expanded 2002 Goodfellow Catalog of Metals & Materials contains about 40,000 items, along with physical, electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties and comparative data tables. Additions to this year's Catalog include a wider...

VAT vacuum valves 2004 catalog. (Product/Literature Showcase).(Advertising)
June 1, 2002... It's NEW! VAT's 2004 catalog detailing the highest quality vacuum valves ranging from rough vacuum to extreme UVH has arrived. Over 1000 standard valves to choose from for a wide variety of vacuum applications. Visit www.vatvalve.com; E-mail:...

New catalog features Carver Laboratory[R] presses. (Product/Literature Showcase).(Advertising)
June 1, 2002... Carver's new 16 pages, full-color catalogs Contains complete specifications of more than 50 standard model carver hydraulic presses. The presses are available in manual and automatic versions with 12 to 100 tons clamp pressure for a wide...

PCI-Bus I/O, communications and utility cards. (Product/Literature Showcase).(Advertising)
June 1, 2002... 56-page catalog features complete line of PCI bus data acquisition cards, including analog and digital I/O cards, communications interfaces and watchdog timer card. Products come with 30-day return policy and 3-year warranty. 800/326-1649; Fax:...

First Reaction. (Product/Literature Showcase).(Advertising)
June 1, 2002... First Reaction supplies specialty materials and services for advanced applications. Our product range includes precursors for oxide and nitride thin films; oxide single crystals and substrates; custom semiconductor single crystals; precious...

Absolute particle sizing system. (Product/Literature Showcase).(Advertising)
June 1, 2002... Wyatt Technology introduces the most advanced and versatile system for the separation of macromolecules and sub-micrometer particles in solution. The Eclipse is analogous to an HPLC system only applied to the separation of particles and large...

Free Measurement and Automation Catalog 2002. (Product/Literature Showcase).(Advertising)
June 1, 2002... The National Instruments Measurement and Automation Catalog 2002 is the leading resource for engineers and scientists seeking the most effective customer-defined measurement and automation solutions. You will find everything you need from...

Flow meters. (Product/Literature Showcase).(Advertising)
June 1, 2002... Allcat Scientific Inc. manufactures precision electronic mass flowmeters and controllers for gas and liquid along with pressure gauges and controllers for many direct and OEM customers involved in the analytical market. 520/290-6060, Fax:...

Bruker AXS S2 Ranger. (Product/Literature Showcase).(Advertising)
June 1, 2002... Bruker AXS S2 RANGER is the only high-end benchtop EDX spectrometer with integrated touch-screen operation and an always-accessible X-Y automsampler all in a single, compact cabinet. The all-in-one EDX spectrometer cabinet also includes an...

LSM 5 Pascal personal confocal microscope. (Product/Literature Showcase).(Advertising)
June 1, 2002... Zeiss high performance LSM 5 Pascal is a compact system designed for individual users & small work groups involved in biomedical & materials examinations. The instrument incorporates flexible scanning techniques for high-resolution image slices...