Industrial Chemistry Division - Case Studies...

The scope of work performed by the Industrial Chemistry Division is illustrated by the following examples of actual analyses and investigations.

  Contaminants that have been identified in diesel fuel include micro-organisms,         petrol, kerosene, acid, various cleaning products and paint. Diesel engine starting         problems in cold weather are often found to be due to use of "summer grade" fuel         during winter.
  Petrol from various sources has been found to contain diesel fuel. In several         cases, two-stroke fuel was found to contain insufficient oil (usually after engine         damage has already occurred).
  A large insurance claim was settled when extensive corrosion damage in a         hydraulic system was found to be due to contamination with acid, rather than         caused by poor maintenance.
  A green deposit on a spa bath was found to be caused by a combination of soap         and bath salts with high levels of copper in the water.
  Zinc anodes have been analysed to determine compliance with the Australian         Standard.
  Deposits in engine air intakes, combustion chambers and exhaust systems have         been analysed and identified. Fuel and oil additive products have been analysed,         and the effect of additives on diesel fuel characteristics has been investigated.
  Mortar samples have been analysed to determine the amounts of sand, cement         and lime that were used.
  Cowhide lobster baits were tested to determine whether chemicals used to         remove hair from the baits were still present after seawater immersion.
  Raw materials for the manufacture of pharmaceutical products are tested for         compliance to British Pharmocopaea or similar requirements.
  Clean solvent was agitated inside recycled steel drums and was then analysed         for organic compounds and particulate matter to assess the cleanliness of the         drums.
  An extensive series of tests was conducted to determine the reason for the failure         of insulating rubber boot sleeves. Other rubber samples have been identified, and         a case of rubber deterioration was found to be due to contact with oil.
  Many kerosene-based extracts from intensive mineral processing trials were         analysed for a range of both major and minor metallic elements with rapid         turnaround.
  Cases of both exterior corrosion and internal blockage of copper radiator tubing          been investigated.
  Laboratory studies have compared the effectiveness of various biocidal additives         for diesel fuel.