Technical Support

• 1-800-569-6799
  
  
• 1-732-901-1900  (outside US & Canada)
  
  
• Visit our Tech Center for a wide array of technical resources
  
  
• Use our quick message form for immediate assistance
  
  
• E-mail: tech@inorganicventures.com
  
  

Technical experts are available Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (EST).

Frequently Asked Questions  (Technical)

• How should I store your standards once they arrive?
• Standards should be kept at room temperature (18 to 24°C) unless otherwise stated on the Certificate of Analysis.

• What information is listed on your Certificates of Analysis (CoA)?
• Our ISO Guide 31-compliant certificates include all mandatory information, plus a Trace Metallic Impurities (TMI) table that lists the analytical data from all traces.
  
  • Sample Certificate of Analysis  PDF file, 282K
  • Certificate of Analysis Components - Clear explanations of each section of an ISO Guide 31-compliant CoA.

• What is the expiration date of your standards?
• Typically, our expiration dates are no greater than one year. There are many expiration facts that prevent our scientists from endorsing an expiration beyond a year. However, we do offer a purchasing plan to buy standards with longer expirations.

• My solution arrived frozen... how should I proceed?
• Most standards will thaw without effecting the analytes. However, this is not true of all elements. We recommend you contact us with your solution's catalog number to check if it's still good. If it's not, we will gladly replace it, free of charge.

• What is the shelf life of your standards?
• Most standards have an unopened shelf life of at least 24 months -- larger bottles can last up to 10 years or longer. However, once the the bottle leaves our patented "Transpiration Controlled" storage facility, the shelf life can be reduced significantly. This is caused by transpiration.

• What is the difference between a standard's shelf life and expiration date?
• Shelf life is the amount of time that an unopened standard will last without undergoing chemical or physical changes. Expiration date refers to the amount of time that a standard should remain in use after it has been opened. Consult Shelf Life vs. Expiration Date for more facts that differentiate the two.

• Why am I getting low results for Silver (Ag)?
• Try to avoid mixing Silver with Chloride. However, if your method requires an HCl matrix, do the following:
  
  • Keep the solution away from the light
  • Keep the HCl content as high as possible
  • Keep the Ag concentration as low as possible
  
  Consult our Analytical Periodic Table for detailed information on every element we work with.

• What is the difference between Silica and Silicon?
• The elemental form of Si is expressed as "Silicon". "Silica" is represented as SiO₂ or Silicon Dioxide.

• The main component on the MSDS does not match the starting material on the bottle and certificate. Why?
• Oftentimes, the starting material is converted chemically to another form that is listed on the MSDS and label. For example, the starting material for Antimony (Sb) is Sb metal. The metal is reacted with nitric acid and tartaric acid to form Antimony Tartrate. Thus, the component on the bottle and MSDS is Antimony Tartrate and the starting material listed on the certificate is Sb metal.