Heat a catalyst and it stops being a static picture. Nanoparticles migrate and coalesce. An oxide support reduces. A facet reorganizes. Coke builds up, then burns off. In a huge number of materials problems, the interesting science happens during the…
Radiation damage often begins invisibly. At the atomic and molecular levels, exposure to ionizing radiation can introduce defects, disrupt crystal lattices, and alter chemical bonds long before catastrophic failure becomes visible. Detecting these subtle shifts requires a combination of techniques…
Nuclear forensics serves as the investigative backbone for understanding and tracing illicit nuclear or radioactive materials. Its mission is clear: to determine the origin, production pathway, and potential use of intercepted substances. Yet the practical challenges are immense. Samples are…
Understanding how therapeutic compounds interact with living cells is fundamental to modern drug discovery. Yet capturing this interaction poses a significant analytical challenge. Drug delivery occurs across multiple scales, from the nanometer-sized carrier to the micrometer-sized cell, and involves both…
Small changes in crystal packing can have outsized consequences in pharmaceuticals. Drug polymorphs, distinct crystalline forms of the same active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), can alter solubility, bioavailability, mechanical properties, and long‑term stability. For development teams, confirming which phase is present…
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) remains an indispensable tool for high-resolution imaging of surfaces and microstructures. Its ability to capture detailed topographical information makes it a cornerstone in materials characterization. However, SEM alone falls short in one critical aspect: molecular specificity.…
Quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) are essential for reliable manufacturing and materials development. Whether the field is electronics, metallurgy, coatings, or medical devices, ensuring that every component meets defined standards is critical. Defects, contamination, or inconsistencies at the microscale…
Home / Blog / Energy Why Your Lithium-Ion Batteries Keep Failing: Finding the Root Cause with SEM-EDS-Raman January 2026 • 6 min read That thermal runaway incident? The capacity fade that’s killing your cycle life? The answer is probably visible…
Electronics failure analysis (FA) is central to maintaining product reliability, reducing warranty costs, and improving manufacturing yield. Failures may arise from a wide variety of mechanisms: delamination of layers, corrosion of interconnects, electromigration in conductors, solder joint defects, foreign particle…
Alloys underpin high-performance applications in aerospace, automotive, energy, medical devices, and beyond. Before entering service, each batch must pass alloy qualification — a rigorous evaluation of chemical composition, microstructural consistency, and inclusion content against industry or customer specifications. These factors…