Chemical analysis

The COT laboratory can perform a large number of analysis of paint and paint related products. It is equipped with various apparatus, such as a FT-IR (Fourier Transformation Infra-Red) spectrophotometer to determine binders, an UV-VIS spectrophotometer to measure the titanium dioxide content, an AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer) to determine pigments and extenders, a GC-MS (Gas Chromatograph – Mass Spectrophotometer) to determine among others solvents and PAH (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) and several smaller measuring apparatus.

Other variables which can be measured are the sand/cement ratio in concrete, amine number, epoxy number, acid number and hydroxyl number of binders/paints and volume solids according to ISO 3233 and ASTM D2697. We can perform emission measurements (e.g. formaldehyde) on paints and wood panels. Physical characteristics of paints, as density, viscosity, fineness of grind, pot life and drying, often determined in combination with chemical analyses, are presented in Physical properties.