Facilities

In the School of Chemistry and Forensic Science, we ensure that our students and researchers are supported through access to the latest technologies and equipment.

The University and UTS: Science’s commitment to providing cutting-edge facilities and equipment is demonstrated in the recent investment of over $100 million to build new state-of-the-art laboratories and practical science facilities at its Broadway City Campus. By providing access to state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, our students and researchers gain the experience they’ll need in using the instruments they’ll encounter in their professional careers in industry and the real-world.

We have a range of mass spectrometry, allied chromatographic equipment and nuclear magnetic resonance facilities used by undergraduate, honours and postgraduate students, as well as research scientists and academic staff.

Below is a list of the School’s instrumentations:

Mass spectrometry and allied chromatographic equipment

The School of Chemistry and Forensic Science has a range of mass spectrometry and allied chromatographic equipment used by undergraduate, honours and postgraduate students, as well as research scientists and academic staff. In addition the NMR facilities are also available for external clients interested in solving analytical problems with these techniques including:

• Agilent Technologies 7500 series solution nebulisation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer
• Agilent Technologies 7500 series laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer
• Agilent Technologies liquid chromatography triple stage qualdrupole mass spectrometer Model 6401
• Perkin Elemer Sciex liquid chromatography triple stage qualdrupole mass spectrometer Model API 365
• Agilent Technologies gas chromatograph mass spectrometer Model 5975
• Agilent Technologies gas chromatograph mass spectrometer Model 5973
• Hewlett Packard gas chromatograph mass spectrometer Model 5970
• Joel DMS DX303 high resolution gas chromatograph mass spectrometer
• Shimadzu QP5050A pyrolysis gas chromatograph mass spectrometer
• Agilent Technologies gas chromatograph Model 7890
• Waters associates Alliance 2695 Liquid chromatographs

Infrared Chemical Imaging facility

Infrared chemical imaging at UTS is carried out using a Digilab Stingray system consisting of an FTS7000 infrared spectrometer, a UMA600 infrared microscope, a Lancer 64x64 MCT focal plane array detector, and the Stingray large sample (imaging) accessory.

The instrument is also equipped with a single point MCT detector (microscope), a DTGS detector (bench), an MTEC photoacoustic detector, and hot and cold stage capabilities (-200 to +1500 degC).

For more information, contact Dr Brian Reedy.

Nuclear Magnetic resonance

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a standard technique used in many laboratories to study physical, chemical and biological properties of matter. NMR is an indispensable technique for identifying the chemical structure of simple organic molecules and complicated molecules such as protein, polysaccharides and DNA. The technique can also be used to study dynamic processes and in drug design.

NMR is essentially another form of absorption spectroscopy. Under appropriate conditions in a magnetic field a sample can absorb electromagnetic radiation, in the radio frequency (RF) region, at frequencies controlled by the characteristics of the sample. An NMR spectra is a plot of the resonance frequency (chemical shift) against the intensity of RF absorption by the sample. The chemical shift is calibrated and expressed in parts per million (ppm).

Simple one-dimensional (1D) NMR techniques are used routinely to study chemical structures, whilst two-dimensional techniques (2D) are preferred for more complicated molecules.

The School of Chemistry and Forensic Science has a Bruker Spectrospin 300MHz NMR, with both solution and solid state capabilities which is used by honours and postgraduate students, as well as research scientists and academic staff. In addition the NMR facilities are also available for external clients interested in solving analytical problems with this technique.

For more information, contact Ronald Shimmon.

Forensic science equipment

Video Spectral Comparator

The VSC2000/HR (Foster+Freeman) is a comprehensive digital imaging system with an extensive range of features and applications. Techniques include examination in the visible and infrared regions of the spectrum carried out with incident and transmitted UV, visible and infrared illumination up to 1000 nm.

Equipped with a high resolution digital colour video camera the VSC offers 1360 x 1024 pixel output providing excellent image quality. Software features include casework management; image integration, processing and measurement; colour measurement and archiving facilities.

Polilight and Poliview

The Polilight (Rofin Australian) is the leading forensic light source for both scene and laboratory applications. The instrument produces 14 light bands in the UV, visible and infrared range delivered via a flexible light guide. Applications include latent fingerprint and document examination, as well as for trace evidence such as fibers, bloodstains, hairs, paint chips, semen, saliva and some illicit drugs.

The Poliview (Rofin Australia) is an integrated image detection and enhancement system that incorporates the Polilight. The system includes a CCD camera with 1024 x 1024 pixel resolution and a 14x zoom lens, capable of 10 minute integration times and employs all available optical techniques - fluorescence, reflection, absorption, and transmission imaging.

Fibre Finder

The tedious, time consuming and expensive nature of searching for foreign fibres on tape lifts in forensic casework lead to the development of automatic fibre finder systems. These systems make an automated search for fibres using colour as a criterion. The Maxcan Fibre Finder (Cox Analytical Systems AB) is a bench top instrument equipped with a high resolution scanner (5000 dpi), sheet feeder and computer.

The fibre finder evaluates colour by the HSL model, analogous to the way humans view colour. Reference targets are scanned, defined & added to a database. Simultaneous searches of tapings of fibres with colours that fall within target limits can then be carried out; up to 16 definitions at once on 16 single pages. Though the main application is fibre identification research at UTS have shown the Maxcan can selectively detect and sort fibres, hair and dandruff, all frequently found on garment tape lifts.

Ballistics Comparison Microscope

The Leica DMC comparison microscope is ideally equipped for forensic examination; allowing similarities and differences between two bullets or cartridges to be compared. Split-image and superimposed image comparisons are possible, with the microscope being equipped with a CCD camera for photography and video documentation.

A key feature of the microscope is that the light is focused through the objective, dramatically increasing definition of surface features visible to the eye. The end magnification ranges from 4x to 80x, corresponding to object field sizes of 50mm to 2.5mm. A large variability of clamping and mounts for different objects are available.

For more information, contact Dr Linda Ziao.

Spectroscopy

Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy

The Nicolet Magna 760 FTIR spectrometer is connected to a Nic-Plan IR microscope for either transmission or reflections microscopy. Infrared absorption by carbon dioxide and water vapour in ambient air can be minimised by purging the optics with dry air.

The School has two Nicolet Avatar 320 instruments; a routine analysis FTIR spectrometer that offers solutions from data collection to reporting the results. The Avatar is configured with EZ OMNIC software, a simplified spectroscopy interface with spectral interpretation tools. Applications of FTIR spectroscopy include helping to identify unknown materials, determine the quality of a sample and quantify components in a mixture. The instrument has a spectral range of 7,400 - 375 cm-1 using KBr beamsplitter and 0.9 cm-1 standard optical resolution.

UV-Visible Spectroscopy

• Varian Cary 3E UV-Visible Spectrophotometer (WinUV software)
• Shimadzu UV-2101PC UV-Visible Scanning Spectrophotometer

Raman Spectroscopy

The Dilor XY Modular Laser Raman spectrometer is equipped with a charge coupled detector. The 514.5 nm line of a Coherent Innova 5W Ar+ Laser (Model 70, continuous wave) with a power of 150 mW is used for sample excitation.

An Olympus BH-2 microscope is used to focus the laser onto the sample and collect backscattered radiation.

Variable laser power and accumulation times are possible to improve signal-to-noise ratios and avoid sample degradation.

Thermal analysis equipment

Thermal Analyzer

Setsys 16/18 (SETARAM)

Temperature range: 10 to 1500 °C

Sensitivity: <10 µg

Sample mass: 5 to 200 mg in TG

The Setsys 16/18 has the ability to perform simultaneous thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimeter at high temperatures.

Analysis of evolved gases is possible via a coupling capillary interfaced to a Balzers ThermoStar mass spectrometer that permits measurements up to 300 amu.

For more information, contact Jean-Pierre Guerbois

Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC)

DSC 2920 (TA Instruments)

Temperature range: ambient to 650 °C

Heating rate: 0.05 – 100°C min-1

Sample Mass: 2 to 20 mg

Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) measures temperatures and heat flows associated with thermal transitions in a material. Common usage includes investigation, selection, comparison and end-use performance of materials in research, quality control and production applications.

Properties measured include glass transitions, "cold" crystallization, phase changes, melting, crystallization, product stability, cure/cure kinetics, and oxidative stability. Modulated DSC is also possible.

For more information, contact Jean-Pierre Guerbois

Thermomechanical Analyzer

TMA 2940 (TA Instruments)

Temperature range: ambient to 1000 °C

Sensitivity: +/- 1µm

The TMA 2940 is an easy-to-use, reliable instrument that measures dimensional changes in a material as a function of temperature under a controlled atmosphere. Its main uses in research and QC include accurate determination of changes in length, width, thickness, and coefficient of linear expansion of materials.

It also is used to detect transitions in materials (e.g. glass transition temperature, softening and flow information, delamination temperature, creep / stress relaxation etc). A wide variety of measurement modes are available (expansion, penetration and tension) for analysis of solids, powders, fibres and thin film samples.

For more information, contact Jean-Pierre Guerbois

Simultaneous TG-DTA

SDT 2960 (TA Instruments)

Temperature range: Ambient to 1500 °C

Heating rate: 0.1 to 100 °C min-1

Sample mass: 5 to 100 mg

The TA Instruments SDT 2960 module is capable of performing both thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) at the same time. This unit measures the amount and rate of weight change in a material, either as a function of increasing temperature, or isothermally as a function of time, in a controlled atmosphere (TGA functions). It can be used to characterize any material that exhibits a weight change and to detect phase changes due to decomposition, oxidation or dehydration.

This information helps the researcher identify the percent weight change and correlate chemical structure, processing, and end-use performance. Performing TGA and DTA measurements at the same time, on the same instrument, offers greater productivity and removes experimental and sampling variables as a factor in the analysis of data.

For more information, contact Jean-Pierre Guerbois

Furnaces

The School has a large range of furnaces including a horizontal tube furnace with gas-tight end fittings for work in controlled atmospheres. The temperature range of this furnace is from ambient to 1350 °C, with an internal diameter of 50 mm.

For more information, contact Jean-Pierre Guerbois