OVERVIEW AND SCOPE

Stranaska’s research and development (R&D) program is integral to the company’s strategic initiative to establish itself as a global leader in the innovation of new products, services, and educational outreach opportunities for the advancement of analytical metrology. The R&D studies and projects are conducted within the company’s core organizational unit, the Lowell W. Messman Center for Research and Education in Analytical Metrology (CREAM).

In accordance with its R&D commercialization model, Stranaska develops and incubates new technical products and services with the intent to eventually license them to an appropriate company, agency, or organization for direct use or authorized distributorship. During the incubation of each new product, Stranaska maintains exclusive ownership and order fulfillment responsibilities so that it can directly monitor and troubleshoot all commercialization aspects of the product until the product technology is deemed ready for licensed transfer.

A major focus of Stranaska’s applied R&D program addresses the growing application needs for certified reference material (CRM) artifacts as secondary standards for the verification of key instrument parameter specifications in analytical instrument calibration, diagnostics, and qualification. The R&D studies focus on the design and development of new CRMs, the modification or scope extension of existing CRMs, and the development of procedures for the science-based calibrations of CRMs to ensure metrological integrity and measurement traceability of their certified reference values to appropriate primary standards. The studies also examine the metrological aspects of reference material artifacts and check standards for quality control and diagnostics, suitability and proficiency testing, instrument operator training, and calibration technician qualification. Secondary CRM artifacts are especially needed to verify measurement accuracy and data inter-comparability, and to also establish rigorous measurement traceability pathways, when primary CRM artifacts are not available, cost-effective, and/or appropriate for meeting specific analytical objectives.

Stranaska’s R&D program continues to focus on the research, development, and calibration of secondary CRM artifacts for analytical spectrophotometry. Such CRMs play an important role in the science-based testing and quality control of instrumental parameters which can impact the systematic error of molecular spectrophotometric measurements. Compliance-driven qualification, performance evaluation, and/or routine quality control of absorption spectrophotometers generally involve tests or validations of several important instrumental parameters including wavelength accuracy, resolution, stray radiant energy (stray light), and photometric accuracy and linearity.

SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC ARTIFACTS – FIRST GENERATION

Over the past decade, Stranaska has demonstrated global leadership in the development of science-based CRM artifacts for absorption spectrophotometry. Most of these secondary CRM artifacts are patterned after or derived from the primary spectrophotometric Standard Reference Materials (SRMs) issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Secondary CRMs are especially useful when primary reference material artifacts are not available, cost-effective, and/or appropriate for meeting specific analytical objectives.

Secondary CRMs for analytical spectrophotometry are needed to document compliance and the rigor of measurement traceability of calibration data for commercial spectrophotometers that are available in different optical designs, specifications, and operational configurations. Stranaska’s science-based approach to the design and development of spectrophotometric CRMs is critical to research, quality control, and manufacturing-support laboratories which recognize the importance of using secondary CRM artifacts which have metrological integrity and appropriate scopes of calibration.

The original array of secondary spectrophotometric CRM artifacts developed by Stranaska is provided below. The CRMs facilitate science-based testing of wavelength accuracy, stray radiant energy (stray light), and photometric accuracy and linearity in designated spectral regions. The year of commercial introduction for each artifact is indicated in parenthesis.

• Holmium Oxide Solution Wavelength Standard (1993)
  This reference material artifact is intended for the calibration and/or verification of the wavelength scales of molecular absorption spectrophotometers in the ultraviolet (UV) and visible (VIS) regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The solution is flame-sealed in fused-silica cuvettes (CRM 100) or in glass ampoules (CRM 100A). The science-based calibration procedure ensures high accuracy and rigorous measurement traceability of the certified wavelength values to NIST SRM 2034.



• Cobalt-Nickel-Nitrate Solution Photometric Standard (1994)
  This reference material artifact is intended for the verification of the transmittance and/or absorbance scales of molecular absorption spectrophotometers in the ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), and short-wave near infrared (NIR) regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The solutions are flame-sealed in fused-silica cuvettes (CRM 200). The science-based calibration procedure ensures high accuracy and rigorous measurement traceability of the certified photometric values to NIST SRM 931, NIST SRM 930, and/or NIST SRM 2031.



• Neutral-Density Glass Photometric Standard (1996)
  This reference material artifact is intended for the verification of the transmittance and/or absorbance scales of molecular absorption spectrophotometers in the visible (VIS) and short-wave near infrared (NIR) regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The solid filters are individually mounted in cuvette-style holders (CRM 400). The science-based calibration procedure ensures high accuracy and rigorous measurement traceability of the certified photometric values to NIST SRM 930 and/or NIST SRM 1930.



• Neutral-Density Metal-on-Quartz Photometric Standard (1997)
  This reference material artifact is intended for the verification of the transmittance and/or absorbance scales of molecular absorption spectrophotometers in the ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), and short-wave near infrared (NIR) regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The solid filters are individually mounted in cuvette-style holders (CRM 500). The science-based calibration procedure ensures high accuracy and rigorous measurement traceability of the certified photometric values to NIST SRM 2031.



• Didymium Oxide Glass Wavelength Standard (1997)
  This reference material artifact is intended for the calibration and/or verification of the wavelength scales of molecular absorption spectrophotometers in the ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), and short-wave near infrared (NIR) regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The solid filter is mounted in a cuvette-style holder (CRM 150). The science-based calibration procedure ensures high accuracy and rigorous measurement traceability of the certified wavelength values to NIST SRM 2034, NIST SRM 2009, and/or NIST SRM 2065.



• Potassium Dichromate Solution Photometric Standard (1998)
  This reference material artifact is intended for the verification of the transmittance and/or absorbance scales of molecular absorption spectrophotometers in the ultraviolet (UV) region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The solutions are flame-sealed in fused-silica cuvettes (CRM 300) or are enclosed in screw-capped glass bottles (CRM 300B). The science-based calibration procedure ensures high accuracy and rigorous measurement traceability of the certified photometric values to NIST SRM 1935 and NIST SRM 2031.



• Cut-Off Glass Stray Radiant Energy Standard (1998)
  This reference material artifact is intended for the assessment of stray radiant energy (stray light) in molecular absorption spectrophotometers in the ultraviolet (UV) and visible (VIS) regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The solid filters are individually mounted in cuvette-style holders (CRM 600). The test measurement principle of this standard is derived from the test measurement principle of NIST SRM 2032. The science-based calibration procedure ensures high accuracy and rigorous measurement traceability of the certified photometric values to NIST SRM 2031.



• Holmium Oxide Glass Wavelength Standard (1999)
  This reference material artifact is intended for the calibration and/or verification of the wavelength scales of molecular absorption spectrophotometers in the ultraviolet (UV) and visible (VIS) regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The solid filter is mounted in a cuvette-style holder (CRM 110). The science-based calibration procedure ensures high accuracy and rigorous measurement traceability of the certified wavelength values to NIST SRM 2034.

The spectrophotometric CRMs listed above, and also the different calibration kits comprising the individual CRM artifacts, are now licensed to Refmacal Labs LLC for direct production and commercialization under the new “Refmacal” brand and, therefore, are no longer available from Stranaska LLC. A reputable calibration measurement service for the science-based recalibration of these spectrophotometric CRM artifacts is also provided by Refmacal Labs. Designated CRM product numbers, descriptions, configurations, scopes of calibration, contact information and additional details may be obtained directly from the Refmacal Labs website: www.refmacal.com.

REFMACAL LABS LLC

Refmacal Labs LLC (Fort Collins, Colorado, USA) opened its doors for business in January 2003 as part of the corporate spinoff strategy by Stranaska LLC to divest its original spectrophotometric CRM product line and UV/VIS recalibration measurement service which it had successfully developed over the previous decade. Refmacal Labs LLC was founded by Dr. Jerry D. Messman, principal owner and founder of Stranaska LLC, for the express purpose of continuing the commercialization of Stranaska’s former core UV/VIS calibration standards business with the same technical management and staff intact. Initially called Stranaska Calibrations LLC, the company officially changed its legal name in August 2003 to Refmacal Labs LLC, the name by which it is known today.

Concurrent with the company spinoff was a licensing arrangement which facilitates exclusive production and commercialization of Stranaska’s entire original array of spectrophotometric CRM artifacts under the new “Refmacal” brand. The exclusive licensing arrangement also includes Stranaska’s original calibration measurement technology for the recalibration of other commercial UV/VIS standards such as NIST’s spectrophotometric Standard Reference Material (SRM) artifacts.

As Refmacal Labs moves into its third year of business operations, the company continues to build upon its worldwide calibration reputation under the daily direction and leadership of Kathy McLain, Laboratory Administrator, who is ably assisted by Jodi Meerman, Laboratory Coordinator, and Barbara Knowles, Administrative Assistant. Calibration technicians include Jason Easker, Courtney Spohn-Larkins, and Chuck Fussman. Additional information about Refmacal Labs and its UV/VIS reference material calibration program may be obtained from the company website, www.refmacal.com, or by calling 970-472-9537.

SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC ARTIFACTS – NEXT GENERATION

Stranaska is pleased to introduce CA2M™ – Calibration Artifacts for Analytical Metrology – its next generation of certified reference materials intended for science-based calibrations in analytical metrology. The initial products in the CA2M™ series will address calibration needs for molecular absorption spectrophotometry in the ultraviolet (UV), visible ( VIS), and near infrared (NIR) regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The new calibration artifacts are intended to augment the first generation of Stranaska UV/VIS calibration standards which are now licensed to Refmacal Labs LLC for exclusive production and commercialization. Designed with metrological integrity, Stranaska's new CA2M™ series will facilitate science-based calibration processes and rigorous traceability pathways in spectrophotometric applications and related analytical measurement methodologies.