Understanding the chemical and physical nature of an unknown can lead to a better understanding of the risks, influences, and corrective actions required. This information can be utilized to optimize the overall process and mitigate future problem occurrences. MCLinc offers analytical testing services and technical consultation for the investigation and solution of many forensic challenges.
MCLinc’s variety of Forensic services emphasize three primary areas:
Industrial
Investigating the chemical and physical nature of manufacturing materials and processes can lead to a better understanding of the risks, process influence, and corrective action required. MCLinc’s analytical testing services and technical consultation are ideally suited for the investigation and solution of many manufacturing or product utilization problems.
Industrial forensics provides the information which leads to solutions of manufacturing problems such as:
- Agglomerating of fine particulate discovered to be the source of filtration problem
- Failure of an aluminum induction fan blade linked to HF in the gas stream
- Poor adhesion of solder to a copper conducting wire shown to be due to a dirty solder bath
- Poisoning of a molten salt plating bath
- Surface defects in optical components
- Abnormalities in glass manufacturing
- Inclusions in cast metal products
- Failure of ion exchange systems
- Contaminants in pharmaceutical products
- Surface defects in manufactured paper products
- Weld failures
- Failings of coatings and adhesives
- Trace quantities of surface contamination
- Corrosion products
Radiological Dispersal Devices
MCLinc offers unique and highly specialized analyses which enable investigators to determine the origin of radioactive materials used in “dirty bombs”, identification of unknowns, nuclear and industrial forensic investigations, and provision of chemical and physical data upon which subject matter experts base their conclusions. For these investigations, MCLinc’s skilled and experienced staff utilizes a broad array of investigative technology including electron microscopy, XRD, FTIR, ICP/MS, GC, explosivity testing, and wet chemistry.
MCLinc is able to handle investigations involving hazardous, radiological-contaminated, and classified/proprietary materials.
Insurance
MCLinc’s location and access to sophisticated equipment and experienced staff, allows MCLinc to meet very specialized needs of this industry. We provide our clients with an unusually high level of sample and information security. The custody of the samples, analysis execution and confidentiality of resulting information are critical to MCLinc and our clients.
Our professional chemists provide the following services:
- GC analysis for ignitable residues from fire debris using industry accepted ASTM methods to support arson and homicide investigations
- The identification of trace levels of explosives using either HPLC or GC methodologies
- Micro and Macro Infrared analysis for determining the organic composition of materials such as ink or dyes etc. for identification and comparability to be used as evidence
- Microscopic analysis technologies and methods for identifying and determining the comparability of evidentiary materials collected from an investigation. This includes basic ocular equipment and methodologies through the more complex electron microscopy methods and technologies. This includes fiber and particle identification and comparison to known materials
- The use of Atomic Absorption analysis, X-ray fluorescence, or X-ray diffraction to determine and make comparison of inorganic materials collected as part of an investigation
- Knowledgeable and experienced professionals to develop and execute, if needed, unique methodologies or bench-scale re-creation of the process involved in an accident
- Provision of professional interpretation of data and expert testimony