To quote from customer feedback in March 2011 : Providing a service in a complex measurement area is a difficult challenge. The service provided was exemplary.

We are pleased to carry out consultancy work - recent work involves density, surface area and pore size analysis for a major mineral company, helium pycnometry for the National Physical Laboratory and mercury porosimetry for Delta T devices and a major drug company.

We offer world-class expertise in measuring and modelling mercury porosimetry, and modelling water retention of porous samples. We also offer helium pycnometry, surface area and nano-pore size measurements using nitrogen, argon or n-butane, and powder pycnometry which, with helium pycnometry, gives the exact porosity of irregularly shaped samples.

We can offer real benefits where samples are tricky to analyse, e.g. because they are compressible. Note that if you request modelling of your own experimental data, the data must be of very high quality - for example , mercury intrusion must be carried out slowly (at least 60 seconds equilibration time at each pressure), preferably in a thermostatted laboratory, and with an appropriate blank run at the same temperature and pressures. Standard ISO procedures and instructions from manufacturers do not require this, but can give un-modellable results.

All our mercury porosimetry is now carried out to ISO 9001:2008, which passed external accreditation in August 2010. The documentation for helium pycnometry, powder pycnometry and surface area analysis has been internally approved, and all three instruments calibrated to ISO 9001:2008 standards in April 2011. All work carried out with all instrumentation listed in this paragraph now follows ISO 9001: 2008 protocols.

The features of ISO 9001:2008 are:

• logging of all correspondence between client and our staff, right through from initial enquiry to final customer feedback
• a formal agreement with the customer as to exactly what is required in the job (see example)
• all measurements calibrated back to National Physical Laboratory standards of temperature, weight and pressure, with copies of calibration certificates available on request
• all measurements carried out to protocols, known as standard operating procedures or SOPs, which correspond to the manufacturers' own procedures, but in the case of porosimetry far exceed the manufacturer's requirements in term of pressure and temperature stabilization (SOPs available on request).
• all staff carrying out the work trained to appropriate levels
• logging and tracking of sample receipt, preparation and disposal
• a formal report in Adobe Acrobat pdf format as specified by the quote and SOPs, with additional information (such as spreadsheets) supplied outside ISO 9001:2008 if required and agreed
• customer feedback, with actions if required.

Prices are available on application. To obtain an informal quotation, please supply, normally by email, the following details. If your job is urgent , please feel free to phone: +44 (0)1752 584797, or +44 (0)1752 584798 .

• type of sample (solid or powder)
• type of investigation, i.e. measurement , measurement and modelling, or modelling only. (Note that if you wish us to model your experiments, your results must be up to our ISO 9001:2008 standard, although not necessarily accredited. )
• type of measurement and/or modelling required (we are happy to give further details of what modelling can be done for specified measurements)
  
• Health & Safety - toxicity of sample
• how quickly results are required from our receipt of sample (a turn-round time of less than a week from receipt of sample is more expensive)
• how much sample is available
• how many samples are to be studied
• any restrictions you require on the experiments - e.g. a lower maximum mercury intrusion pressure

All consultancy is carried out through University of Plymouth Enterprise Ltd (UPEL), the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of the University of Plymouth. UPEL's terms and conditions apply to all contracts.

If this is your first enquiry, then please email G.Peter Matthews, Professor in Applied Physical Chemistry, at pmatthews@plymouth.ac.uk, or use the response form to detail your request.

If you have enquiries about contractual details on an existing contract, or you are unable to contact us directly, please email robert.clough@plymouth.ac.uk, or phone him on +44 (01)1752 584951.

The UPEL address is :

University of Plymouth Enterprise Ltd, Nancy Astor Building,

Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, United Kingdom

The UPEL contact phone number is :

telephone: +44 (0) 1752 588937 (Christine Anniss)