TCT Q&A
Why is transpiration a concern for the industry?
Transpiration is a systematic error that changes the concentration of Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) as time passes, creating significant impact on the shelf life of CRMs.
How has transpiration been addressed in the past?
In general, it has not. Transpiration has been described in scientific literature dating back to the 1950’s and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) first mentioned transpiration on single-element spectrometry certificates in the early 1990’s. While NIST provided information on accounting for the effect, there was no answer to eliminating transpiration. Inorganic Venture’s TCT bags are the first solution to effectively stop transpiration and drastically extend CRM shelf life.
What prompted Inorganic Ventures to research transpiration and what did researchers find?
Inorganic Ventures uses low-density polyethylene (LDPE) for its product bottles, as it’s the cleanest of the commonly available plastics. In researching work previously done by NIST, we felt a clearer understanding of transpiration as it related to our specific product containers was necessary. Following years of meticulous study, our researchers found conclusive evidence that transpiration does have a significant impact on CRM concentrations and identified the dominant factors promoting transpiration. Inorganic Ventures began developing a solution for its customers.
Why is it important to address transpiration now?
After two decades of careful research, meticulous study and data evaluation our understanding of the transpiration process has matured to where we felt Inorganic Ventures could solve this systematic error and provide our customers an effective solution to shelf life longevity.
How was the TCT bag developed?
NIST has been providing Standard Reference Materials in bags for some time and Inorganic Ventures’ researchers began by examining bags of similar design and materials. After studying various re-sealable bags and heat sealed plastic bags with no positive results, researchers selected the heat-sealed aluminized TCT bag which stops the loss of water vapor from the bottle when equilibrium is reached inside the bag, effectively halting transpiration.
How does the TCT bag compare to other solutions?
Other possible solutions for addressing transpiration include refrigeration (slows transpiration) and single-use sealed glass ampoules (stop transpiration). However, refrigeration is not always a viable option for our customers and glass containers are not as clean or as chemically resistant to certain types of acid as low-density polyethylene. The TCT bag effectively addresses both concerns in a simple, low-cost and convenient fashion.
What does this mean for the Inorganic Ventures customer?
The TCT solution provides options never before experienced by our customers. TCT extends shelf life, as the product does not expire until one year from the opening of the TCT bag, or upon lot expiration, whichever comes first. Concerns about shipping or storage conditions are eliminated. With transpiration no longer an issue, labs will save money and simplify research by removing the need to constantly inventory and restock CRMs.
Besides stopping Transpiration, how does TCT help me?
In addition to TCT stopping your CRMs concentration from increasing over time, TCT also gives you:
Protection:
TCT protects your CRM from unknown conditions during transit. Short term stability can be an issue. How does your product change once it leaves our facility? Inorganic Ventures continually assesses and accounts for shipping stability, but TCT offers additional protection from a hot truck, warehouse or even over-exposure to light.
Time:
TCT offers you more shelf life time to help maintain inventory and more simply and efficiently manage projects. Save yourself time, avoid hassles and save money on shipping by ordering all of your bottles for the year at once.
Control:
TCT gives you more control of when your expiration date begins. The one year expiration date starts when you are ready to start your project. So if projects are delayed, no worries!
Money:
TCT is provided at no additional charge and with all the reasons above, TCT will save you money.