Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) Monitoring – The Need to Knows
What is MEK? Methyl Ethyl Ketone, otherwise known as MIBK or butanone is a colourless liquid with an acetone-like odour. It is mostly used in the application of protective coatings and adhesives, reflecting its fine characteristics as a solvent. Other uses include pesticide application, or in factories that produce paint, rubber and machinery. Whilst MEK […]
Nickel Monitoring – Why You Might Need It
What is it? Nickel is a silvery-white lustrous metal that carries a slight golden tinge and is a chemical element with the symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It has been used for millennia but was first formally classified in 1751 by Axel Fredrik Cronstedt. Pure native nickel is found in the Earth’s crust in […]
Perchloroethylene Monitoring
What is Perchloroethylene? Also known as tetrachloroethylene, tetrachloroethene, perc/PERC and PCE, perchloroethylene is a chlorocarbon that takes the form of a colourless, sweet-smelling liquid. Celebrated self-taught English physicist and chemist Michael Faraday first managed to synthesize it in 1821 by the thermal decomposition of hexachloroethane. What is it used for? Since that initial breakthrough, PCE […]
Methylene Chloride Monitoring – What Should I Watch Out For?
What is it? Methylene Chloride, also known as dichloromethane (DCM), is a colourless, highly volatile liquid with a sweet aroma much like chloroform. This organochloride compound can occur naturally, and is found in wetlands, macroalgae and even volcanoes; however, the vast majority of it is made as a result of industrial emissions. What is it […]
Mercury Monitoring – Why Might I Need It?
What is Mercury? Also known as ‘quicksilver’, Mercury takes its name from the Roman messenger god known for his speed and agility, analogous to the Ancient Greek Apollo. Interestingly, it is also associated with the planet of the same name, and the astrological symbol for said planet is also one of chief alchemical symbols for […]
Cyclohexanone Screening – More Necessary Than You Might Think
Cyclohexanone is an organic compound that resembles a colourless oil and smells much like acetone. It is one of the most common factors in the production of nylon, and roughly half of the world’s supply is converted into adipic acid, one of the two requisite precursors for creating nylon 6.6. Moreover, it can also be […]