2) Obtain a purchase order to cover the analytical work we will do or provide us with credit card information to charge once the analysis is complete and has been reported to you. We take Visa, MasterCard, and American Express cards. We are happy to provide you with an estimate for the job either formally or informally, but our estimate is dependent upon the information you provide us. If you use a purchase order, payment terms longer than 30 days may incur higher prices. If you have an emergency and obtaining a purchase order takes too much time, but you are certain you can obtain it in a timely way, we may be willing to start work without it.

2) Include as much background information as possible about the samples. MSDS for materials in the sample are very useful. Information about prior similar problems with your materials may be useful. Recent changes in materials processes or suppliers may be relevant. If the material failed in field use, information about the environment in which it was used and the way it was used is helpful. Written information is often more reliable than phone discussions, so writing out the background information on the problem is a very helpful and useful aid to our work.

3) Exercise care that the sample sent to us is representative of the general problem you are trying to address. This may not be easy to assure, but it is critical to maximizing our success in solving your problem. In some cases, it may be wise to send multiple samples so we can either analyze several or try to select one which appears most typical. We may call you to advise you that microscopic examination suggests that multiple areas on a sample need to be analyzed.

4) Certain analytical techniques have sample size limitations. Please check with us on what these limitations may be. In many cases, we have discussed these under each technique in the website. In addition, we may prefer to have enough material or chemical when possible to perform 2 or even 3 analyses if need be. Power failures, human error, and strange sample behaviors may necessitate re-running an analysis. On the other hand, we prefer not to have excessive amounts of material, which may then cause us a disposal problem.

5) Please alert us about known dangers in handling your samples. If a sample is corrosive, please inform us. This is especially important if the sample is to be analyzed with DSC. The DSC cell is very sensitive to corrosive attack. No organic or other materials containing F, Cl, Br, or I may be submitted for DSC analysis. The customer is responsible for the replacement of the $3000 cell if their sample causes corrosive failure of the DSC cell if they did not tell us what their sample was prior to the analysis or have us determine what it was.

6) Exercise care that samples for surface analysis, microscopy, FTIR, and electrochemistry evaluations have not been contaminated by handling or shipping conditions which will compromise their character. Fingerprints may prove a fatal obstacle to analysis in some cases. Handling samples with clean gloves is advisable. Be careful not to contaminate samples with machining oils and cooling fluids in cutting them from larger pieces. There are cases in which we can effectively clean a sample for analysis, but in other cases cleaning removes a contaminant of critical importance. It may be advisable to leave many aspects of sample preparation to us. You may want to discuss these issues with us. When shipping the samples, it is best that surfaces to be analyzed not be in contact with materials that may rub against them. If that is unavoidable, be sure to use clean materials for the packaging. Food storage aluminum foil and zip-lock sandwich bags are at least clean, if you have nothing better.