Montreal, Canada–based SCP Science is a firm that transitioned from providing consumables to providing instrumentation as well. George Feilders, president of SCP Science, founded the 140-employee firm in 1980. In 1999, the firm began manufacturing its first microwave digestion system, the DigiPREP digestion system. “Our focus is atomic spectroscopy, and our product range represents those products used in atomic spectroscopy laboratories, regardless if they are instruments, supplies or standards,” explained Mr. Feilders. Other offerings include accessories for sample preparation, including disposable tubes, filters and glassware; and components for inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectrometers such as torches, spray chambers and nebulizers.

SCP Science’s most popular product line, according to Mr. Feilders, is the DigiPREP digestion systems, which come in four models. The systems work with up to 72 50-mL samples for nitric acid, mercury and hydrogen fluoride digestion and include a sample-temperature controller, disposable tubes and a filtration system. The firm’s NovaWAVE digestion system, which comes in two models, works with more complex samples. “Samples are held at elevated temperature and pressure, where the speed and efficiency of the acid is able to digest samples faster and more efficiently,” said Mr. Feilders. “Nova­WAVE is the only linear automated microwave, allowing for large-scale, continuous automation.” The NovaWAVE FA has the Transporter attachment for loading samples and placing them in auto-cooling and auto-venting stations and can process up to 168 samples at once.

Both the Digi­PREP and NovaWAVE product lines have applications in the environmental, geochemistry, petroleum and petrochemi­cal, cement, food processing, clinical and semiconductor markets. In the two most popular markets, environmental and geochemistry, Mr. Feilders noted two trends: “demand for improvements in automation and elimination of human intervention.” To accommodate these trends, SCP Science is shifting to a more turnkey approach to its microwave digestion systems. This spring, the company purchased the robotics business of French firm Siliflow and moved it to its Montreal facility for manufacturing and robotics R&D. Siliflow products will be combined with components from the NovaWAVE and hardware from outside vendors to provide an automated, integrated solution. “Now that we have provided a microwave digestion system that finally allows larger laboratories to automate their digestion procedures, we are being called upon to furnish additional automation, from sample weighing, reagent dispensing, digestion, cooling, venting of samples [and] normalization of samples to final ICP analysis,” stated Mr. Feilders.

SCP Science manufactures four brands of standards: CONOSTAN standards for viscosity, particles, sulfur in oil, and metals and sulfur in biodiesels; PlasmaCAL standards for inorganic metals in liquids; EnviroMAT standards for naturally occurring metals in soils, water and waste oil; and AgroMAT standards for naturally occurring metals in agricultural soils and compost materials. The company’s most popular standards, according to Mr. Feilders, are its ICP calibration standards and its certified reference standards for environmental and agricultural labs.