Northern Analytical Laboratory Services (NALS)

University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia
What the facility does

Provides research and analytical testing services for material and environmental samples to the UNBC and Northern BC communities and beyond

Areas of expertise

The Northern Analytical Laboratory Services (NALS) is home to an extensive suite of analytical science instrumentation including but not limited to XRD, XRF, TGA, DSC, DMA, SEM, HPL-MS, CG-MS, ICP-MS, ICP-OES, CNHS analyzer, IC, Particle size analyzers, BET,IR-MS,  FTIR, NMR, that enables a broad spectrum of material, environmental, biological, chemical and physical analyses. These services are available to the UNBC researchers, private, public and non-profit sectors to help meet their testing, and research/development needs. 

Research services

The Northern Analytical Laboratory Services (NALS) provides R&D testing services in different areas including but not limited to soil, minerals, sediments, catalysts, adsorbents, water and waste water, air pollution.

Sectors of application
  • Agriculture, animal science and food
  • Chemical industries
  • Clean technology
  • Construction (including building, civil engineering, specialty trades)
  • Education
  • Energy (renewable and fossil)
  • Environmental technologies and related services
  • Fisheries and aquaculture
  • Forestry and forest-based industries
  • Manufacturing and processing
  • Mining, minerals and metals
  • Ocean industries

Specialized facility 

Equipment 

Function

Material Testing Lab

XRD

X-ray Diffraction mineral/material /soil analysis

 

XRF

X-Ray Fluoresce mineral/material/soil analysis

 

TGA

Thermogravimetric analysis

 

DSC

Differential scanning calorimetry

 

DMA

Differential mechanical analysis

 

BET

Surface area and pore size analysis

 

Master sizer

Particle size analysis

 

SEM

Scanning electron microscope, morphology analysis

 

Combustion elemental analyzers (EA)

C, N, S, H elemental analysis

 

FTIR

Fourier transform infrared spectrometer

 

NMR

Nuclear magnetic resonance  analysis

Environmental testing lab

ICP-OES

Elemental analysis

 

ICP-MS

Trace elemental analysis

 

IC

Ion-exchange chromatography, Anion measurement

 

GC-FID/MS

Gas chromatography

 

HPLC-MS

High performance liquid chromatography

 

LA-ICP-MS

Lase ablation ICP-MS

 

 TOC/TIC

Total organic / total inorganic analyzer

 

Isotopic ratio mass spectrometer (IR-MS)

 

13C/12C, 15N/14N, and 18O/16O, 34S/32S

 

 

IDEXX Bacteriological testing

E. coli and total coliform in water

 

  • University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO)
  • Thompson Rivers University (TRU)
  • University of Havana, Cuba
  • Canadian Zeolite Company (CZC)
  • CANFOR Pulp and Paper
  • UNBC Wood Innovation Research Lab (WIRL)