Reference Guide for UV Vis Standards

1. Spectrophotometric
Standards Reference ®
Guide
NIST Traceable
CHEMICALS Customizable
®
No Mixing or Diluting

2. Ordering Information
Customer service representatives and technical support are
Contents
Table of Contents
available Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm
Continuous Improvement 4-5
Eastern Time. Orders may be placed by phone, e-mail. Every
order receives an order confirmation that includes items or- In-Spec® UV Standards 5-6
dered, pricing, shipping method and estimated shipping date.
In-Spec® Visible Standards 5-6
GFS Chemicals, Inc. In-Spec® Patent Blue Standards 8
800 Kaderly Drive In-Spec® Amaranth Red Standards 9
Columbus, OH 43228
In-Spec® BCA Purple Standards 10
800-838-5567 extension 121 (U.S. and Canada)
740-881-5989 (Fax) In-Spec® Nano-Kit 11
001-740-881-5501 (International) Wavelength Standards 12-13
in-spec@gfschemicals.com (e-mail)
Stray Light Filters 14
www.in-spec.com Potassium Dichromate 15
www.gfschemicals.com 16
Custom Standards
Opening an Account Amco Clear®Turbidity Standards 17
GFS Customer Service Representatives will be glad to help Application Notes 18-20
you open an account. For terms and conditions see Inside
Analytical & Lab Chemicals 21
Back Cover.
For complete Terms and Conditions, please visit: Troubleshooting Guide 22
http://www.gfschemicals.com/statics/documents/aboutus/
termsandconditions.html
Ordering
2 3

3. Continuous
GFS Chemicals has been manufacturing standards for
over twenty years for unique customer applications.
The In-Spec® product line is
constantly growing and currently
includes standards to check not just
photometric accuracy but also wave-
length, stray light, and resolution for
a variety of instrumentation.
Many of our standards are specific to your industry.
Some recent areas of focus have
been short pathlength instruments
and microplate readers used in
SeTTINg The STaNDarD for many pharmaceutical and biotech
SpeCTrophoToMeTrIC laboratories.
aNalySIS & verIfICaTIoN
Continuous improvement at GFS
Chemicals means:
• Development of new standards
for the latest instruments.
• R&D for new uses and ®
applications for the In-Spec®
product line.
• Investment in a new labora- Features Benefits
tory to meet higher quality control Non-Toxic No disposal fees
standards to meet the demands Green Alternative
of the most stringent industries. Inexpensive Save cost compared to
• Certification for ISO 17025 is Sealed cuvette alternatives
underway. Easy to Use No wasted time with dilutions
No special precautions
• Experienced technical support
to troubleshoot and answer your NIST Traceable Confidence in instrumentation & readings
Meets regulatory requirements
specific questions.
Live Technical Assistance Assistance for method development
Help with troubleshooting
Customizable Made for your application
Multiple pathlengths and wavelengths
available
Extensive data provided
Manufactured by GFS In stock and ready to ship
Trusted name for quality in the industry
4 Improvement 3
5

4. Selection Gui de
In-Spec® How to Use:
Choose your wavelength of interest then go across the chart
Photometric
to find your closest target absorbance value. The top of the
Standards column will identify the item number and product name
Selection Guide associated with that value.
UV Standards
Wave- Uv-1 Uv-2 Uv-3 Uv-4 Uv-5 Uv-6 Uv-7 Uv-8 Uv-20 Uv-30
length #8301 #8302 #8303 #8304 #8305 #8306 #8307 #8308 #8309 #8310
250 0.086 0.127 0.177 0.305 0.347 0.447 0.513 0.570 1.135 1.664
254 0.081 0.120 0.165 0.283 0.323 0.416 0.477 0.528 1.054 1.551 In-Spec® UV In-Spec® Visible
260 0.075 0.112 0.152 0.259 0.297 0.382 0.437 0.484 0.967 1.420 Standards Standards
280 0.056 0.870 0.112 0.188 0.220 0.283 0.322 0.355 0.715 1.058 In-Spec® UV Standards are de- The In-Spec® Visible Standards
300 0.039 0.060 0.79 0.131 0.155 0.201 0.230 0.253 0.508 0.754 signed to check the photometric are designed to check the pho-
350 0.011 0.030 0.042 0.072 0.086 0.110 0.127 0.139 0.284 0.420 accuracy of a traditional spectro- tometric accuracy of a traditional
photometer from 250nm up to spectrophotometer from 350nm
400 0.007 0.018 0.026 0.045 0.054 0.069 0.080 0.088 0.179 0.266
400nm. up to 850nm.
Visible Standards UV Standards - Item Numbers Visible Standards-Item Numbers
UV-1: 8301 Vis 0.05: 8311
Wave- vIS-0.5 vIS-0.1 vIS-0.3 vIS-0.5 vIS-0.8 vIS-1 vIS-4
UV-2: 8302 Vis 0.1: 8312
length #8311 #8312 #8322 #8313 #8314 #8315 #8316
UV-3: 8303 Vis 0.3: 8322
400 0.122 0.260 0.724 1.254 1.882 2.436 3.43
UV-4: 8304 Vis 0.5: 8313
450 0.082 0.177 0.500 0.871 1.323 1.780 3.326 UV-5: 8305 Vis 0.8: 8314
500 0.059 0.126 0.360 0.628 0.957 1.298 3.238 UV-6: 8306 Vis 1.0: 8315
550 0.043 0.093 0.270 0.470 0.719 0.975 3.12 UV-7: 8307 Vis 4.0: 8316
600 0.034 0.072 0.212 0.368 0.566 0.767 2.91 UV-8: 8308
UV-20: 8309
650 0.027 0.056 0.169 0.294 0.450 0.611 2.524
UV-30: 8310
700 0.022 0.045 0.137 0.239 0.365 0.497 2.111
Available as sealed quartz cuvettes or bottles (60mL, 125mL, 250mL,
750 0.018 0.037 0.111 0.195 0.299 0.406 1.740
500mL, 1L)
800 0.017 0.030 0.092 0.161 0.247 0.334 1.440 If you need a more precise value please see the custom
Please note that the values in the table are representative values only and are to assist in picking out the appropriate standard for
products section on page 16.
your application. The actual value of the lot you receive may vary. The data provided is representative of a 10mm pathlength cell.
6 7

5. ®
®
In-Spec® In-Spec® Amaranth
Patent Blue Standard Red Standard
Item # 8416 Item #8414
This popular product can be The In-Spec® Amaranth Red standard
customized to match a variety of was designed to complement the In-
wavelength and concentration levels. Spec® Patent Blue but can be used ex-
This reference standard is designed clusively for a variety of other processes.
for small volume instruments and When used together, the In-Spec® Patent
microplate readers but is equally Blue and Amaranth Red standards cover
adept on a traditional spectropho- a wider range of wavelengths that are
tometer. Typical applications include associated with applications in pharma-
analyses involving DNA, RNA, nu- ceutical and biotech laboratories. This
cleic acids, proteins, and enzymes. reference standard is similar to the In-
A commonly utilized wavelength for Spec® Patent Blue standard in that it can
this reference standard is 260nm. be used on microplate readers, traditional
spectrophotometers, and small path-
length instruments. Popular wavelengths
for this standard are 280nm and 320nm.
Sizes Available Sizes Available
60ml 60m l
125ml 125ml_
250ml 250ml
500ml 500ml
1l 1l
Sealed Cuvette Sealed Cuvette
8 Standards 9

6. ®
®
In-Spec® BCA Purple Standard In-Spec® Nano-Kit
Item # 8587 Item # 8476
The newest addition to the In-Spec® The In-Spec® Nano-Kit was awarded for the
product line came about due to innovation in solving the issue of validating short
demand to validate colorimeters and pathlength instruments without a toxic material.
spectrophotometers used in BCA pro- Prior to the kit’s introduction the only option was
tein assays. The wavelength of interest hazardous potassium dichromate solutions. The
for this application is 562nm. This In-Spec® Nano-Kit consists of our popular Patent
reference standard is equally customi- Blue and Amaranth Red reference standards with
zable as its Patent Blue and Amaranth standard data at 260nm, 280nm and 320nm.
Red counterparts. The data is certified with a 1mm pathlength cu-
vette eliminating the conversion from the 10mm
Sizes Available pathlength reading which is typical with many
60ml other standards.
125ml The reference standards are guaranteed for 1
50ml year from the date of shipment unlike many com-
500ml peting materials that are a one-time use product.
1l
10 Standards Nano-Kit 11

7. Wavelength Accuracy
Wavelength Accuracy Standards
The accuracy of your instrument’s wavelength scale is crucial
when obtaining absorbance readings on your sample. A slight
change of less than 1nm can cause an instrument’s read-
ings to shift leading to incorrect data. This puts the laboratory
at risk of passing a product that should have failed quality
control.
GFS Chemicals offers 3 different wave-
length reference filters that are used to
validate the wavelength scale. These
materials will add confidence to your
quality control process.
Listed below are the wavelength refer- Didymium Oxide Wavelength Calibration Standard
ence filters available with associated Item # 8378 298, 329, 355, 445, 469, 482, 512, 522, 576, 732, 740, 795, 802, 866nm
peaks. These materials are available in
sealed quartz cuvettes certified for 4
years or in HDPE bottles with a 1 year shelf life.
Recertification is available for the sealed quartz cuvettes.
Holmium Oxide Wavelength Calibration Standard Samarium Oxide Wavelength Calibration Standard
Item # 8340 241, 250, 278, 287, 334, 345, 361, 386, 416, 451, 468, 485, 537, 64 nm Item # 8379 236, 267, 280, 290, 305, 318, 332, 345, 401, 416, 442, 464, 479 nm
12 13

8. Stray Light Filters Filters
Stray radiant light is energy reaching the detector that is not originating from the
Potassium Dichromate
Potassium Dichromate is used to check the photometric ac-
curacy of an instrument. GFS Chemicals Inc offers 5 different
concentration levels. Using 3 or more of these values will allow
you to check the linearity of your instrument. These standards
instrument light source. This can come from a variety of sources and impacts come sealed in 10mm quartz cuvettes or in bottles and are de-
the readings output by the instrument. Stray light can be a problem at any wave- signed for use in the UV spectrum. The sealed standards are
length but is more prevalent in the UV range. certified for 1 year from shipment and recertification service is
available. Custom concentrations are available. Please see the
The use of a stray light filter can verify that an external light source is not effecting custom section on page 16.
the results. There are five commonly used materials to check the UV range of an
instrument. Each standard has a ‘cut-off’ wavelength and eliminates light trans- Catalog Numbers
mission below that level. Listed below are the standards offered and their associ- 20mg/L Item #8350
ated ‘cut-off’ wavelength. These are available in sealed quartz cuvettes certified for 40mg/L Item #8368
2 years or sealed HDPE bottles with a 1 year shelf life. Recertification is available. 60mg/L ltem #8369
80mg/L Item #8348
100mg/L Item #8372
Background
Solution Item # 8349
Potassium Iodide: 260nm
Item #: 8380
Lithium Carbonate: 227nm
Item #: 8382
Potassium Chloride: 200nm
Item #: 8384
Sodium Iodide: 260nm
Item #: 8381
Sodium Chloride: 205nm
Item #: 8383
14 15

9. ®
You may have a unique application Custom Standards
that requires verification of certain
absorbance values or wavelengths AMCO Clear®
that aren’t listed for our stock products. Turbidity Standards
Our experienced staff has the ability Amco Clear® is an EPA approved primary standard for cali-
to work with you to develop a refer- bration of turbidity sensors. It is available in a wide range of
ence standard that will validate your values. It has a guaranteed one year shelf life even if you’ve
instrument for your application. opened the bottle. The convenient submicron polymer sus-
pensions are non-toxic primary calibration standards approved
Please call technical support for by the US EPA for drinking water analysis for turbidity.
assistance. Amco Clear® is “The Clear Choice in Turbidity.”
In order to facilitate custom standard
development there are several key
pieces of data that are required.
With this information, technical
support will be able to quickly assess
your needs.
• Wavelength(s) of interest
• Pathlength
• Instrumentation make and model
• Desired or sample absorbance
range
Our problem-solving lab team is
available Monday through Friday
from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm EST.
AMCO Clear® Advantages:
• Safe, non-toxic and disposable
• Requires no mixing or inverting
• Easy-to-Use/ No dilutions or preparations
• Stable—does not settle out of suspension
• Accurate to 1% lot-to-lot
Custom
• Guaranteed one year shelf life
• Available in a wide range of values
• NIST Traceable
• Custom Standards Available
16 17

10. Application Notes
Specific Uv absorbance (SUva) for Total organic
Carbon (ToC) analysis
Standards for validation of Microplate Readers
& Short Pathlength Instruments
Specific UV Absorbance (SUVA) is an analysis of drinking water that With growing demand to for smaller sample analysis, microplate readers are becoming
uses UV absorbance at 254nm to identify dissolved organic carbon more common place in the biotech/pharmaceutical industry.
(DOC) levels. UV absorbance is easily determined using a spectropho- These instruments are typically used in performing various tests in relation to the analysis
tometer. Previous studies established a relationship between SUVA of DNA/ RNA, protein and enzymes. Many of the options that are used to verify the
and the levels of humic substances that are removed during enhanced accuracy of these instruments are either expensive or limited in the scope that they can
coagulation and/or enhanced softening. Utilizing this relationship allows check.
for a cheap and easy method to determine whether enhanced coagula- GFS Chemicals has developed standards to validate the accuracy of instru-
tion or softening is required based off of the exemption allowed in Stage ments with equal to or less than 1mm pathlengths. The most popular application at this
1 D/DBPR and Stage 2 D/DBPR. Removing the extra disinfection from time is for users checking at 260 and 280nm.
the process can save a water district money when it comes to TOC This type of validation is where the In-Spec® Color standards work perfectly.
removal. The color standards are designed to work with the built in software programs that manip-
ulate the data obtained in the plate and displays it as optical density. The color standards
Under Stage 1 D/DBPR, Standards Method 5910B was the only EPA have many useful wavelengths, as exhibited on page 8 and 9. These can also be made in
approved method for SUVA determination. Stage 2 D/DBPR approved a wide range of concentrations to better match the values you see in your daily testing.
EPA Method 415.3 (Revision 1.1, 2005) for TOC, DOC and SUVA The color standards are available in a wide range of sizes and have a 1 year
determination. This one method not only combines all three tests, but shelf life so you can keep them on the shelf and ready to test your instrument when the
also provides increased quality control procedures to ensure testing ac- need arises. All you need to do is pipet an aliquot into the wells on your plate and run
curacy, including calibration verification procedures for all instruments them on the reader. Once the data is obtained you then compare that to the values on
utilized in the method. the certificate of analysis to verify that the instrument is performing as it should.
GFS Chemicals Inc. also offers Holmium Oxide solution in individual bottles so
According to the EPA method, the verification of the spectrophotom- that you may verify the wavelength scale on your scanning microplate reader. This pro-
eter can be done with a commercially prepared check standard. This vides a much cheaper alternative to sealed plates with Holmium Oxide or a sealed quartz
method specifically mentions the In-Spec® photometric standards, cuvette.
manufactured by GFS Chemicals, Inc, which were utilized by the By utilizing both the color standards and the Holmium Oxide solution you will
EPA to validate their spectrophotometer when developing 415.3. The be able to say with confidence that the data you obtained on your microplate reader is
In-Spec® photometric standards are NIST traceable, non-toxic, have a accurate based off NIST-traceable standards.
one-year shelf life and require no preparation to use.
Data provided at 254nm for In-Spec UV Standards 1 through 30.
18 19

11. amaranth red
and its use in the Wine Industry
Notes
The In-Spec® Amaranth Red standard is ideal for use in the
Analytical and Laboratory
Chemicals
GFS manufactures over 6,000 organic and inorganic
analytical reagent chemicals and specialties in a lean
wine industry for some common testing that is performed on manufacturing operation. We have most chemicals
colorimeters or spectrophotometers. Wavelengths commonly needed for laboratory, bench, analytical, quality control,
tested in wine samples for color intensity, hue, and total phe-
materials characterization, scientific or research work.
nolic concentration analysis are 520nm, 420nm, & 280 nm.
Our ultra-high purity double-distilled Veritas® and ACS
The color standards can be used to validate your instrument
so that you know that it is performing as it should or it can be Superior™ brand acids and Watermark® brand reagents
used as an inter-lab check so that you know your instrumen- are used throughout the world. Our AMCO Clear®
tation in one lab is matching that in another lab. Over time an Water Analysis Division manufactures the highest water
instruments light source may dim and the values you obtain calibration standards available for water treatment plants
will start to drift. around the globe.
Knowing when this is occurring allows you to perform the • Watermark® pyridine-free • Silver Compounds
necessary maintenance before the issue impacts the quality Karl fischer reagents • Reagents for Water
of the wine that you are producing. Multiple concentrations • Veritas® hplC Solvents & Wastewater labs
are available so that you may check a broad range of • HPLC/GC/UV-Vis Solvents • Organic Halogen Reagent –
absorbance values. • Reagent Grade Solvents OHR/Halogen Level Field
• Spectroscopy Products TestKits
• Primary Standard Salts • Polyethylene Glycol
• Normality Solutions (small quantities)
• Colors and Indicators • Conductivity Standards and
ph Buffers
• AA and ICP Standard Solutions
• Anion Standard Solutions
• Standard Solutions for
Trace Metal analysis
• ACS Reagents
• ASTM Type I Deionized water
20 21

12. TroubleShooting Guide
If your reference standards are
Notes
not reading within the tolerance levels stated on the certificate of analysis utilize
the following guide prior to calling for technical support. Having the answers to the
GFS Chemicals - Innovative Chemical Technology
for Innovative Applications
Chemists and technicians can connect to a single
company with manufacturing resources in all key
areas of chemistry. Customers rely on us for our
problem solving ability. Our proven technologies,
technical expertise, engineering excellence and
attention to detail allow us to work hand-in-hand
with our customers every step of the way – from
of the Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affili-
ates (SOCMA) and the Ohio Chemistry Technology
Council, GFS is committed to conducting our
business with integrity and foresight. In addition,
GFS is committed to full implementation of the
SOCMA® ChemStewards® environmental, health,
safety and security management system.
Why Choose GFS Chemicals?
startup to commercialization. GFS technology and • 80+ years of chemical manufacturing and chem-
following questions will help expedite the troubleshooting process. products have kept us steps ahead of the indus- istry experience supporting process and
try’s ever- changing chemical needs. commercial applications
1) When was the last time the lamp was changed? • Knowledgeable chemists and operators who
GFS Chemicals began when Professor G. Freder- have a complete understanding of the
a. GFS replaces the lamps in our instrument every 6 months, but with normal ick Smith started producing perchloric acid in manufacturing process
use, changing the lamps every 2 years should be sufficient. a small factory in Columbus, Ohio. Since then, • Scale-up flexibility from small sample sizes to
GFS has grown to become a leading producer of drums to metric tons, to ensure consistent quality
b. Many older spectrophotometers do not have diagnostic capabilities to tell the specialty chemicals with performance-proven tech- from R&D to pilot to final production
user when lamp energy is depleted or how many hours they have been in use. nologies for laboratory, analytical, scientific, • International expertise shipping products to 85+
research and development, pilot scale production, countries means your products will arrive on time,
and manufacturing applications. meeting all regulatory compliance regulations
2) Are your cuvettes/cells clean, scratch-free and suitable for your range of use? • Technical support and resources every step of
Project Customization the way
a. All data provided has been obtained in a 10mm FUV quartz cuvette unless
• Dedicated, responsive customer support
stated in the certificate of analysis. Our production environment gives us the flexibility personnel and points of contact
to offer you innovative solutions for all of your • Competitive pricing and reliable production
b. Do not allow SDVB suspensions to dry on or inside your cells as it is difficult to
chemical needs. GFS research and development lead times
remove. can support you with the chemicals that your • U.S.-based quality manufacturing to ensure
c. Disposable plastic cuvettes are generally not designed for the UV range unless application requires. Using our proven technology material availability, consistency and delivery
to customize your product, we create customer- • Experienced staff who understand the complexi-
specified on the package. specific item numbers and SKUs to streamline ties and dependencies of process chemistry
and safeguard your process. Our formalized and
repeatable ISO manufacturing ensures that you get Associations and Affiliations
3) Was the supplied background solution* used to provide a baseline that the same exact material every time. We package GFS Chemicals has been actively involved in the
reads 0.0? according to your requirements in small packages scientific community for generations. Member-
through drums. ships include:
a. GFS has found that the “baseline” function alone may not provide a 0.000 ab- If your application requires more stringent condi- • American Chemical Society
sorbance when the background solution is scanned later. It may take a combina- tions, we have experience with Good Manufac- • Society of Chemical Manufacturers and
turing Practice (GMP) processes. We are a key Associates (SOCMA)
tion of “Auto zero” and “Baseline” over the range of interest.
supplier of critical materials for numerous Fortune • Tier II ChemSteward® Certified for Environmental
b. See Certificate of Analysis for appropriate lot number of background solution. 100, GMP manufacturers. We understand the Health and Safety
needs of our GMP customers – including pharma- • American Water Works Association and Stan-
ceutical manufacturers. dard Methods for the Examination of Water and
4) How recently has your instrument had a full calibration that included wavelength Wastewater
scale certification and stray light detection? Unmatched Product Quality • Water Environment Federation
• Ohio Water Environment Association
a. GFS has this performed twice yearly by the manufacturer GFS is an ISO 9001-2008 certified company. Our • ASTM International - Committees D19, E13,
b. GFS provides NIST traceable wavelength and stray light check standards as quality control team guarantees product consis- E15 and E27
tency from lot-to-lot. We guarantee our products • American Council of Independent Laboratories-
well. to meet the quality standards that we publish, and Associate member
ship a Certificate of Analysis and a Material Safety • Ohio Manufacturers Association
Data Sheet (MSDS) with every order. • Chemical and Specialties Management Council
5) What spectral bandwidth are you using on your instrument?
• Ohio Chemistry Technology Council
a. All provided data is for a 1nm bandwidth unless otherwise specified. Environmental and Community Stewardship • U.S. Chamber of Commerce
b. Higher bandwidths often provide lower resolution and affect the values ob- • Ohio Chamber of Commerce
GFS was founded on a business philosophy of • National Federation of Independent Businesses
tained. community stewardship and respect for our envi- • National Association of Manufacturers
ronmental resources. As a long-standing member • Tech Columbus
*Supplied with In-Spec UV and Visible standards
22 23

13. Team GFS
Are you sure your instrumentation is properly reading your
samples? Do your standard operating procedures require a vali-
dation standard? Over time small changes in your instrumenta-
tion can affect the data you obtain. Our reference standards
are a high quality, in-expensive way to add confidence to your
measurements.
GFS Chemicals Inc offers a full line of spectrophotometer
validation standards.
• Wavelength reference standards
• Photometric reference standards
• Stray Light reference standards
Contact information:
e-mail in-spec@gfschemicals.com
800-838-5567 extension 121 for technical assistance,
pricing and availability
(M-F 7:30 am to 4:00 pm Eastern Standard Time)
614-824-3299
740-881-5989 FAX
CHEMICALS
®
Visit www.in-spec.com for technical information
or Order online at www.gfschemicals.com