Biophysical Analysers
Introduction
At QIB Extra, we offer access to state-of-the-art scientific equipment through our partnership with the Quadram Institute. Whether you’re developing new food products, studying material behaviour, or validating product performance, our tools and technical support can help you deliver robust, reliable results.
All equipment listed below is available for contract research, collaborative projects, or direct hire with training. Our team will work with you to understand your requirements and help design the right solution for your project.
Our services are available for:
- Supervised and independent research use (with training)
- Contract testing and data generation
- Collaborative development or consultancy
How You Can Use Our Facilities
- Access advanced instrumentation by the hour, day, or project
- Request full-service contract research from our in-house scientists
- Receive technical support and tailored advice to get the most from each tool
- Ideal for food innovation, pharmaceutical development, materials research, and academic collaborations
Equipment and Services
We offer access to a broad range of advanced biophysical instruments, supporting both experimental research and commercial product development. Our equipment enables precise measurement of material properties, physical stability, thermal behaviour, and particle characteristics across a variety of sample types.
All systems are available for use through contract research services or, where appropriate, direct access with training and technical support provided by our team.
Material & Product Characterisation
This category includes instruments used to assess the physical, thermal, and mechanical properties of materials and products. These tools support analysis of emulsion and foam stability, thermal transitions such as melting or crystallisation, and texture-related attributes like hardness, elasticity, and spreadability. Suitable for applications in food science, pharmaceuticals, and material research.
The texture analyser is a multi-functional instrument widely used in the food industry to assess a wide range of mechanical and physical properties of products. These properties include testing their hardness, breakability, ease of spreading, stretch resistance and flexibility. By applying controlled forces to a sample and recording its response, the texture analyser helps to assess the texture and consistency of products. It is invaluable for ensuring quality control as it provides quantitative data on sensory attributes that influence consumer experience such as how a product feels when bitten or chewed.
Our Text-2 is equipped with various attachments, including;
- 1, 5, 30 kg load cells that are used to measure force in either compression or tension
- 50 mm, 64 mm and 100mm compression platens that are essential components in texture analysis, designed to provide full surface contact with the sample during deformation.
- 6, 7 and 12 mm Magness Taylor probes are attachments that measure puncture resistance and ripeness of fruits and vegetables.
- Conical probe is widely used in the dairy industry to measure spreadability and hardness
- Tensile grips pull samples apart to test their breaking point and elasticity.
- Pneumatic grips are used to secure samples during analysis, which is ideal for materials that are sensitive to pressure.
- Small 3-point bend rigs - versatile attachments used to measure various properties such as brittleness, flexibility and bend modulus.
- Wire and blade cutters are designed to test the cutting or shearing properties of sample products which help to mimic how they feel when bitten.
- 5 blade Kramer shear cell is a valuable tool for testing bulk shear and extrusion forces of products particularly those with irregular shapes or sizes.
Stability and Thermal Analysis
Instruments in this category support the measurement of physical stability and thermal properties of materials. These include tracking destabilisation mechanisms such as creaming and sedimentation in emulsions, as well as characterising thermal transitions like melting, crystallisation, and glass transition. Suitable for applications in food, pharmaceuticals, and materials science.
The Turbiscan is used to measure the depth and stability of whipped foams and emulsions by static multiple light scattering. Destabilisation mechanisms such as creaming, sedimentation, flocculation and coalescence can be followed over periods of hours or days.
Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)
Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) is a powerful analytical technique used to measure the thermal properties of materials, such as melting point, crystallisation, glass transition, and heat capacity. It is widely applicable in fields such as polymer analysis, pharmaceuticals, food science, and material research.
Our DSC equipment provides precise data on heat flow, temperature changes, and melting events within short temperature ranges. This enables detailed characterisation of a wide range of materials. This service is ideal for researchers and companies looking to assess material stability, quality control, phase transitions, and material thermal properties.
Particle Sizers
We have three cutting-edge instruments designed to measure and characterise particle size, shape, and charge across a wide range of applications. Whether you are working with nanoparticles, powders, or suspensions, these systems provide precision, efficiency, and valuable insights into your materials serving as a powerful tool for industries ranging from food and pharmaceuticals to additive manufacturing.
The Malvern Zetasizer Ultra is a state-of-the-art solution for measuring particle and molecular size, as well as charge (zeta potential) in suspension. Using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Multi-Angle Dynamic Light Scattering (MADLS), it accurately measures the diameter of particles ranging from sub-nanometer to a few micrometers. This system also measures z
The Beckman-Coulter LS 13 320 XR measures particle sizes from nanometers up to 3500 µm in both aqueous and non-aqueous diluents. Its advanced PIDS technology enhances accuracy at smaller particle sizes. Additionally, the Dry Powder System Module extends the measurement range to dry powders from 400 nm to 3500 µm.
The QICPIC is a dynamic image analyser that captures the images of thousands of particles, providing statistically relevant results
Equipped with RODOS and VIBRI modules for dry powders and fibers, and the LIXELL module for wet suspensions, it captures high-speed images, delivering detailed statistical results within seconds. Size descriptors such as length, width, and diameter, along with shape parameters like sphericity and aspect ratio, can be presented as a distribution for the entire sample or individually for each single particle. Additionally, it also provides a recorded video of the particles that can be viewed retrospectively.
Contact Us
To access the equipment mentioned, please contact us, and our office team will work with you to create a package that best suits your needs.