Grant: Applied Research Tools and Instruments Grants

Camosun College, located in Victoria, British Columbia (BC) on the unceded territories of the Lekwungen speaking and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples, is at the forefront of skilled worker training with almost 15K learners across more than 160 programs, including more than 1K Indigenous and almost 2K international students. Camosun Innovates, the college applied research and development unit, seeks to acquire Analytical Equipment for Product Development and Quality Assurance/Control. The focus of this proposal embraces both the mechanical and biochemical needs of our region and its industries, encompassing a uHPLC Refractive Index Detector, Fluorescence Detector, and integrated OpenLAB CDS LC ChemStation Software, testing accessories for our Hexagon Absolute Arm Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM), Mitutoyo surface profilometer and measuring microscope, and a Phase II portable hardness tester. The uHPLC Refractive Index Detector plus valve kit is the only universal detector on the market, and is ideal for reproducible, routine analysis of compounds that do not have a UV chromophore. Rapid equilibration times and stable baselines make it easy to analyze carbohydrates, triglycerides, organic acids, and pharmaceutical excipients. The purchase of a second HPLC detector, the fluorescence detector, will also allow for the analysis of mycotoxins that can develop on dry materials, such as hops, from certain molds. This detector is ideal for sensitive compound detection, and is ten times more sensitive than our UV detection capabilities. A suite of extra probes for our Hexagon Absolute Arm will allow for the capturing of a broader range of measurements, add the ability to probe interior surfaces of objects and extend our equipment’s working envelop to measure large subjects. A surface profilometer, measuring microscope, and hardness tester will dramatically expand the range of quality assurance testing that can be done in our facilities, allowing us to qualitatively analyze the surface roughness and texture of machined parts, provide high-magnification imaging and measurement of small parts or intricate features that are difficult to measure with traditional tools, and verify the hardness of metals prior to and following CNC machining and cutting operations, ensuring there is no degradation in material properties. Together, this suite of analytical equipment will support product development and improvement across the Greater Victoria area and beyond.