From left to right: Dr.Charles Dal Castel and Dr. Faten Salim standing in front of the X-ray diffraction (XRD) instrument
The Department of Chemical Engineering’s Analytical Lab Facilities are helping advance research across the University of Waterloo and for external academic institutions, industry partners and emerging start-ups.
The Analytical Lab Facilities is a model of research infrastructure support, serving as a hub for materials characterization and chemical analysis, giving researchers access to technical expertise and specialized services, encouraging cross‑disciplinary innovation.
"Our goal is to lower the barriers to high-level research," says facility Director, Dr. Charles Dal Castel. "By providing access to advanced instrumentation and expert support, we can give researchers the tools they need to accelerate discovery."
The approach combines instruments centrally located in large communal laboratories with instruments in satellite locations (in laboratories managed by individual faculty). Much of the equipment has been acquired through grant funding, creating a shared resource that maximizes research impact.
Rheometer
Researchers and industry partners can submit samples to be analyzed by technical staff or receive training to operate equipment independently. This flexible approach enables faculty members, graduate students and industry collaborators to access sophisticated analytical tools while developing their own expertise.
"The Analytical Facilities have been invaluable to my research," says Meng Zhang, a graduate student in mechanical engineering. "Dr. Faten Salim has helped me prepare samples for gas chromatography, analyze liquid products using GC and interpret the results, while also providing valuable guidance on data analysis and process optimization. The combination of excellent analytical facilities and expert support has greatly accelerated my research on plastic upcycling."
The growing list of equipment is extensive, ranging from Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), to High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and surface area analysis. The lab offers a broad spectrum of materials characterization tools and can offer specialized services such as sample analysis for "forever chemicals" (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS).
Together, Dal Castel and Salim provide a complementary blend of expertise. Dal Castel earned his PhD in polymer chemistry from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. He brings extensive expertise in analytical chemistry and materials characterization techniques.
Salim, a Waterloo alumna, holds a PhD in analytical chemistry and specializes in developing and validating analytical methods across the full workflow, including sample preparation, chromatographic separation and mass spectrometry. Her experience spans both academic and industrial environments.
Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA)
"We provide access to a wide range of analytical techniques," says Salim, Analytical Laboratory Specialist. "Researchers come to us for guidance on selecting the appropriate measurements, understanding the strengths and limitations of each technique and applying those methods effectively to their projects."
In addition to supporting research, revenue generated through the Analytical Lab Facilities helps fund co-op student positions, providing valuable lab training for both undergraduate and graduate students.
To better serve its growing user base, the lab has transitioned to the NEMO laboratory management platform, which modernizes laboratory operations by integrating scheduling, training, billing, and equipment management into a single platform, improving efficiency, reducing administrative effort, and creating a scalable system that better supports its clients.
The diverse equipment array supports research in many areas—including sustainable energy, biomaterials, advanced manufacturing, environmental monitoring and remediation.
More information on available equipment, training sessions, or other services, can be found at the Analytical Facilities website.