FAQs

Our opening hours are from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

We have some limited parking on site for our visitors, please let us know in advance so we can reserve this for you. Alternatively, there is also some limited off-site parking 5-10 minutes away.

DUNS: 225081538,  FEI Establishment Number: 3002806533

We have many, which include: UKAS – ISO 17025, MHRA – GMP, GLP and GCP, FDA – GMP
See Compliance – Butterworth Laboratories (butterworth-labs.co.uk)

Our ISO17025 certificate does not have an expiry date. The presence of an active Schedule of Accreditation on the UKAS website confirms that we remain accredited to this standard (see link below). Our accreditation number is 0215 and we are inspected by UKAS for compliance to ISO17025 annually. Link to current Schedule of Accreditation: https://www.ukas.com/wp-content/uploads/schedule_uploads/00002/0215Testing-Multiple.pdf 

No, it is the responsibility of the client to request verification if required.

Yes, we are. Link to current Schedule of Accreditation: https://www.ukas.com/wp-content/uploads/schedule_uploads/00002/0215Testing-Multiple.pdf 

Yes, we hold licences to process Controlled substances and Category 1 Precursors. Copies can be provided upon request.

We hold different types of licenses in order to handle particular chemicals. Please contact the Enquiries and Quotations team: quotes@butterworth-labs.co.uk; and provide us a copy of SDS for the material to be tested, so we can confirm if we are able to handle the material.

Good Manufacturing Practice is designed to minimise the risks involved in any pharmaceutical production that cannot be eliminated through testing the final product (definition from WHO). You will be asked when submitting samples if you would like the analysis performed in compliance with GMP. If you select yes, you authorise BLL to perform an investigation if Out of Specification (OOS) results are obtained. For which additional charges may apply.

Please contact our Quality department Quality@butterworth-labs.co.uk or use the form on our website: www.butterworth-labs.co.uk/quality/request-audit/

No, we do not manufacture anything at Butterworth Laboratories. We are an analytical testing contract laboratory.

No, we do not sell chemicals.

We consider ourselves leaders in the chemical analysis of raw materials, both excipients and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) as well as finished products to international pharmacopoeia specifications in accordance with cGMP. See: www.butterworth-labs.co.uk/applications/pharmaceuticals/

However, with 50 years of experience in analytical Chemistry testing services, we have handled a very wide range of materials from a range of industries. See: www.butterworth-labs.co.uk/industries-supported/

Yes, it’s part of our core offering.

We have a comprehensive range of instrumental techniques and classical wet chemistry to provide analytical services to different industries and backgrounds. For our analytical capabilities, please visit our website in the services www.butterworth-labs.co.uk/services/ and technique sections www.butterworth-labs.co.uk/techniques/.

Yes, you can send samples to us: www.butterworth-labs.co.uk/sample-submission/
Please make sure you read the relevant Sample Submission Guidelines before completing the form.

Send samples to us via our submission form: : www.butterworth-labs.co.uk/sample-submission/
Please make sure you read the relevant Sample Submission Guidelines before completing the form.

Please see our sample submission guidelines here.

Our Teddington site is open for deliveries on Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. Please note: We do not accept deliveries outside these hours or at weekends.

Please include a completed sample submission form, an SDS if available and a copy of your Purchase Order. Further sample submission guidelines can be found here.

Please see our guidelines for submitting samples from outside the UK: Click here

Please raise the sample amount request at the enquiry stage, either by email or using our web quote request form, and our quotation team will provide the information upon the enquiry receipt.

Our standard turnaround time is an estimated 10 working days from receipt of the sample(s) and all information we require for analysis. Faster turnarounds may be available (say 3 or 5 days) but are subject to laboratory availability and a surcharge is payable. Please enquire in advance of sending your samples if you require a fast turnaround.

Unfortunately, we are unable to accept work from private individuals.

As soon as all testing, the quality checks have been performed and checked by our technical team, the reported results are ready to send to you. We email the C of A and the report (raw data) follows.

We don’t offer sample collection services. However, we can accommodate sample returns to a designated address. There will be a charge associated with the service and please get in touch with the quotes team to receive a provisional cost, or alternatively, please include this requirement in the quotation request form when you submit your enquiry.

Electronic copies of Certificates of Analysis will be emailed on completion of the work.  In addition, hard copies can be sent by Royal Mail for £10.00 for each job submitted.  Electronic copies of the Raw Data for each job submitted will be stored on our Electronic Data Storage system.  Copies can be transferred to you via the file-sharing service ‘Box’.  For details on this, email: LabSupport@butterworth-labs.co.uk.  Hard copies of Raw Data can also be supplied by Post or Courier for £60.00 for each job submitted. See Paperless Data Reporting Client Information Sheet

We do not have facilities to accept credit card payments. To discuss ways of making payments, please contact: Accounts@butterworth-labs.co.uk

Once we establish what testing is required, our Quotes department will send a quotation to you with the price of your analysis. To start the request process: Click here

Please contact our quotes team Quotes@butterworth-labs.co.uk or request a quote using our web form: butterworth-labs.co.uk/request-a-quote/

Please fill in the web form butterworth-labs.co.uk/quotation-request/ The Quotation team will be in touch with you ASAP.

Our standard policy is to dispose of any unused sample material one month after the issue of the Certificate of Analysis. However, your sample can be returned if requested at the time of sample submission. There will be a surcharge payable for this service. Please enquire about this when you request a quotation. 

Please email the people detailed in your quotation for updates on your analysis.

We can store samples under ambient (15 to 25), refrigerated (2-8) and frozen (-15 to -25) conditions. Please specify the conditions you require on your sample submission form. If no conditions are indicated on your form, we will store your samples under the condition in which they are received.

Elemental impurities could relate to many forms of testing however in the context of pharmacopoeias and ICH guidelines it relates to testing of 24 key risk metals to limits related to the expected daily dose and use to ensure the final product is safe.

Both systems use a plasma to excite and/or ionise elements in a solution for analysis (ICP = Inductively coupled plasma).

An ICP-OES uses a photometer to measure light emissions which are characteristic to the element and relative in intensity to the concentration in solution. See ICP-OES

An ICP-MS measures the mass/ charge ratio of ions to give a direct determination of concentration.
An ICP-MS is generally several orders of magnitude more sensitive than an ICP-OES however this can vary by element. An ICP-OES can handle stronger matrix solutions than an ICP-MS.
See ICP-MS

There are many ways to prepare samples for ICP-MS analysis, the best method will depend on the sample type and elements that are required to be measured. If possible dilution in dilute acid is the best preparation method as it requires few steps and so reduces any chance of contamination or matrix effects when measuring the solution. However, this will not always be possible. For example organic materials, the most common preparation is microwave digestion. Whichever method is used, it is important that dissolution is complete and a clear solution is obtained to ensure accurate determination occurs.

These terms can be used interchangeably however there is a difference. Osmolarity (or osmotic concentration) is a measure of solute concentration by volume, whereas Osmolality is a measure of concentration by weight. The density of a solution can be used to convert from one to the other.

There is no practical difference, both are indirect measurements of viscosity. Direct measures of viscosity include measurement using a U-tube such as a Ubbelohde viscometer.

We use whichever the Pharmacopoeia designates for the Testing.  We have a dedicated Amino Acid Analyser to meet the LC requirements of Related Substances Testing in the Ph.Eur. While we retain the capability of TLC for ID Testing.  See https://www.butterworth-labs.co.uk/applications/ninhydrin-positive-substances/

No.  Residual Solvents in drug substances, excipients, and drug products (are often referred to as Organic Volatile Impurities or OVIs) are considered impurities that are not removed during product purification and are possibly left over from the manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) or drug substances.  Butterworth have a long history of performing this type of testing to USP and  Ph.Eur requirements using headspace GC.  See https://www.butterworth-labs.co.uk/view-pdf/?url=https://www.butterworth-labs.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Downloads-Residual-Solvents-Analysis-2020.pdf

Multiple Headspace Extraction Gas Chromatography (MHE GC)is an analytical technique that is used to calibrate a headspace GC system where all other ‘normal’ approaches have failed.  Normal being matrix-matched standard and samples. See https://www.butterworth-labs.co.uk/view-pdf/?url=https://www.butterworth-labs.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/MHE-Whitepaper-Mar-2022.pdf

Read our Whitepaper on the subject: https://www.butterworth-labs.co.uk/view-pdf/?url=https://www.butterworth-labs.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Helium-to-Hydrogen-Whitepaper-Final-Version.pdf

Yes.  Since at present there are no absolute pharmacopoeial specifications or regulatory requirements for the levels of residual oxygen in MAP, Butterworth have developed and validated there on in-house method. See https://www.butterworth-labs.co.uk/view-pdf/?url=https://www.butterworth-labs.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Residual-Oxygen-White-Paper-Final-Version-April-2021.pdf

Yes. Butterworth has analysed these types of materials over many years, primarily for the Fire Suppressant and Refrigerant industries.  However, the pharmaceutical industry also uses the same materials as pMDi propellants.  https://www.butterworth-labs.co.uk/view-pdf/?url=https://www.butterworth-labs.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Aerosols-Whitepaper-Final-Version.pdf

If we have any, they will be on our website here: butterworth-labs.co.uk/who-we-are/working-for-us/

Due to the nature and regulatory requirements of the work we perform, we do not normally offer work experience.