Send us a text

To kick off season 6, we continue our sample prep series with a focus on cobalt. Our team discusses digestion methods for cobalt metals, alloys, oxides, and ores, including when to use nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, or fusion techniques. We also cover testing considerations for ICP-OES and ICP-MS, including cobalt’s sensitivity, common interferences, and its role as an internal standard in oil and coolant analysis. Plus, hear tips for handling cobalt in pharmaceutical testing and learn about the resources available on our website to support your method development.

Send us a text

In this episode, we sit down with Bench Boost listener and instructional designer Alexa Jackson to talk about career growth, chemistry communication, and her journey from academia to the battery industry. Alexa shares valuable advice for early-career chemists, including tips for writing lab notebooks your future self will thank you for, building scientific intuition, and embracing continuous learning.

She also gives us a behind-the-scenes look at her latest work with Pestana Solutions and the launch of Nanoverse Battery Courses, a resource designed to make battery science more accessible and engaging for STEM professionals.

Looking to continue the conversation? Connect with Alexa on LinkedIn to follow her work in chemistry education and the battery industry.

Send us a text

In this solo episode, Mike dives into titrations — a method that's still essential across industries like environmental testing, manufacturing, and even winemaking. Learn tips for improving accuracy, from proper burette qualification and indicator usage to endpoint detection techniques like quick drops vs. full drops. Mike also shares common troubleshooting advice for colorblindness in titrations, sliding endpoints, and working with high-concentration samples.