Aminovera Research

Product documentation

A certificate is only worth something if it describes the exact material in front of you. This page sets out what Aminovera publishes against a batch, what each document contains, and — just as importantly — what the status shown on a product record means when a document has not yet been released.

Documentation status on a product record

Every product record carries an explicit documentation status. We would rather show that a document is outstanding than leave a blank space that implies one exists.

• Published — a certificate has been released for the batch currently in stock, and it is linked directly from the product record.
• Pending — the batch is in stock but its documentation has not yet been released. The product record says so, and you can request the current position before ordering.
• On request — the document exists but is issued on request, typically because it carries supplier information that is not published openly.

A status of pending is not a formality to be read past. If documentation matters to your work — and for analytical or comparative work it usually does — check the status before ordering rather than after.

What a certificate of analysis contains

A certificate of analysis (COA) is a record of what a specific batch was found to contain when it was tested. A useful COA is batch-specific, recent, and traceable back to the laboratory that produced it. A generic certificate reused across every batch of a product line tells you nothing about the vial you received.

• Product identity — compound name, catalogue number and CAS number.
• Batch or lot number — this must match the number printed on the vial label.
• Purity result — the measured figure, not only the specification it was measured against.
• Analytical method — typically high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for purity and mass spectrometry (MS) for identity confirmation.
• The chromatogram itself — a percentage on its own is an assertion; the trace is the evidence behind it.
• Date of analysis and the identity of the testing laboratory.

HPLC and mass spectrometry

The two techniques answer different questions and are usually reported together. HPLC separates the components of a sample and reports the relative proportion of each, which is where a purity figure comes from. Mass spectrometry measures mass-to-charge ratio, confirming that the principal peak corresponds to the expected molecular weight of the compound named on the label.

HPLC alone can tell you a sample is 99% one thing without telling you what that thing is. MS alone can confirm identity without quantifying what else is present. This is why a certificate reporting only one of the two is a weaker document than one reporting both.

Safety data sheets

A safety data sheet (SDS) describes handling, storage, first-aid, spillage and disposal information for a substance, in the format set out in UK REACH. It is a handling document, not a quality document — an SDS says nothing about the purity of a particular batch, and a COA says nothing about how to handle the material safely. You should have both before working with a material you have not handled before.

The SDS also carries the classification of the substance under GB CLP. Where a substance is classified in a hazard class, that classification determines the hazard information required on the label and outer packaging.

Batch numbering

Each release is given a lot number that is printed on the vial label and on the outer carton, and repeated on any certificate issued for that lot. The number on the vial is the authoritative reference — if a certificate you have been sent carries a different lot number, it describes different material.

Catalogue numbers (for example AV-BPC-010) identify the product and pack size and stay constant. Lot numbers identify a specific release and change with every batch. Quote both when contacting us about an order.

Requesting documentation

Documentation for a batch you have received, or for a batch currently in stock, can be requested through the contact page. Include the catalogue number and, where you already hold the material, the lot number from the vial label. We will tell you what has been released and what has not.