PlastiTrax® Fragments
| Simply fragments |
PlastiTrax® Fragments are ready-to-use microplastic particle suspensions specifically developed for analytical method development, instrument optimization, spectral database expansion, and general microplastic testing applications. The suspensions contain environmentally relevant microplastic fragments produced from virgin polymer granulates using a controlled top-down cryogenic milling process, resulting in irregular particle morphologies that closely resemble real-world environmental microplastics.
Following cryogenic milling, the generated fragments are separated into defined size fractions through a controlled sieving procedure. The available particle fractions are specified based on the minimum Feret diameter (min Feret) and are currently available in the size range between 20–100 µm. Due to differences in polymer properties and fragment morphology, particle shape and size distribution may vary between polymer types. The corresponding particle size distribution for each batch is provided within the included Certificate of Analysis (CoA).
PlastiTrax® Fragments are available as single-polymer suspensions in 10 mL and 20 mL formats, with concentration ranges adjusted to approximately 100 MPs/mL or 500 MPs/mL. The particle concentration of each production batch is determined using QCL imaging analysis (n = 5). As sedimentation behavior strongly depends on polymer density and particle size, slight concentration variability within the suspension is unavoidable. For this reason, the product is intended for general analytical applications rather than precise recovery determination or formal method validation.
The particles are suspended in a mixture of 80% filtered water, 20% ethanol, and 0.01% Tween 80, enabling stable particle dispersion while minimizing agglomeration and accumulation at the liquid surface caused by hydrophobic interactions. The added surfactant does not cause detectable spectral alterations during spectroscopic analysis.
To minimize contamination, all products are manufactured under controlled laboratory conditions within a laminar flow bench. All glassware and containers used during production are thermally treated above 500 °C prior to use. Nevertheless, trace contamination from unintended polymer types cannot be fully excluded and is typically below 0.1% of the total particle concentration.
| Intended Use |
Defined suspension volumes can be aliquoted using standard laboratory pipettes, enabling approximate microplastic spiking for workflow testing and analytical optimization. As particle sedimentation will occur over time, thorough shaking immediately before sampling is strongly recommended to ensure homogeneous particle distribution. Typical deviations during pipetting are approximately 30%, depending on the polymer type and particle fraction.
Due to these inherent suspension-related variabilities, PlastiTrax® Fragments are not specifically recommended for precise recovery studies, formal method validation, or accreditation workflows. For these applications, MIQALab recommends the use of PlastiTrax® tablet-based reference materials, which provide individually characterized and fully traceable particle numbers per polymer type.
| Particle Size | Particle count |
PlastiTrax® Fragments are produced from cryo-milled polymer fragments and classified into defined size fractions using a precision sieving process. As a result, particle sizes are specified as a minimum Feret diameter corresponding to the selected sieve fraction. The particle concentration of each suspension is adjusted to the target value and verified through five independent measurements of 1 mL aliquots. The reported particle count represents an approximate average value derived from these measurements and is intended as a practical guideline.
