When in food and pharmaceutical applications glass particles are unduly found in the contents of bottles, jars, vials etc, the application of specific micro-analytical X-ray techniques, usually combined with optical microscopy analyses, allows to perform the necessary verifications (e.g. for trials and lawsuits).
Through specific characterization tests it is possible to investigate on the compatibility of the retrieved fragments with the container, when this latter is made of glass (discrimination) or, in the case of packaging made of materials other than glass, to identify the type of glass from which the fragment originated (classification).
The employed analytical methods involve the use of non-destructive technologies, and allow in most cases to preserve (in whole or in part) a representative specimen for any subsequent analysis or counter-analysis.
The experimental data are collected and commented in a technical report, which provides useful information to identify the nature and probable origin of the fragments.