A field visit to the Standards, Metrology, and Quality Organization (SASO) Tuesday 6/12/2016.

The Department of Chemistry at the College of Science at Al Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University has organized a field visit on Tuesday 6/12/2016 to the quality control laboratory and public labs at SASO.

The Field visit was headed by:

1- Dr. Sami ibn Abdulaziz Al-Hussain (Head of the Department of Chemistry).

2- Prof. Majdi As-Sayed Zaki (Vice head of the Department of Chemistry).

3- Prof. Mohammad Ahmed Haykal (Professor of Inorganic Chemistry).

Mr. Abdulaziz ibn Mohammad Al-Ahaydeb, general director of the General Administration of laboratories, welcomed the delegation.

Then, he stressed the importance of such field visits in enhancing students' skills, following that with a brief introductory film about the organization, its role in society, and its advanced equipment. The delegation visited the Unit of Microbiological Tests under the supervision of Mr. Abdullah Al-'Attas, lab specialist, who explained the mechanism of these tests which aim to analyze food samples to ascertain that they are safe for human consumption and meet approved specifications. Mr. Saud Al-Fadhli, lab specialist, introduced the delegation to the devices in the Unit of Chemical Tests such as gas chromatography which has a mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Later, the delegation visited the Unit of Petroleum Materials which aims to test and analyze petroleum products; such as motor oils, transmission oils, hydraulic oils, and the spill point estimation system which is considered as the most important equipment of the unit. Then, they visited the Unit of Organic Labs and Inorganic Labs (Cleaners Unit). Eng. Turki Al-Qahtani took the delegation to the construction materials laboratory in which the following tests are made: Cement tests, ceramic tile tests, block tests, sanitary ware tests, pottery and concrete pipe tests, and gypsum tests.

The delegation also visited the Unit of Mechanics and Minerals in which the physical properties of matters were discovered and used in reinforcing steel production and aluminum profiles and others through the following tests:  

* Tensile Testing: Properties that are directly measured via a tensile test are ultimate tensile strength, breaking strength, maximum elongation by general testing machine. 

* Compressive Strength, flexural, bending and shear strength tests by general testing machine.

* Impact Test: a method for evaluating the toughness and notch sensitivity of engineering materials through Izod and Charpy methods by using impact testing machine.                                                                                                                            

The visit was concluded with recommendations from Eng. Turki Al-Qahtani in which he stressed the importance of training in available facilities and experience in a working environment.                                                             

The Department of Chemistry at the College of Science in Al Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University would like to thank Dr. Sami Abdulaziz Al-Hussain, the head of the Department of Chemistry, for the visit and Dr. Majdi As-Sayed Zaki, the vice head, for his cooperation with the Committee of Visits and for encouraging students to participate. The department would also like to thank Mr. Khaled ibn Ibrahim Al-Aswad, the secretary of the department and a member of the Committee of Visits for coordinating and arranging the visit. Finally, great thanks are to the students: Ali ibn Hussain Al-'Umairi for participating in reporting the visit and Adel ibn Rashed Al-Bugumi for photographing the event.