Chemistry Laboratory

The goal of the chemical analysis of solids is to determine their elemental composition after solution heat treatment by means of attack by different acids or by fusion. These elements may be isolated (the case for the majority of cations, or anions such as chlorides) or grouped (the case for anions such as sulphates or cyanides, or certain cations such as ammonium).

Our laboratories have at their disposal recent classical equipment for elementary analysis in mineral chemistry.

• ICP-OES (2 configurations: radial reading and axial and radial reading);
• XRF (on pellets or fusion pearls);
• Ion chromatography (essentially for the analysis of anions);
• UV-Visible spectrophotometer;
• Specific analysers C-S (by combustion followed by IR spectrophotometry measurements), CT – CIT (giving TOC by difference), Hg by combustion, amalgamation and AAS, etc.

In addition, the laboratory has available other equipment enabling measurements linked to organic chemistry: a C-H-N-S-O analyser by combustion followed by IR spectrophotometry (C-H-O-S) or thermal conductivity (N), and a calorimeter bomb to establish gross and net calorific value (GCV/NCV). The recovery of the gases emitted during the measuring of GCV also enables the dosing of volatilised mineral elements (halides and sulphur by ion chromatography or titration, cations by ICP).

Thanks to a recognized and expert know-how of the procedures of the pretreatment of  samples (sampling, particle-size reduction of solids, various solution heat treatments, separation and concentration), these instruments allow us to quantify around 80 of the elements of Mendeleev’s periodic table, including the most common rare earths and precious metals (Au, Pt, Pd, Rh, Ir, Ag).

The domains covered range from minerals to waste, passing through various materials and liquids such as metals, concretes, HF slags, sands, catalysts, polymers (establishing the mineral loads and components), solid recovered fuels (SRF), wastewaters, oils and petroleum derivatives, and hydrometallurgical process solutions.