Physics Laboratory

The physical measurements which can be carried out at the CTP are supplementary to the chemical analyses and enable a fine-tuning of the characterization of solid matter. They produce four types of information: mineralogical, size and morphology, thermal behaviour and specific mass.

X-ray diffraction (XRD) is applied to crystalline materials. It allows the mineralogy to be established, in other words in what manner are arranged the elements of the elementary analysis. It also allows the identification of the phases present in a sample and to approximately evaluate the relative abundance. Amorphous phases are not identifiable via this technique.

The sizes of the particles and their particle-size distribution is obtained via different principles chosen depending on the goal of the measuring and/or the characteristics of the material:

• Analysis by sieving according to the norm;
• Sedigraphy on suspensions of particles smaller than 100 µm;
• Analyses by laser diffraction granulometer under water or another liquid covering a range from 0.5 µm to 2 mm;
• The nanosizer adapted to particles of an inframicrometric size and operating thanks to the speed of the displacement in a fluid subject to the effect of centrifugal force;
• The granulomorphometer enables the shape of the particles to be visualized, in 2D, and its size to be assessed.

The thermogravimetric analyser paired with a FTIR spectrophotometer allows the establishing of the behaviour of the sample subjected to programmed heating (speed, action by stages, etc.), up to 1,600°C, in different atmospheres (air, oxygen, neutral). The loss of mass can be measured, and the temperatures at which changes of state are produced can be established. The paired FTIR analyser enables the gases emitted to be ascertained.

The helium pycnometer allows the real specific mass of the samples to be identified.

The domains covered range from minerals to waste, passing through various materials such as metals, concretes, HF slags, sands, catalysts, polymers and solid recovered fuels (SRF).