Analytical facilities
The Chemistry and Process Engineering Team is equipped with various analytical systems to perform qualitative and quantitative analysis on numerous sample type in order to follow the the targeted contaminants in process.
These apparatus can be classified as used to :
- Characterize solid materials and surfaces
- Analyse the global composition of effluents
- Identify and quantify trace contaminants (pesticides, endocrine disruptors, pharmaceuticals, disinfection by-products...)
- Characterize complex (bio)molecules (Natural organic matter, polymers, proteins...)
- Analyse the inorganic or very polar compounds in solution
- sampling material for in-situ analysis
Characterization of solids ans surfaces
Porous materials
Mercury porosimeter to characterize porous materials et fix beds (real and apparent density, macroporous volume, pore size distribution between 3 nm to 90 µm).
BET surface analyzer (N2 isotherm at 77K) to characterize micoporous materials.
Surface characterization
two electrokinetic analysers (Surpass, Anton Paar and ZetaCAD, CAD Instruments) for zeta potential and electrokinetic charge density determination of flat solids, particles or fibres by streaming current and streaming potential methods
Digidrop for contact angle measurement by the sensile drop technique (plane surface polar/apolar balance chracterization
Chemical characterization
Themogravimetric Analyzers coupled with real time mass spectrometer (TGA-MS).
Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) with Attenuated Total Reflexion (ATR) to characterize solids, liquids or follow chemical reactions at the solid/liquid interface.
Analyse the global composition of effluents
Total Organic Carbon (TOC) / Total Nitrogen (TN) Analyzer
Total, adsorbable et purgable Organohalogenated componds (TOX, AOX, POX) determination by thermal mineralization and measurement of formed halides by microcoulometry. Used for the determination of total amount of halogenated (chlorinated, brominated...) disinfection by-products (DBP)
Microtox bioassay testing system. Used for the comparative evaluation of effluent toxicity.
UV spectrophotometers (single or dual beams) equipped with various accessories (variable pathlength cell holder, optical probes, cell circulation...)
Two Online analysis and monitoring of Total Volatil Organic Compounds (VOC) and Non-Methane Volatil Organic (NMVOC) Compounds Analyzers (FID and PID detectors)
Online analysis and monitoring of sulfur compounds (H2S, mercaptans and sulphides) in gas
Identify and quantify trace contaminants
- Gas chromatography - Mass spectrometry (GC-MS) coupled with multiple injection systems (liquid injector, Headspace sampler, Thermal desorber injector)
- 6 Gas chromatographic systems equipped with various detectors (FID, NPD, TCD...), one the these systems is equipped with automatic multi-sampler (liquid and thermal desorption unit)
- on-line SPE-UPLC-MS/MS (triple quadrupole) to quantify organic trace contaminants in MRM mode and/or structural identification of unknown compounds (metabolic, degradation compounds).
- High Resolution Mass spectrometry (HRMS) : The Vion IMS-QTof coupled with 2D chromatography (LCxLC or on-line SPE) provide new capabilities for the identification and quantification of untargeted trace contaminant in the environment.
- 6 High Pressure Liquid Systems (HPLC and UPLC) equipped with various detectors (single or dual wave length UV detectors, diode array detectors, fluorescence detectors, refractometer).
Characterize complex (bio)molecules (Natural organic matter, polymers, proteins...)
A HPLC-UV system to analyze polymers in chloroform by gel exclusion chromatography used to characterize (bio)plastics
A HPLC-UV system to analyze dissolved organic matter (DOM) in aqueous media by size exclusion chromatography
A filtration system equipped with multiple molecular cut-off membranes to DOM analysis (in association with TOC analyzer)
A Fluorescence spectrophotometer allowing Excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy to characterize dissolved organic matter (DOM) in water and soil.
