List of Analytical Services & Techniques

Mineral Preparation

• Thin section making
• Fine/clay particle separation

Mineralogical analysis

• X-ray powder diffraction (XRD)
• Scanning electron microscope (SEM)
• Environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM)
• Analytical Transmission Electron Microscope (ATEM)
• Thermal analysis (TG-DSC)
• Optical microscopy

Chemical analysis

• X-ray fluorescence (XRF)
• Wet chemical analysis - (ICP-AES, ICP-MS & ion chromatography)
• Contaminant speciation and availability
• Gas chromatography and GC-mass spectrometry

Materials testing

• Density, porosity, hardness, surface area, particle size etc
• Thermal expansion

Biological characterisation

• Characterisation of microbial communities using the techniques of molecular biology (PCR, FISH probing) and more traditional culturing techniques (for aerobes and anaerobes)
• Assessment of material or soil safety using microbial bioassays
• Experimental investigation of microbial processes in soils and industrial processes, including landfill sites, sediments and ex situ bioreactors
• Ecological surveys (animals and vegetation)