Physical analyses
.JPG)
The physical measurements proposed by CTP come in addition to the chemical analyses and enable a refined profiling of solid materials. They produce four types of information: mineralogical, size and morphology, thermal behaviour and density.
X-ray diffraction (XRD) is applied to crystalline materials. This determines the mineralogy, meaning the way in which elements are arranged from the elementary analysis. This therefore enables an identification of the phases present in a sample and to give an approximate assessment of the relative abundance. Amorphous phases cannot be identified using this technique.
The analysis of the size of particles and their particle size distribution comes through various principle selected and based on the measurement objective and/or the material characteristics:
- Standardised sieving analyses
- SediGraph measurement on particle suspensions under 100 µm
- Laser diffraction particle size analyses under water or other fluids covering a range of 0.5 µm to 2 mm
- A nanosizer calibrated to submicrometric particle sizes and operating through the movement speed in a fluid under the effect of centrifugal force
- A granulomorphometer enables the shape of particles to be viewed in 2D, along with an assessment of their size.
A thermogravimetric analyser paired with an FTIR spectrophotometer enables determining the behaviour of the sample subject to preset heating (speed, bearings) up to 1600°C, in different atmospheres (air, oxygen, neutral). Mass loss can be measured, and the temperatures at which changes in state arise can also be determined. A paired FTIR analyser enables the identification of which gases are emitted.
A helium pycnometer enables the solid specific gravity to be determined.
