Materials Analysis

The Instrumentation Laboratory is equipped to analyze the composition and structure of a wide range of materials, enabling our staff to provide valuable information towards solving industrial problems. The IInstrumentation Laboratory is a member of LUCAS and provides accessibility to external users to the laboratory for a fee. Users may visit the laboratory to discuss results or consult with staff by phone. proprietary information will be kept confidential.

We provide services for:

  • Professionals connected to the mining industry such as geoscientists, geologists, miners, mineral processing technologists, and metallurgists
  • Ecologists and other life scientists
  • Producers and consumers of electronics and electronic parts
  • Industrial operators in chemical engineering and production
  • Chemical supply companies requiring third-party validation of materials

Example Materials:

  • Crystalline inorganic solids (granular, fine-crystalline, microcrystalline) and/or non-crystalline inorganic solids)
  • Metal-based products and by-products
  • Ores, minerals, industrial earth materials
  • products and by-products of industrial mineral processing
  • Rare earth elements and strategic metals
  • Building materials
  • Electronic plates and their parts; coatings
  • Industrial chemicals
  • Soils- mineralogy
  • precipitates and ashes
  • Industrial contaminants and deposits
  • polymers

Specialty Materials Services

New specialty materials services are being offered by LUIL's Material Scientist Dr. Shannon Zurevinski (PhD in Mineralogy and Geochemistry) who is an expert in the field of petrology of mantle-derived rocks, and experimental mineralogy. Shannon was recently hired as a research associate with funding coming from Industry Canada’s Community Adjustment Fund. She is working in collaboration with Dr. Roger Mitchell on developing new analytical services with industry applications. Shannon Zurevinski’s research is focused on the genesis, evolution and latest stages formation of mantle-derived alkaline, ultramafic and carbonatite rocks.

  • Identification of phase composition (qualitative or quantitative, the latter usually to within ±1%, subject to the availability of pure end members in PDF database
  • Characterization of chemical composition
  • Characterization of compositional inhomogenity
  • Characterization of alteration and re-crystallization
  • Surface quality control and characterization of micro-topology
  • Refinement of crystal structures (Rietveld technique), including > measurement of unit cell dimensions; particle size determination in the 0.01-0.01ìm range; obtaining of the site      occupancy factors; characterization of crystal structure with calculation of the deformation    parameters for coordination polyhedra
  • Ceramic synthesis of solid solutions under question (separate service) and their crystallochemical characterization

A complete list of analytical services offered by LUCAS Laboratories can be found on the LUCAS services page.

Contact

For additional information please contact the Instrument Laboratory Manager:

Dr. Francis Appoh
Phone: 807-343-8853
Fax: 807-346-7864