Equipment

Atomic absorption spectrometer operating in the flame technique ContrAA® 300, Analytik Jena

• measurement of the content of metals and metalloids in liquid samples
• assessment of heavy metal contamination of soils, plants, surface waters, sewage
• measurement of the content of metals and metalloids in organic substances, e.g. biochars, biomasses, sewage sludge
• determination of the sorption capacity of various types of sorbents with respect to metals and metalloids

2400 Series II CHNS/O Elemental Analyzer, PerkinElmer

• measurement of percentage of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen in solid samples
• elemental analysis of biomass, biochar, humic acids, sewage sludge, soils, etc.

CPS DC24000 UHR Particle Size Analyzer, CPS Instruments Europe

• high resolution particle size measurement from 5 nm to 5 µm
• particle size analysis of minerals, nanoparticles, etc.

Goniometer DSA 100, Krüss

• measurement of the wettability of surfaces of various types of materials (soils, plants, biomass, biochars, etc.) with organic and inorganic liquids
• measurement of surface tension, also in the presence of adjuvants and surfactants
• comparison of the hydrophobicity of polymers, biochars, soils, etc.

Thermogravimeter STA 449 F3 Jupiter (Netzsch) coupled with a mass spectrometer (MS 403C, Aeölos) and an infrared spectrometer TENSOR 27 (Bruker Optic GmbH)

• thermal analysis of various types of samples, e.g. hydrogels, polymers, biomass, biochars
• analysis of gases released during thermal decomposition of solid samples
• analysis of functional groups present on the surface of various types of solids using the KBr pellet technique

Alpha 1-4 LSC Freeze Dryer, Martin Christ Gefriertrocknungsanlagen GmbH

• freeze drying of various types of materials (e.g. sediments, humic acids)

FCF 12 SP muffle furnace, Czylok

• heating, roasting, combustion, incineration of solid samples
• determination of ash content of organic substances, e.g. biochars, biomass
• analysis of mineral content in soils, plants, biochars, etc.

Helium Pycnometer Ultrapycnometer 1000, Quantachrome

• analysis of specific density of soils, biomass, biochars

Autopore IV 9500 Mercury Porosimeter, Micrometrics INC

• measurement of diameter, volume and distribution of macropores and mesopores in solid samples
• analysis of specific surface area and porosity of soils, soil aggregates, etc.

Phenom ProX Scanning Electron Microscope, Thermo Fisher Scientific equipped with EDS detector

• high resolution imaging
• examination of surface morphology of various materials, e.g. biochars, zeolites, hydrogels, ashes, plants
• elemental analysis of solid surfaces

Sorptomat QUADRASORB SI, Quantachrome Instruments

• measurement of specific surface area and porosity of solids based on nitrogen sorption and desorption
• determination of micropore content in various types of sorbents

Sorptomat 3Flex, Micromeritics INC

• measurement of specific surface area and porosity of solids based on sorption and desorption of nitrogen or carbon dioxide
• determination of micropore content in various types of sorbents

Fluorescence spectrometer F7000 with U-5100 attachment, Hitachi

• characterization of humic acids and their interactions with xenobiotics
• analysis of humic acids extracted from soils, biochars, biomass
• measurement of phosphorescence, FRET, BRET

Vacuum Dryers SPU-200,

Colector Vacuum Dryer OV-12, Medline

Vacuum Dryer DZ-2BC, Chemland

• drying of various types of materials at temperatures from room temperature to 250 °C and vacuum below 60 Pa
• measurement of water vapor adsorption/desorption of soils, biochars, clay minerals, etc.

Titrator 702 SM Titrino, Metrohm

• possibility of performing potentiometric titration of suspensions
• determination of surface charge and distribution of functional groups of various types of materials (soils, biochars, minerals, humic acids)

Carbon content analyzer (TOC) multi N/C 2000 + HT 1300, Analyst Jena

• analysis of total carbon content, organic and inorganic carbon content in liquid and solid samples

LabTest 6.050 testing machine, LaborTech

• possibility of performing mechanical tests for tension, compression, bending, torsion and shear as well as fatigue tests of samples
• testing the mechanical strength of soil aggregates