Petrography

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Petrography XRD for Environmental Testing
Corus Consulting Limited, Teesside Technology
Centre, P.O. Box 11, Grangetown,
Middlesbrough, Teesside TS6 6UB U.K. Telephone
44 (0)1642 467144 Fax [phone]
460321 E-mail paul.marsden_at_corusgroup.com
Identifying the presence and physical
characteristics of steelworks materials found in
landfill sites is an important aspect of
environmental testing. Corus Research,
Development Technology (RDT) offers a number
of areas of expertise for examining samples, with
particular strength in petrographic inspection,
image analysis and X-ray diffraction.
Modern and future environmental standards require
that dust emissions from industrial sites are
continually improved and indeed identified and
eliminated if possible. Detailed petrographic
work can be used as a detective tool in assisting
with the identification of the sources of the
contaminants whether it is a steelworks or not.
The techniques developed will show where on a
site the dust materials originated. Once the
specific source of the contaminant is identified
the appropriate remedial action can take place
to either reduce or eliminate the dust.
As "greenfield sites" become scarce, governments
are encouraging developers to look to the
rejuvenation of "brown-field sites", often used
previously for the location of heavy industries.
Reclamation of industrial land is increasing,
with the old sites requiring stringent surveying
for and identification of contaminants. Many of
the available ex-industrial sites have included
steelworks and related industries.
Corus has in-house expertise, with an intimate
knowledge of materials typically found on such
sites. Optical microscopy, image analysis and XRD
are a valuable tool for identification of
materials present and are invaluable in
establishing what the contaminating materials
are, if they require any special treatment, or
if they can be recovered and reused elsewhere.
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