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Head of Laboratory Elżbieta Anna Stefaniak, PhD, DSc (emelist@kul.pl) |
The Laboratory of Composite and Biomimetic Materials undertakes a wide range of studies towards microanalysis, identification and description of solid complex samples, by means of non-destructive techniques.
The research tasks include mapping the element distribution in micro-areas to identify accumulation and co-relationships of elements, qualitative and quantitative analysis of trace elements in tissues and microstructures, structural analyses of micro- and macro-objects and determination of their mineral phases.
In its research activities, the Laboratory applies direct solid analysis with a help of Raman spectroscopy, infrared radiation spectroscopy (IR), Scanning Electron Microscopy with X-ray microanalysis (SEM+EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with the laser ablation system (LA-ICP-MS). Owing to the rich experience of the research team and application of the aforementioned techniques, it is possible to carry out a comprehensive analysis of composite materials.
Between 2010 and 2015, the Laboratory cooperated with numerous Polish and international research institutions on extensive research projects including:
- analysis and determination of asbestos in building materials (in cooperation with local and international companies);
- monitoring asbestos fibres in underground stockpiles (in cooperation with Lublin University of Technology);
- analysis of inorganic crystallite content of dentinal tubules (in cooperation with the Medical University in Lublin);
- qualitative analyses of heavy metals’ concentration in plants (in cooperation with Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin);
- structural analysis of synthesized nano-layers (in cooperation with Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin);
- analyses of the composition of vegetables grown in polluted industrial regions (in cooperation with Ecolab, France);
- sea organism research (in cooperation with the University of Dresden).
The Laboratory is equipped with instruments:
- RenishawinVia Raman microscope equipped with 513 and 785 nm lasers, 5x, 20x, 50x and 100x objectives, and FastTrack System Map,
- FTIR and FT-Raman spectrometres (Thermo) equipped with a 1025nm laser, a micro laboratory table, and a diamond ATR module,
- Tescan Vega LMU scanning electron microscope with the Oxford Instruments EDS detector; it is equipped with a variable vacuum system, a tungsten heated cathode serving as an electron gun, LVSTD, SE and BSE detectors, an EDS detector coupled with INCA software;
- X’Pert X-ray diffractometer with a Cu tube and a general Bragg-Brentano optical arrangement, equipped with a capillary optical device which focuses a beam to 10-50μm, a proportional counter detector and digital software for recording and processing spectra along with a database;
- Thermo Scientifc XSERIES 2 Quadrupole Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) with a New Wave 213 nm laser ablation system used for the solid sample analysis, and ion chromatography system applied in speciation research.
