Chemistry laboratories provide analytical support to the exploration activities and carry out chemical analyses of rock, soil and core samples for major, minor and trace elements. Chemistry laboratories are located at six Regional Centre i.e. Northern Region, New Delhi; Southern Region, Bengaluru; Eastern Region, Jamshedpur; North Eastern Region, Shillong; Western Region, Jaipur; Central Region, Nagpur and AMD, HQ, Hyderabad. Two mobile geochemical vans are deployed in field areas during hydro-geochemical survey.
The Chemistry laboratories are equipped with Pellet and Light Emitting Diode (LED) induced Fluorimeter (LIF), UV-VIS Spectrophotometer, Flame-Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (Flame AAS), Graphite Furnace-Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (GF-AAS) and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP–OES). In addition, HQ laboratory is also equipped with High Resolution-Continuum Source-Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (HR-CS-AAS)
Ion chromatograph
Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer (ICP–MS) and Total Organic Carbon (TOC) Analyser. The laboratories at HQ, Hyderabad and Jaipur are equipped with Ion chromatograph and at Bengaluru and Jaipur are equipped with Carbon-Sulphur (C-S) Analyser.
All the laboratories are having microwave assisted pressure digestive system for dissolution of samples. In addition, Class 10,000 clean room is also available at HQ, Hyderabad.
Mobile geochemical van are equipped with LED induced Fluorimeter, UV-VIS Spectrophotometer, AAS, pH and conductivity meter for analyses of water samples in the field areas.
LED induced Fluorimeter
Laboratories have expertise in chemical characterization of rocks, core, soil, water samples and minerals (uranium, monazite, xenotime, ilmenite, rutile, zircon, garnet,siliminite, beryl, niobate and tantalate, beneficiation products, geo-botanical, coal and flyash samples) for more than 60 elements:
- Major & minor oxides and trace elements (SiO2, TiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, FeO, MgO, CaO, Na2O, K2O, MnO, P2O5 and LOI; V, Cr, Co, Ni, Pb, Cu, Zn, Ga, Rb, Sr, Y, Mo, V, Zr, Nb,Ta, Ba, Sr, REEs, Th and U).
- Major cations, anions and trace elements in water samples.
NABL Accreditation:
The HQ Chemistry Laboratory, Hyderabad is recognized by National Board for Accreditation of Testing Calibration Laboratories (NABL) in April 2016 for chemical characterization of monazite and Nb-Ta minerals as per ISO 17025 (Certificate No. T-3905).
Research activities:
The need based research & development works from the laboratories have resulted in developing new procedure as well as in improving the existing methods of analysis.
Technology development:
A unique filters for removal of uranium and arsenic from potable water have been developed and Technology Transfer and collaboration Division (TT & CD), BARC has approved the same for releasing them in public domain for technology transfer.