Industrial waste technology centre (CTRI)

Cégep de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Rouyn-Noranda, Québec
What the facility does

Derive value from industrial waste and underused mining, forestry and agri-food products.

Areas of expertise

Semi-industrial ore processing plant and laboratory to analyse scientific test results in the forestry, mining and agri-food sectors.

Research services

Analysis, testing, prototyping and data-processing services, analysis of solutions to technical problems, technical analysis and testing services, etc.

Sectors of application
  • Environmental technologies and related services
  • Forestry and forest-based industries
  • Manufacturing and processing
  • Mining, minerals and metals

Specialized lab

Equipment

Function

NC2 laboratory

2.5 litre bioreactors

Fermentation tests

 

Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) thermal cycler

Genetic analyses, detection and identification of microorganisms

 

Ultraviolet visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer

Colorimetric quantitative analysis

 

Laminar flow cabinet

Microorganism manipulation

 

Incubators

Cultivation of various microorganisms

Chemical analysis laboratory

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system and ion chromatography (IC) system

Quantitative analysis

 

Gas chromatography (GC) system

Gas analysis

 

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer

Elemental analysis of various metals

 

Graphite furnace and flame atomic absorption (AA)

Elemental analysis of various metals

 

Fusion splicer

Preparation of pellets for the XRF spectrometer and solutions for atomic absorption

 

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) detector

Identification, characterization

 

Microwave digester

Acid digestion

 

Kjeldahl analyser

Ammoniacal nitrogen

 

Biological oxygen demand (BOD)

Oxygen consumed by microorganisms in a sample

 

Calorimeter

Determination of calorific value

 

Total organic carbon (TOC) analyser

Analysis of total organic carbon

 

 

Suspended solids, moisture content and ash content

Minerals laboratory

Separators:

-         Magnetic

-         Flotation cell

-         Humphrey spiral

-         Sweco separator

Thickener

Particle separation systems

 

Oven

Drying of samples

 

RoTap

8-inch-diameter round sieve shaker used to measure material size

 

Grinders:

-         Ring mill

-         Bare mill

-         Conical mill

-         Ball mill

-         Jaw crusher

-         Rod mill

-         Coffee grinder

Different systems for  grinding materials

 

Rotary sampler

Simultaneous preparation of several samples

 

Filtration :

-         Vacuum

-         Hydrocyclone

System used to evacuate excess water before drying of samples

 

1,700°C muffle furnace

Furnace used to heat minerals to their melting point

Biomass laboratory

750 kg/h hammer mill

Biomass grinding

 

50 kg/h laboratory Kahl press

Biomass granulation

 

Pellet durability tester

Verification of pellet durability

 

250 kg/h granulation line:

-         Infeed conveyor

-         Horizontal paddle mixer

-         Crust breaker

-         250 kg/h hammer mill

-         Cyclone separator

-         Conditioner

-         250 kg/h granulator

-         Output conveyor

-         Pellet cooler

-         Vibrating sieve

Pilot-scale biomass granulation

 

Small cement mixer

Mixing of various materials

 

Vibrating sieves:

-         Dillon (three pellet sizes)

-         Gilson (eight pellet sizes)

The Dillon vibrating screen is used to separate particles and the Gilson vibrating sieve is used to determine pellet size.

 

Abri-Tech dryer

Biomass drying

 

Bandit shredder

Grinding of large pieces

 

Gilson SP-1 particle separator

Particle separation

 

Pelletizer (“home-made”)

Biomass densification

Environmental laboratory

Filters:

-         Environmental rotary

-         Membrane

-         Column

Effluent filtration

 

Miscellaneous equipment:

-         Pump

-         PH meter

-         Colorimeter

Various “home-made” systems, including effluent treatment columns

 

Pilot systems (custom assembled):

-         Passive treatment of acidic and neutral mining effluents (limestone drains, wastewater treatment marsh, biofilters)

-         Active treatment by liming (HDS plant)

-         Oxidation treatment of cyanide and nitrogen-containing derivatives (chemical oxidant, bioreactor, UV)

-         Treatment of organic pollutants

-         Taking of samples and analyses

-         Performance diagnostics

-         Bacteria counts

-         Material characterizations

-         Training

-         Technical support

 

Greenhouse

Revegetation plants

 

Réseaubox

View changes in plant root systems

 

Scanner:

-         Ground moisture temperature

Gather field data during the summer

Semi-industrial ore processing laboratory (300 to 1,000 kg/h)

Crushing circuit

Grinding circuit

Physical separation circuit

Leaching and bioleaching circuit

Ore processing

  • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
  • Consortium de recherche et innovations en bioprocédés industriels au Québec (CRIBIQ)
  • Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)
  • Conférence régionale des élus de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue (CRÉAT)
  • Conférence régionale des élus de la Baie-James (CRÉBJ)
  • City of Rouyn-Noranda