Environmental Technology Laboratory

The lab is part of the Laboratories for Scientific and Technological Innovation in Environment (LISTE) complex, located in the Québec Metropolitan Technology Park, and can be adapted to suit all types of research projects. Users have access to equipment for physical separation (filtration, decantation, gravimetry), reaction (of various capacities), and material preparation (ovens, grinders, crushers). Measurement instruments are also available for monitoring the physico-chemical parameters of the processes being tested. Equipment available includes:

• Stirred tank rectors and bioreactors (1 m³ capacity)
• Pressurized and controlled temperature reactors (300 mL, 4 L and 18.2 L)
• Test unit for a mineral carbonation processes (three 400 L reactors and one 800 L crystalizer)
• Two lamellar clarifiers for solid/liquid separation
• Filter press for sludge dewatering
• Granulation equipment
• Grinding and micronization equipment at demonstration scale (up to 150 kg/h)
• Thermal/calcination treatment furnaces of different scales (up to 14 kg/h)
• Automated systems for regulating and monitoring pH and oxidation-reduction potential
• Metering pump for chemicals and mix reactors
• Controlled power sources and electrolytic reactors
• Automation systems for conducting processes in continuous mode
• Safety equipment to protect workers and the environment

Environmental Technology Laboratory facilities can be used to:

• Demonstrate processes on a pilot scale, with the goal of supporting the technological development of innovations created at INRS or by private partners, using solutions tailored to the specific needs of each project and with access to equipment and highly qualified staff
• Study the performance of physico-chemical processes (leaching, washing, chemical oxidation, chemical fixation, etc.) for extracting, retrieving, and stabilizing metal and organic pollutants in soil and industrial and other waste
• Test chemical or biological process for the treatment, decontamination, conditioning, and dewatering of industrial and municipal sludge and biosolids
• Assess the performance of biological (biofiltration, sequential biological reactors, sulfate-reducing bioreactors, etc.) and physico-chemical (coagulation-flocculation, selective precipitation, adsorption, ion exchange, solvent extraction, electrodeposition, etc.) processes for treating effluent and leachate

The Environmental Technology Laboratory is available to INRS research teams for their projects. Our resources and expertise can also be used for external collaborations and research and development contracts. Contact us to learn more.

The lab has all the equipment needed for the decontamination of various matrices including:

• Electronic waste
• Industrial gas
• Mining waste
• Residual materials
• Municipal and industrial sewage sludge
• Contaminated soil and sediment
• Liquid manure
• Fly ash and hazardous waste

The Environmental Technology Laboratory is funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Metal Transformation Research and Innovation Consortium (CRITM), Fonds de recherche du Québec - Nature et technologies (FRQNT), the Government of Quebec, and private partners.