Kingston Process Metallurgy Inc., kingston, ontario ABOUT | FACILITIES | CONTACT
the Facilities at Kingston Process Metallurgy Inc.

THE FACILITIES AT KINGSTON PROCESS METALLURGY INC.

KPM's main facility is a 12,000 ft2 building with 5 labs that are highly flexible and where bench-scale and small pilot scale are performed. KPM also owns and operates a 10,000 ft2 piloting facility where we perform scale-up and validation of processes conceived and tested at smaller scale The R&D lab design allows for higher volume of test work. The in-line gas distribution system (including air, N2, Cl2, and HCl) combined with the pre-scrubbing units and large caustic scrubbers, and the network of environmental gas analyzers, allows for safe and efficient testwork to be performed. Extensive training to various lab procedures, preparation of specific experimental design and methods, and development of safety reviews, is fundamental for KPM experimental research work. This, combined with a solid understanding of the chemistry at play, allow KPM to be able to handle a wide range of toxic and explosive gases, hazardous chemicals, and complex experiments, using a wide range of reactors at temperatures up to1700oC. We can run large scale integrated trials on a 24 hour basis.

The research and development labs are supported by several in-house services:

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT LABS

  • MoSi2 tube furnaces (1700oC)
  • SiC tube furnaces (1400oC)
  • Resistance element furnaces (1200oC)
  • Induction furnace (10 kW and 70 kW)
  • Mini-kiln and rotary furnaces
  • Fluid bed reactors (batch or continuous, as well as two stage) -
  • Controlled atmosphere molten salt electrolysis
  • Potentiostat for electrochemical studies
  • Denver flotation cell - Bench scale autoclaves
  • In-line HCl and Cl2
  • Gas scrubber facility

ANALYTICAL LAB

  • ICP-OES - Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AA)
  • Custom large scale (<10 g) thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA)
  • Variety of magnetic separators
  • Infrared spectroscopy/gas chromatography
  • Portable 300 AMU mass spectrometer
  • Surface profilometers
  • Optical microscopy/image analysis
  • Scanning electron microscopy
  • Custom differential thermal analysis (TDA)
  • Karl-Fisher water analysis
  • Sample preparation equipment