Research of materials and environmental protection

Talum Inštitut, d.o.o (Talum Institute Ltd)., is a subsidiary of the group Talum, d.d. The institute performs laboratory testing in the production of primary aluminium and aluminium products and in the production of environmental management. 

In accordance with the international standards ISO/IEC 17025, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001, IATF 16949 and TISAX and powers given by MOP ARSO (Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Slovenian Environment Protection Agency) it provides an excellent quality of service with sustainable development principles. 

Talum Inštitut is registered in the record of operators of research and development activities under the number 3439 with the Public Research Agency RS. We collaborate with internationally recognized public and private research and development institutions and other accredited and non-accredited business partners. 

Contacts Talum Inštitut d.o.o.

Laboratory research

Main activities are testing of products made of aluminium and aluminium alloys, environmental parameters (water, air, waste, groundwater, soil, control of equipment for continuous measurements, immissions), raw materials and processing characteristics of different materials in the production of aluminium, evaluation of results and preparation of the assessment according to specifications, norms and laws.

In the laboratory, we analyse a variety of materials and products.

The most important areas of testing methods (ISO, EN, DIN, etc.), based on various measurement principles are as follows:

a) laboratory analyses
- ion coupled plasma with mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) with laser ablation for the determination of metallic elements in solutions,
- spectrophotometry (UV/VIS) and ion chromatography (IC) of prepared solutions,
- gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for the determination of organic substances in waters,
- infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR) for the identification of oils and emulsions,
- thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of carbon and other materials. 

b) spectroscopic analyses:
- optical emission spectrometry (OES) of aluminium and aluminium alloys
- X-ray diffraction (XRD) of solid materials,,
- X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) of electrolyte bath, fluorine salts, oils, and emulsions, ferrosilicon, alloys and master alloys of aluminium. 

c) Mechanical and physical examinations:
- hardness tests by Brinell and Vickers,
-tensile strenght, yield strenght and elongation,
- specific surface of the material (BET),
- flexural and compressive strength of carbon material,
- electrical resistivity, air permeability, apparent and real density, air and CO2 reactivity,
- sieve analysis. 

d) Metallographic examinations - microscopy with optical microscopes by e-image processing and on this basis:
- identification of various inclusions, components of micostructure and porosity fraction,
- the size and number of crystal grains,
- determination of inverse segregation and Bergman zones.

e) Investigation and monitoring of states of various oils:
- hydraulic oils for smooth and reliable operation of the hydraulic system,
- rolling oils and emulsions to support the smooth functioning of the production and
- transformer oils for the uninterrupted transformer operation. 

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Environmental measurements and consultancy

The company Talum Inštitut offers our customers liable to IED the following comprehensive solutions:

- expert assistance in preparing the documentation for the acquisition and modification of environmental permits (OVD) under of the Environmental Protection Act (ZVO-2) for persons liable to IED and environmental approvals (OVS)
- preparation of baseline reports for persons liable to Industrial Emission Directive (IED) with the Assessment of the potential for pollution of groundwater and soil - expert assistance in preparing the report on the environmental impact (PVO),
- preparation of analyses of the risk of contamination of water bodies in water protection areas with the audit assessment,
- preparation of programs of operational monitoring of wastewater, groundwater and soil, and air emissions in relation to OVD and OVS.
- expert assistance in the preparation of safety reports (VP) for persons liable according to the Seveso guideline for establishments with an increased risk of major accidents involving chemicals.

To carry out environmental monitorings, Talum Inštitut obtained authorizations from the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning relating to:

- wastewater monitoring,
- groundwater monitoring,
- soil monitoring,
- measurements of ambient air quality and making assessments of existing and additional loads (PM₁₀, SO₂, NO_X, heavy metals Pb, As, Cd and Ni in PM₁₀),
- meteorological measurements (temperature, wind speed and direction, rainfall, humidity and pressure).
- calibration and regular annual testing of the operation of measuring equipment for continuous measurement of air emissions (dust, HF and HCl).
- assessment of waste prior to disposal, classification and assessment of hazardous properties of waste.

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Organizing interlaboratory
comparative tests

Talum Inštitut has several years of experience in the field of its activity. These enable it to organize inter-laboratory comparisons to verify the competence of laboratories in the field of emissions into the air and the chemical composition of aluminium and aluminium alloys. 

The purpose of interlaboratory comparisons is that each laboratory in direct comparison with other laboratories demonstrates its ability to perform specific tests, measurements or calibrations and the performance and satisfactory performance in the field of laboratory testing. 

Interlaboratory comparisons are organized in accordance with ISO 13528 and ISO/IEC 17043.

In the Republic of Slovenia, a technical committee for air emission is organized with active members.  

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Examination of Bath water

We are an accredited laboratory for sampling of bathing water in swimming pools, in accordance with the Rules on minimum hygiene requirements to be met by baths and bathing water in swimming pools. This area falls under the Ministry of Health (MH) and the National Institute for Public Health (NIJZ), whereby Talum Institute ensures adequate information and as a support for operators in thermal baths, wellness facilities and spas provides monitoring of bathing water quality in swimming pools in customer satisfaction and bathers.

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