Central Plant Laboratory

Central Plant Laboratory (CPL) was established in 1948 and meets all analytical requirements of the production – from inspection test of raw materials up to examination of finished product. Nowadays CPL is the modern certified analytic center accredited in its main activities. CPL analysts are authorized to certify the quality of base metal, welded joints, deposited metals, equipment and pipelines, which are within the jurisdiction of Russian Gosatomnadzor.

The main activities of CPL:

• quantitative analysis of raw materials, intermediates and finished products;
• analytic express-control of process technology;
• test of product specimen:
  - determination of stress-strain properties;
  - determination of corrosive characteristics;
  - metallography test (metals structural analysis).
• analysis and database creation of factors in concern of production technology which affect on reliability of finished product at all stages of production by means of statistic management methods.

There is a modern Laboratory Information Management System NewLIMS functioning in CPL. It performs data collection from the moment of sample receipt, data processing, data storage, and generation of analysis certificate to the customer. NewLIMS is integrated to the corporate management system SAP R/3.

Quality management system is introduced in CPL.

Internal control consists of internal tests, test of analysis carry out conditions and intralaboratory control of quality index of measure and analysis which is carried out by means of standard samples, calibrated solutions, addition method, encrypted working samples and using of comparison method.

The control of Quality management system: internal audit is performed by personnel of Quality management department of JSC ChMP, foreign audit is performed by certification body TUV CERT, and by accreditation body JSC VNIINM N.A. Academician Bochvar, and customer representatives: JSC "VPO ZAES", CANDU, etc.

CPL measure possibilities

Methods of determination of gaseous inclusions

The gaseous inclusions determination department of CPL is able to analyze a wide scope of products: ferrous and nonferrous metals, alloys and refractory materials, steels, ores, cements, ceramics, and other inorganic materials. Universal methods of determination of mass portion of different elements are developed and certified.

The department is equipped with gas analyzers RH404, CS200, CS444, C600, RC612, TC436, TC500, TCH600 (by LECO, USA), AN 7560, A 7932 (Russia), neutron-activation facility K-7 (Russia). 

Spectral analysis

Analysis of high-pure materials for nuclear industry is one the primaries of CPL. This department is equipped with nuclear-emission spectrometers, ICP spectrometers Optima 4300DV and Optima 5300DV, ICP mass-spectrometers ELAN6000 and ELAN9000, nuclear-absorption spectrometers 4110ZL, AANALIST 200, AANALIST 300 (all by PerkinElmer, USA), X-ray spectrometer ARL ADVANT’XP (ThermoTechno, Switzerland), SRM-25, "Spectroscan" (Russia).

The mechanical test department consists of determination of stress-strain properties unit, metallography test (metals structural analysis) unit, determination of corrosive characteristics unit.

Stress-strain properties unit is in charge for measure of:

• static tension of samples of base material and welded joints at normal conditions and at high temperature;
• shock bend – determination of impact resistance at samples with shock concentrators of types V and U;
• processing characteristics (static bend, dispensing, collapsing, yielding).
  
  

Metallography test unit carries out structural analysis of stainless steel and tool steel samples, and metallography determination of latent defects of welded joints.

Determination of corrosive characteristics unit carries out corrosive tests by means of autoclaving, and test of stainless steel samples and welded joints on grain-boundary corrosion resistance.