Research and Education Center REC-015 Research and Educational Center REC-015 was established on the basis of long-term research activities of the leading scientific schools of the oldest Higher Technical Institution in Russia – the St. Petersburg State Mining Institute (Technical University). Its foundation was the result of application of state-of-the-art technology to research activities as well as integration into the world’s research and educational system and collaboration with foreign partners. The REC-015 was set up with the support from the U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) (grant ST-015-02 from October 1st, 2002), MacArthur Foundation and the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. The Center embraces over 20 research and educational laboratories which occupy the total area of more than 1,500 sq. meters.

The Center carries out research activities in the following lines of investigation:

• Basic research of indicator minerals of petrogenesis and ore genesis;
• Basic research in rock transformation in areas of intensive technogenesis;
• Geochemical and geoecological studies of rocks and mineral waste in technogenic zones.

The main objectives of the Center:

• Development of theoretical grounds for compositional and property analysis of indicator minerals and aggregates to solve tasks of petrogenesis and ore genesis as well as rational use of mineral resources and environmental protection;
• Development of genetic-geological models of large and unique deposits based on isotope geochemical analyses;
• Simulation of structural formation processes in aggregates, rocks and ores, soils and waste;
• Studies of distribution and migration of toxic elements in mining areas;
• Engineering-geological and geo-ecological grounding of engineering construction stability in megalopolises;

The Research and Education Center is supplied with state-of-the-art equipment and instrumentation of leading Russian and foreign producers:

• A scanning electron microscope and microanalyzer JXA8600S by the JEOL company (Japan);
• An atomic absorption spectrometer AAS5EA by the Analytik Jena company (Germany);
• A roentgen fluorescent spectrometer ED2000 by Oxford Instruments (Great Britain);
• A spectrophotometer UV-VIS Specord200 by the Analytik Jena company (Germany);
• A sample preparation line by the Buhler company (Germany).

The REC-015 equipment enables the following:

• to analyze structural and chemical peculiarities of indicator minerals of petro- and ore genesis;
• to study microinhomogeneities of ores and their products to optimize concentration and metallurgical treatment processes;
• to determine the following:
• heavy metal, sulfur and chlorine content in oils and oil products;
• metallic content in different solid substances (rocks, minerals, ores, soils, animal and vegetable substances, alloys, construction materials, etc.)
• heavy metal content in natural and industrial waters.

The Center applies the whole range of modern research techniques: ELECTRON MICROSCOPY AND X-RAY MICROANALYSIS with the JXA8600S scanning electron microscope and microanalyzer, which allows:

• to study microinhomogeneities in solid samples with the resolution of up to 100,000;
• to carry out non-destructive multielement analysis from Na to U in content down to 0.005%;
• to study chemical element distribution by linear scanning and mapping methods;

ATOMIC ABSORPTION SPECTROMETRY with the AAS5EA spectrometer (electrothermal atomization) to determine the following:

• heavy metal content in natural and industrial waters, water extracts and solutions ranging from 100 to 0.1 µg/l in concentration;
• metallic content in different solid substances (rocks, minerals, ores, soils, animal and vegetable substances) as well as in artificial objects within the range of 10-2 to 10-6 %;

OPTICAL SPECTROPHOTOMETRY with the UV-VIS Specord200 pectrophotometer allowing:

• measuring the presence of positive ions [cations] (metals) and anions (Cl-,SO42- and other) as well as some organic components according to the absorption/transmission spectrum;
• studying optical characteristics of minerals according to their reflectance spectra;

ROENTGEN FLUORESCENT SPECTROMETRY with the ED2000 energy-dispersive spectrometer, which enables the following:

• to carry out multielement chemical analysis of different rocks, soils, environmental objects for elements from Na to U ranging from 10 to 10-4 % in concentration;
• to determine presence of sulfur, chlorine, and heavy metals in oil and oil products with their concentration varying from 10 to 10-4 %.

External Relations of the Center Russain Partners Educational Institutions Moscow State Geological Prospecting University, Moscow State Mining Institute, Urals State Mining and Geological Academy, Voronezh State University, etc. Academic Institutions Institute of Pre-Cambrian Geology and Geochronology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Kola Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Karelia Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Center of Environmental Safety of the Russian Academy of Sciences Industrial Institutions All-Russian Geological Institute, All-Russian Research Institute of Oceanology, All-Russian Institute of Mineral Raw Materials, etc. Industrial Enterprises OAO Surgutneftegaz, OOO Kirishi-Nefteorgsyntez, The Polus gold-mining company, OAO ALROSA, OAO Norilsk Nikel Foreign Partners Universities Freiberg Mining Academy (Germany), Nottingham University (Great Britain), Prague Karlov University (Czech Republic), Krakow Mining Academy (Poland), Sofia Higher School of Geology and Mining (Bulgaria), Beijing University (China) Research Centers and Geological Surveys of the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Finland, China Companies DeBeers (South Africa), Hewlett Packard, Analytik Jena (Germany), Phoenix Geophysics Ltd. (Canada) Research and Education Center REC-015 is:

• All-round support for young researchers;
• A unique research and scientific laboratory basis;
• State-of-the-art equipment by the leading producers;
• Advanced research methods;
• Highly qualified personnel;
• Rapid, automated and high-quality analyses;
• Modern commutation network and high level of training and research computerization;
• Integration in international educational system;
• Wide business and research connections with largest Russian and foreign industrial enterprises.

St. Petersburg State Mining Institute named after G.V. Plekhanov (Technical University) 21st Line, 2, St. Petersburg, 199106 Russia Tel.: +7 (812) 328-8207; Fax: +7 (812) 327-7359 E-mail: omnp@spmi.ru