Characterization & Laboratory Services

Iran Catalyst Laboratory Services provides a comprehensive suite of advanced catalyst and adsorbent characterization, testing, and analysis, designed for refining, petrochemical, polymerization, and environmental processes. Our laboratory leverages state-of-the-art infrastructure and modern analytical tools, delivering not just raw data but actionable insights through detailed analytical reports, combining international standards with practical industrial experience. These services support process optimization, performance monitoring, and strategic decision-making in industries such as oil and gas, petrochemicals, refining, steel, and automotive.

Laboratory Excellence – Iran Catalyst Company (ICC)

ICC Laboratory Services delivers integrated characterization solutions for catalysts, adsorbents, and chemical products, providing a centralized platform for all required analyses. We develop customized testing protocols and experimental designs, defining scientific acceptance ranges to ensure the highest quality and reliability of industrial materials.

Our laboratory operates in full compliance with international standards (ISO 17025) and is approved by the National Standards Organization, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and global credibility.

We provide advanced analytical and interpretive reporting, combining peer-reviewed literature, benchmark comparisons, and industrial performance histories to deliver actionable insights for process optimization, performance evaluation, and strategic decision-making.

As the only independent reference laboratory in Iran, ICC guarantees complete objectivity and unbiased evaluation, protecting the rights of clients and end-users. All services are delivered with strict confidentiality and formal data protection agreements throughout the analytical and reporting process.

Microscopic Analysis

ICC conducts detailed microstructural characterization to understand catalyst and adsorbent morphology, particle size, and dispersion. Techniques include:

• Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM & FESEM)
• Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)

These analyses provide critical insight into surface texture, porosity, and particle integrity, helping optimize catalyst activity and lifetime.

Elemental and Chemical Analysis

Our laboratory performs precise elemental and chemical composition analyses to ensure the correct formulation and performance of catalysts and adsorbents. Key techniques include:

• Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES)
• X-ray Fluorescence (XRF)
• Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)

These tests allow for verification of active metal content, promoters, and contaminants, ensuring reliability and reproducibility in industrial applications.

Spectroscopic and Structural Analysis

We provide in-depth structural characterization to understand the crystallinity, phase composition, and surface chemistry of catalytic materials:

• X-ray Diffraction (XRD)
• X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS)
• Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR)

These analyses support optimization of catalyst formulation, surface functionalization, and process compatibility.

Thermal and Surface Analysis

ICC specializes in surface and thermal property characterization, essential for predicting catalyst behavior under operating conditions:

• Temperature-Programmed Desorption (TPD)
• Temperature-Programmed Reduction (TPR)
• Temperature-Programmed Oxidation (TPO)
• Pulse Chemisorption Analysis

These tests evaluate active site availability, redox behavior, and adsorption capacity, critical for HDS, hydrocracking, ODS, reforming, and other industrial processes.

Physical and Textural Analysis

We measure key physical properties that influence catalyst handling, bed packing, and mass transfer:

• BET surface area
• Bulk density and shape diameter
• Moisture content and water absorption

These parameters are essential to maximize process efficiency and ensure stable reactor performance.

Mechanical Properties

ICC conducts mechanical strength testing to predict catalyst durability in industrial units:

• Attrition and abrasion tests
• Crush strength evaluation

These assessments ensure catalyst integrity during handling, transport, and operation in high-flow and high-temperature reactors.

Advanced and Performance Evaluation

We provide comprehensive functional testing to validate catalyst performance under realistic conditions:

• Sulfur pickup
• Activity and performance evaluation for specific processes

These tests are critical for hydrodesulfurization, hydrocracking, oxidative desulfurization, reforming, polymerization, and selective hydrogenation processes, helping extend catalyst life, optimize process conditions, and improve overall unit efficiency.

Pilot-Scale Testing and Spent Catalyst Studies

ICC operates specialized pilot reactors for process-specific catalyst testing, enabling:

• Evaluation of new catalyst formulations before full-scale deployment
• Operational studies on spent catalysts to identify deactivation factors
• Development of innovative, process-driven solutions

These capabilities allow our partners, both EPC projects and end-user plants, to make informed decisions, reduce operational risks, and achieve optimal process performance.