--- type: "Article" title: "How FILAB helped a client determine the nature of a deposit found at the bottom of a tank?" description: "Case study How can you identify the nature of a deposit at the bottom of a tank? The customer called on FILAB to determine the nature of a deposit found at the bottom of an autoclave tank. Accueil • Blog..." resource: "https://filab.fr/en/blog/2025/12/how-filab-helped-a-client-determine-the-nature-of-a-deposit-found-at-the-bottom-of-a-tank/" tags: ["Case study", "Chemical Analysis", "EN", "pll_692014d76314a"] timestamp: "2026-01-20T09:35:29Z" published: "2025-12-02T07:05:20Z" language: "en" author: "bwa" --- # How FILAB helped a client determine the nature of a deposit found at the bottom of a tank? Case study # How can you identify the nature of a deposit at the bottom of a tank? The customer called on FILAB to determine the nature of a deposit found at the bottom of an autoclave tank. [Home](https://filab.fr) • [News](https://filab.fr/?post_type=post) • How can you identify the nature of a deposit at the bottom of a tank? ## The problem? **A deposit is an accumulation of substances or particles that can come from various sources, such as the precipitation of insoluble chemical components, the aggregation of suspended particles, corrosion, or contamination by foreign matter.** The customer called on FILAB, a laboratory specializing in material characterization and chemical analysis, to determine the nature of a deposit found at the bottom of an autoclave tank. The customer wanted to ensure the integrity of its equipment so as not to affect its performance. ## Summary 01 Initial analysis performed by SEM-EDX [](#cont-01) 02 Additional analysis using FTIR [](#cont-02) 03 Conclusion of the study [](#cont-03) 01 ## Initial analysis performed by SEM-EDX SEM-FEG observations and EDX analysis provided the following information. The deposit found in the tank is mainly composed of carbon (C), oxygen (O), calcium (Ca), and sodium (Na), with smaller amounts of magnesium (Mg) and silicon (Si), as well as traces of nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), chlorine (Cl), iron (Fe), and copper (Cu). ![](https://filab.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/etude-meb.png) 02 ## Additional analysis using FTIR With FTIR analysis, the characteristic absorption bands observed are as follows: - A broad band around 1403 cm-1 characteristic of the elongation vibration mode of carbonate bonds; - Two narrow peaks around 871 and 712 cm-1 characteristic of the deformation vibration mode of carbonate bonds. Based on these results, the spectrum of the observed deposit appears to correspond to the spectrum of a reference compound of the calcium carbonate type.   **The results obtained...** The analysis carried out for this study revealed that the samples analyzed mainly contain carbon, oxygen, and calcium. Based on this elemental composition, the identification hypothesis concluded that calcium carbonate was present in the deposits analyzed. 03 ## Conclusion of the study The discovery of calcium carbonate as the main component of the deposit analyzed provided our client with valuable insight into the origin of the blockages in their equipment. This analysis led to the development of a preventive maintenance program specifically tailored to counteract the effects of carbonate deposits, thereby improving equipment performance and durability. Need help? Contact our team [](#filab-contact-form) ## Other case studies you may be interested in ### Comparative study of two joints [Learn more +](https://filab.fr/en/blog/2025/12/comparative-study-of-two-seals-made-of-fkm-and-epdm.md) ### Polyamide PA Polyamide polymers, more widely known as nylons, are widely used by many industries. PA 6 and PA 6.6 polyamide polymers are the most commonly used. [Learn more +](https://filab.fr/en/blog/2025/12/how-did-filab-help-one-of-its-clients-distinguish-between-the-polymer-materials-polyamide-pa-6-and-pa-6-6-case-study.md) ### [Learn more +](https://filab.fr/en/blog/2026/01/marking-problem-biopolymer-packaging.md) [View all our case studies](https://filab.fr/en/blog-filab.md) ## Services related to the case study [## Analysis of particulate contamination on your powders by SEM-EDX](https://filab.fr/en/metallic-powders-characterization-services-at-filab-laboratory/analysis-particulate-contamination-powders-sem-edx.md) [## Calcium/Silicon (CaSi) Analysis and Expertise - Metallurgical Expertise](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/metallurgical-analysis-laboratory/calcium-silicon-casi-alloy-analysis-and-expertise-laboratory.md) [## IRTF](https://filab.fr/en/our-technical-resources/laboratory-analysis-ftir-spectroscopy.md) [## SEM-FEG](https://filab.fr/en/our-technical-resources/laboratory-analysis-sem-scanning-electron-microscopy/laboratory-sem-analysis-automobile-aeronautical.md) [![avis filab](https://filab.fr/wp-content/themes/astra-child/templates/assets/img/avis-verifies.svg) 5/5 ![note filab](https://filab.fr/wp-content/themes/astra-child/templates/assets/img/stars.svg)](https://www.avis-verifies.com/avis-clients/filab.fr) ## Laboratory specializing in analysis and expertise for industrial companies ![More than 140 people](https://filab.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/collaborateurs-1.svg) More than 140 people at your service ![5200 m² laboratory](https://filab.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/labo.svg) 5200 m² laboratory + 99% of services are provided in-house ![Accredited laboratory](https://filab.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/ISO-17025-1.svg) Accredited laboratory COFRAC ISO 17025 ![+2200 clients](https://filab.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/clients.svg) +2200 clients in France and abroad ### Contact us Our services are reserved for professionals. 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