ZCH has the task of performing analyses for the facilities of Research Centre Jülich using chemical and physical methods and of adapting the analytical techniques to the changing and increasing requirements. Analytical work is concentrated on two main fields of application, the analysis of inorganic solids and the surface analysis of such sample materials.

The development of new analytical methods and the improvement, adaptation and verification of known methods and processes should provide an analytical lead for the future analytical tasks required at the institutes and facilities of Research Centre Jülich.

ZCH is directly involved in five R&D projects of the Centre. Within the framework of these R&D projects, various methods of optical atomic spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, X-ray spectrometry, primarily in the inorganic analytical sector, and of X-ray diffractometry are being used. ZCH is in a position to examine solid, liquid and to a limited extent also gaseous sample material for its major, minor and trace elements. The analyses comprise bulk materials such as high-temperature alloys, ceramics and high-purity metals as well as analogous sample material such as biological, geological or environmental specimens. Apart from the qualitative and quantitative specification of the element concentrations, above all, problems of improving the detection capability of the analytical techniques, and of the accuracy and reproducibility of the analytical results are at the centre of scientific work.

Surface analyses of solids and the analysis of thin films are currently performed by SIMS, SNMS, LA-ICP-MS and AES. In addition, laser ablation ICP-MS has been further developed to enable the direct ultratrace analysis of solid samples.

Moreover, new methods and analytical procedures are being developed and introduced to conform to the growing significance of microrange analysis and in-depth profiling and the analysis of thin films.