Materials Testing Laboratories

Science Capability

The Materials Testing Laboratories in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering provides a variety of standard and custom tests of basic mechanical and thermal properties, as well as metallographic and microscopy for microstructural characterization.

• MTSservo-hydraulic load frames
  • MTS 810 Systems, axial tension/compression loading
  • Static/dynamic loading up to 100 KN
  • Low/High cycle fatigue
  • Hydraulic wedge grips for flat and circular specimens
  • MTS 370 Bionix, axial tension/compression/torsional loading
  • Static/dynamic loading up to 15 KN
  • Torsional loading up to 150 N-m and 270 Deg angle of twist
  • Low/High cycle fatigue

• Instron Dynatup drop tester
  • Capacity: maximum 1 m drop height and 136 J impact
  • Variable drop height and impact energies
  • Removable and customizable impactor
• High temperature furnaces
  • Capacity: up to 1500°C
  • Nitrogen or Argon shielding gas available
  • Timed countdown of heating cycle
  • For the 1500°C Furnace, sample size must be 60mm in diameter or smaller
• Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC)
  • Real-time graphing of the glass transition phase of polymers heated and cooled in an oxygen displaced environment
  • Temperature differential from +300°C down to -90°C
  • Quantitative and qualitative data on endothermic (heat absorption) and exothermic (heat evolution) processes of materials during physical transitions that are caused by phase changes, melting, oxidation and other heat-related changes.
• Thermal Gravimetric Analysis(TGA)
  • Real-time graphing of initial mass/temperature of polymers during their thermal transition heated in an inert gas environment
  • Materials characterization of polymers, elastomers and thermoplastics through analysis of characteristic decomposition patterns.
  • Thermal heating capacity up to +300°C
• Manual and automated metallography
  • Belt sanders, abrasive polishing pads, and rotary polishers
  • Buehler automated grinder/polisher with holder for up to 10 specimens
  • Vibratory polisher
• Optical Microscopy
  • 18MP CCD camera imaging of specimens with microscopes
• Rockwell and Knoop hardness testers
  • Rockwell B and C scale harness measurments
  • Knoop Harness Microscopes have an indentation capacity of 10 grams-force to 2000 grams-force
• Charpy impact tester
  • Standard charpy v-notch specimen tester.
• “Optotrak Certus” – DMM (Dynamic Measuring Machine)
  • 1mm marker accuracy in 3 dimensions and 6 degrees of freedom
  • Real time frequency of 4600 Hz data logging
  • Individual marker resolution of 0.01mm
  • Up to 8 individual sensing markers can be used simultaneously
  • Virtual marker points can also be created to establish fixed or moving points for referencing or measuring relative tracking
  • Data analysis with “NDI First Principles” software