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.

Please contact the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering with any questions or inquires.

• 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