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