Facilities
Location: ETRL 146
Optomec Inc. Laser Engineered Net Shaping ( LENS 750 )
Unlike many of the existing rapid prototyping (RP) methods, the LENS technology uses metal powders to create functional parts that can be used in very demanding applications. The process uses a 500 W of Nd:YAG laser power focused onto a metal substrate to create a molten puddle on the substrate surface. Metal powder is then injected into the molten puddle to increase the material volume. The substrate is then scanned relative to the deposition apparatus to write lines of the metal with a finite width and thickness. Rastering of the part back and forth to create a pattern and fill where material is required allows a layer of material to be deposited. Finally, this procedure is repeated many times until the entire object represented in the three-dimensional CAD model is produced on the machine. In this fashion, a part is built up from powders that is fully dense. We have used our LENS machine to create parts made of Ti, Ti-6AL-4V, Ni, steels, and their composites.
The ExOne (Ex One Company, Irwin, PA) three-dimensional (3D) printer creates 3D ceramic objects by selectively applying a liquid binder to a loose powder. In this printer, components are built up layer by layer in an iterative process. First, a layer of powder is spread. Then a printhead with binder jets is moved across the powder under computer control to selectively bind the powder together where positive geometric features are desired. The part is lowered, and a new layer of powder is spread over the top. The process is then repeated until the entire geometry is complete. This temporarily builds the part until it can be dried and sintered to the specific density.
Stratasys Inc FDM TITAN
Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is one of the most popular commercial rapid prototyping (RP) systems in the world. The fused deposition process, commercialized by StratasysTM Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) as Fused Deposition Modeling (FDMTM) is one of the commercially available RP processes. In this process, a thermoplastic polymer filament passes through a heated liquifier, where the liquifier is heated to slightly above the melting point of the polymer. The liquifier extrudes a continuous bead, or road, of material through a nozzle and deposits it on a fixtureless platform. The liquifier movement is computer controlled along the X and Y directions, based on the build strategy of the part to be manufactured. When deposition of the first layer is completed, the fixtureless platform indexes down, and the second layer is built on top of the first layer. This process continues until the part manufacture is completed. The temperatures of the liquifier and surrounding environment, as well as filament feed rate and nozzle diameter, are some of the important variables that determine the quality of the final part. Using our FDM set-up, we can build parts with wax (ICW-06), ABS, Polycarbonate, and Polyphenylsulfone materials.
Stratasys Inc. FDM 1650
Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is one of the most popular commercial rapid prototyping (RP) systems in the world. The fused deposition process, commercialized by StratasysTM Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) as Fused Deposition Modeling (FDMTM) is one of the commercially available RP processes. In this process, a thermoplastic polymer filament passes through a heated liquifier, where the liquifier is heated to slightly above the melting point of the polymer. The liquifier extrudes a continuous bead, or road, of material through a nozzle and deposits it on a fixtureless platform. The liquifier movement is computer controlled along the X and Y directions, based on the build strategy of the part to be manufactured. When deposition of the first layer is completed, the fixtureless platform indexes down, and the second layer is built on top of the first layer. This process continues until the part manufacture is completed. The temperatures of the liquifier and surrounding environment, as well as filament feed rate and nozzle diameter, are some of the important variables that determine the quality of the final part. Using our FDM set-up, we can build parts with wax (ICW-06), ABS, Polycarbonate, and Polyphenylsulfone materials.
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Nano Powder Characterization Facilities
Location: ETRL 142
TRISTAR 3000 BET Surface Analyzer
Micromeretics Inc. Our BET surface area measurement unit measures surface area of nanoparticles as well as micron sized particles using nitrogen adsorption technique. Pressure can vary between 0 to 999 mmHg range.
Particle Size Analyzer
NICOMP 380
PSS NICOMP
This DLS system with an APD detector is capable of measuring size and size distribution of nano-particles between 1 nm to 5 mm. Suspension of particles in both aqueous and organic medium can be measured.
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Location: ETRL 146
NETZSCH Inc. Thermal Analyzer (STA 409PC)
This combined DSC-DTA-TGA system can run up to 1550o C under different atmospheres including static, dynamic oxidizing, inert and reducing atmosphere with a maximum heating rate of 50 oC/min. Depending on the material system, we can use either Pt or alumina crucibles for testing.
Theta Inc. Dilatometer
Our single push rod dilatometer can operate up to 1550 C in different environment to measure strain within the material as a function of temperature. This data can be used to calculate coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) or kinetics of sintering for particulate materials.
Nano Flash for Thermal Diffusivity Measurements
The NETZSCH LFA 447 NanoFlash® is based on the well-known flash method. In this method, the front side of a plane-parallel sample is heated by a short light pulse. The resulting temperature rise on the rear surface is measured using an infrared detector. By analysis of the resulting temperature versus- time curve, the thermal diffusivity of various materials can be determined within 0.01 to 1000 mm2/s (thermal conductivities between 0.1 to 2000 W/m.K). It can complete tests on dozens of samples at room temperature in a single morning or, make measurements at temperatures up to 300 °C automatically. A 32 bit Windows® software package, combines easy handling and complex evaluation routines, thus offering a solution to almost every problem. More than 15 different evaluation models are available.
Porosity Measurement Facilities
Location: Not Known
Micromeretics Inc. Mercury Porosimetry
Mercury porosimeter can be used to measure size and distribution of open cell porosity in porous materials via change in electrical properties in the material due to high pressure intrusion of mercury. Our equipment is capable of going up to 33000 psi and can measure sub-micron and nano-scale porosity.
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Haake Polylab Inc. Torque Rheometer and Single Screw Extruder
Our HAAKE polylab compounding and single screw extruder system is capable of high shear mixing of polymers and polymer-ceramic composites for different applications. We also have tape and cylindrical dies for high temperature extrusion up to 400 C.
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Thermolyte Inc. High Temperature Furnace (46100, 48000 )
Our high temperature muffle furnaces can go up to 1700 C. It has a 6” X 6” X 6” inner volume with 6 MoSi2 heating elements.
US Stoneware Inc. Ball Mill
Autoclave Engineers Inc. Cold Isostatic Press (32260)
CIP is used in ceramic processing to increase green density of ceramic parts. This machine can go upto 60,000 psi pressure.
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Microwave Sintering Facilities
Location: ETRL 136
3 KW Automatic Control, Control Environment Microwave Furnace
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Piezo Electric Characterization Facilities
Location: ETRL 142
Agilent Inc. Impedance Analyzer (429A)
This new generation impedance analyzer can operate between 40 Hz to 110 MHz. We also have the impedance probe and dielectric measurement fixtures.
Sensor Tech Inc. d33 Meter
Radient Technologies Inc. Precision Workstation
Our precision workstation with a HVI can measure electrical properties of thin and thick films up to 4 kV. These measurements include hysteresis in piezoelectric materials, I-V and so on.
Regular and Corona Poling
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Thin Film Fabrication Facilities
Location: DANA 348
Anoditation Setup
Gas Sensing Set Up
Spin Coates
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Table Top Universal Testing Machine
The lab is equipped with Shimadzu’s AG-IS Autograph ® (Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Columbia, MD) table-top universal material testing system having 50 kN capacity. The machine is capable of testing various materials in tension, compression and bending. The TRAPEZIUM-X software enables to control various test parameters and even low cycle dynamic testing. Data processing in the software is very simple enabling direct calculation of desired mechanical properties such as tensile strength, yield strength, Young’s modulus etc. from the test results.
Shimadzu’s HMV-2T series microhardness tester (Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Columbia, MD) has automatic load change function with 9 different load to select from. The tested is equipped with Vicker’s diamond pyramid indenter. The automatic operation eliminates operation errors and provides outstanding safety. The superior user interface with LCD touch panel makes the operation simple and easy.
Tribometer
NANOVEA wear testing equipment (Microphotonics Inc., CA, USA) contains accessories to carry out the test in controlled atmosphere such as physiological/lubricating fluids with precise temperature and humidity control. The instrument also has the capability to test the materials for their wear resistance in linear reciprocating and rotating mode with ball-on-disc or pin-on-disc configuration. The software enables independent selection of various test parameters such as load, speed, distance, temperature, etc.