Material Characterisation Laboratory

The Heat Flow Meter (HFM) offers a quick, accurate, and user-friendly solution for evaluating the low thermal conductivity of insulating materials. The NETZSCH HFM 446 Lambda Series is specifically designed for testing small to medium-sized samples, offering exceptional reliability and measurement precision. It covers the following standard: ASTM C518, ASTM C1784, ISO 8301, JIS A1412, DIN EN 12667, EN 12664. Measures up to 2.0 W/(m•K).

The STA 449 F5 Jupiter® is a vacuum-sealed thermal analyzer custom-built for high-temperature testing for working with ceramics, metals, inorganics, construction materials, and other materials. Specifications: Temperature Range: RT to 1600°C; Heating Rate: 0.001 to 50 K/min; Vacuum-tight: 10⁻² mbar; Temperature resolution: 0.001 K; Balance resolution: 0.1 μg (over the entire weighing range); Maximum sample load: 35000 mg (incl. crucible); Sample volume: Up to 5 cm3 (for TGA crucibles).

The Optima™ 8000 from PerkinElmer® is a dual-view ICP-OES system designed for benchtop use, featuring a full-spectrum CCD array detector. It can detect up to 68 elements from aqueous samples. Specification: Spectral Range: 165-900 nm; Resolution: < 0.009 nm @ 200 nm.

The CX-200Plus is a full-scale scanning electron microscope with Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) capability. Specifications: Magnification: 15x to 300,000x; Spatial Resolution: <3nm at 30kV; Detectors: SE, BSE (Standard), EDS; Sample Stage: X: 60mm, Y: 60mm, Z: 60mm, T: -20º to 90º, R: 360º; Sample Size: Up to 160mm in diameter; Stage Automation: Manual and motorized control of X, Y, Z, R, T axes.

The SPT-20 Sputter Coater is  for use with tabletop scanning electron microscopes (SEMs). It enables the sputtering of noble metals—including gold (Au), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), and silver (Ag)—to enhance the conductivity of non-conductive or low-conductivity samples. Specifications: Target: Au, Pt; Target Size: 50mm.

The LED5000 HDI™ illuminator provides reflection-free lighting and eliminates ambient light interference. Specifications: Number of LEDs: 132; Colour Temperature: 6500 K; Objective Diameter: 80mm; Recommended Working Distances: 60-70mm.

The Zeiss Axio Imager M2 upright microscope with ApoTome 2 uses the MBF Bioscience software interface (Stereo Investigator and Neurolucida) and features both a color and a monochrome camera for fluorescence applications. Its ApoTome 2 module enhances resolution by removing out-of-focus light through structured illumination, improving axial resolution on a widefield microscope with typically faster acquisition compared to a point-scan confocal microscope.

Nanovea's PS50 profilometer is a point by point profilometer. Specifications: X – Y Scan Area: 50 x 50 mm Motorized; Height Range: 110 µm to 24 mm; Scan Speed: 20 mm/s.

This micro hardness tester is equipped with an integrated CCD camera and includes a fully automated motorized turret and XYZ stage control. Specifications: Effective Measurement Range: Monochrome Camera: 120 × 90 μm, Color Camera: 195 × 160 μm; XY Stage: Area: 100 × 100 mm, Stroke: ±12.5 mm, Sample: Maximum height 100 mm.

Specifications: Magnification Range: 13 X - 102 X; Zoom Range: 0.8 X - 6.4 X; Objective Model: 47-50-62, PLS f =100.

Basic user desktop SEM for imaging samples up to 5000X magnification. It includes a function for imaging non-conductive samples.

A compact energy dispersive Xray Fluorescence analyser to provide elemental analysis for a wide range of materials including petrochemicals, general chemicals, minerals, papers, and films in production environments, testing laboratories, and mobile operations. It has calibrated samples for concrete and copper-chrome-arsenic timber specimens.

This rheometer enables properties of complex fluids to be measured under deformation and flow under an applied stress or strain to provide viscosity, viscoelasticity, yield stress and other non-Newtonian properties.

This rheometer enables properties of complex fluids and polymers to be measured up to 200°C. It can also measure the properties of magneto-rheological materials under a magnetic field up to 1 Tesla and perform dynamic mechanical analysis of small-scale solid bars from 10 to 40 mm in length.