Materials processing
High temperature materials processing laboratory (M02)
State of the art capability for high temperature synthesis and materials processing
- Suite of high-temperature furnaces operating up to 1850°C – mostly supplied by Elite Thermal Systems
- Capability to process under air, vacuum or gas atmosphere (inc. hydrogen)
- Dedicated top-loading glass furnace with mechanical stirring
- Elevator hearth furnace suitable for sample quenching from 1800°C
- Microwave furnace system also available
Hot Isostatic Press and welding station, AIP 6-30H (Quarrel Laboratory)
Unique UK capability for hot isostatic pressing of radioactive materials
- Development scale hot isostatic press for sample volumes up to ca. 300 ml
- Vacuum operation up to 200 MPa Ar pressure
- Processing temperature up to 2200°C
- CSM100 Can Welder system for welding, crimping, heating, and evacuation, and bake out to 600°C
- In house or commercial HIP can designs
Glove box and chamber systems (M08)
Handling of radioactive and air sensitive materials
- Plas Labs perspex glove boxes for U & Th powder handling (eg SIMfuel and glass production)
- Plas Labs negative pressure perspex glove box for Tc powder handling (HEPA filtered)
- Innovative Technologies positive pressure glove box (<1 ppm oxygen and water)
- Wolf labs anaerobic chamber (<1 ppm oxygen)
- Plas Labs nitrogen atmosphere glove box for dissolution experiments under carbon dioxide exclusion
For further information, please contact us.
Powder milling, grinding and mixing systems (M01)
Batchwise comminution of hard to soft grinding material, dry or in suspension, down to colloidal fineness
- Pulverisette 6 planetary monomill (up to 250 ml volume)
- Pulverisette 7 planetary micromill (up to 60 ml volume)
- Pulverisette 23 mini-mill (up to 5 ml volume)
- In house designed roller mills (up to 1000 ml volume)
- Zirconia, stainless steel, agate, and silicon nitride grinding bowls and media
Cutting, grinding and polishing (M01)
Variety of tools for preparation of monoliths and SEM specimens
- Buehler IsoMet low speed saw and diamond blades
- Buehler MetaServ 2000 variable speed grinder / polisher for manual specimen preparation
- Kemet 300 grinder / polisher for manual specimen preparation
- Cold setting epoxy resin preparation station
For further information, please contact us.