Materials characterization
Materials characterization provides valuable information about a materials macro and micro structure. The use of microscopy, both optical and electron microscopy, allow us to obtain information about material failure, mapping and quantification of particles, phases and structures. The results from performing a material characterization technique on a sample could uncover defects and problems in a material.
A combination of materials characterization and chemical analysis will often go a long way in unveiling the most important physical and chemical properties of many materials.
Typical areas where materials characterization is used
- Asbestos surveys
- Crack measurements
- Defect analysis of cast iron and aluminium
- Frectography
- General description of micro-structure and macro-structure
- Grain Size measurements
- Image processing and analysis (Image Pro Plus, Image)
- Porosity measurements
- Powder characterization
- Programming and automation (IPBasic, java)
- Quantitative and qualitative determination of phases
- Reflectance measurements
- Dedicated Photovoltaic lab (PV lab) for solar grade silicon
Available equipment
- FG-SEM (Field Gun-Scanning Electron Microscope) Zeis Merlin Compact with EDX detector
- Optical microscopes
- IR-microscopes
- Macro photo
- Sample preparation equipment (Cutting, grinding, polishing, embedding etc.)
