Capabilities

Physical and Mechanical Properties of Materials

• Thermal diffusivity
• Thermal expansion coefficient
• Differential scanning calorimetry (TA DSC Q200)
• Optical microscopy/image analysis
• Skeletal density by helium picnometry
• Density profile by x-ray densitometry
• Viscoelastic properties (Rheometrics ARES)
• Testing of irradiated materials:
• Tensile, Compression, flexure, and fracture toughness testing
• Electrical resistivity
• Elestic properties by sonic validity measurements
• Elestic properties by sonic resonance

Materials Fabrication and Processing

• Carbon Bonded Carbon Fibers (CBCF)
• Carbon Fiber Carbon Molecular Sieves (CFCMS)
• Carbon/carbon composites
• Thermal management substrates
• Carbon foams
• Melt spinning of single and multifilament polymer fibers
• Activated (nanoporous) carbons
• Multi-wall carbon nanotubes

Processing and Test Equipment

• Single-screw extruder for multifilament melt-spinning
• Bench-top single filament spinning (Dynisco LME)
• Vertical furnace TGA for oxidation of large samples
• 650 C 24" x 24" 25 ton Hot Press
• 1100 C 21" diameter x 24" inert skut kiln
• 3000 C 4.5" diameter x 12" inert Graphite Furnace
• 450 C 0.01 torr vacuum furnace
• 4.5 inch and 21 inch slurry molding stations
• Activation furnace (500 - 1000°C, H2O, O2, CO2, etc.)
• Corrosion Analyses
• High Pressure Test Loop (to 1000 C and 1000 psi)
• Prototype electrical swing adsorption (ESA) system
• HIP – 1700 psi, 2000°C, 10” diameter x 15” tall working zone.
• Carver hot press (2) (one available for working with radioactive materials)
• Sigma blade mixer
• Astro furnace (for working with radioactive materials)
• Tube furnace (for working with radioactive materials)
• Jet mill

Characterization of Surface Properties

• High-pressure microbalance with mass spectrometry analysis (IGA 001)
• Gas sorption analyses: surface area, porosity, chemical reactivity, and chemisorption (Quantrachrome Autosorb 1C)
• Gas sorption analysis coupled with flow system, dynamic temperature methods and TCD-MS detector (Quantachrome Autosorb 1C-TPD-MS)
• Acid-based potentiometry for characterization of surface functional groups (Metrohm Titrino)
• Mercury Porosimetry