Service / Equipment
We offer you assistance in the processing, analysis, characterisation and mechanical testing of advanced ceramics. The following specific techniques and facilities are available in our group:
Processing and Shaping Slurry and powder preparation
- 3 D printing of of hydrogels, ceramics and composites
- Nanoparticle synthesis and functionalization via sol-gel, click chemistry and related methods
- Ball milling, attritor, dispermat, sonifier and couette mixer
- Shaping of green bodies by pressure casting, cold isostatic pressing (CIP), electrophoresis, freeze gelation processing (FGP), Rapid freeze prototyping, freeze dryer, centrifugation, extrusion, foaming, polymer condensation, powder press
- Surface coating by cold gas plasma oven
- Pyrolysis of pre-ceramic polymers up to 1350°C
- Sintering up to 1700°C in oxidizing and inert atmospheres
Analysis and Characterisation
- 3 D X-ray microscopy / tomography for non-destructive access to internal microstructure and composition
- Dynamic tensiometry, dilational interfacial rheology and contact angle measurements via drop profile analysis
- Ceramography
- Diamond wire saw, lathe, milling machine
- Microstructural analysis with XRD and EDX
- Light- and scanning electron microscopy
- Fluorescence microscopy
- UV/VIS multiwell plate reader
- Analysis of surface roughness (white light interferometer, lateral resolution 110 nm, vertical resolution 2 nm)
- Particle size analysis down to 3nm particle size
- BET - surface area
- Rheology of suspensions, emulsions and liquid-liquid interfaces
- Zeta potential characterisation of suspensions and emulsions
- Streaming potential of plane surfaces
- TMA with dilatometer up to 2000°C, oxidizing and inert
- Combined Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA)and Differential thermal
analysis (DTA) up to 1500 °C
- Mercury porosimetry (pore diameter 70 µm down to 4 nm)
- Gas adsorption and chemisorption, water vapour adsorption
- Gas chromatography
- Mass spectroscopy
- He-pycnometry for particle density measurements
- Gas and Fluid Permeability testing rig
- Thermal conductivity measurement (Laserflash)
- Cell laboratory
- Bacteria laboratory
- CO2 incubator
- Climatic exposure test cabinet
- Impedance measurement
Mechanical Testing
- Mechanical testing of porous ceramic structures, ceramic single fibres and composites from RT up to 1600°C in oxidizing or inert atmosphere
- Testing machines for static, quasistatic and cyclic loading up to 300Hz
- Equipment for testing under tensile, compression, flexural, shear and torsion load
- Test fixtures for biaxial and fracture mechanics tests
- RT-, HT- and laser-extensometry
- In-situ 3D X-ray microscopy for tensile, compression, and flexural tests
- Microindenter testing facility
- Grindosonic
- Acoustic emission analysis
- Finite Element Modelling Software Package MARC with workstation
Please contact us for further questions and possibilities.