Centre for Advanced Materials Technology - Services

CAMT offers a comprehensive suite of facilities and services for the testing and development of materials. Our range includes:

Microscopy & Microanalysis

ARL scanning electron microscope
Traco-Northern energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDXS)
Wavelength dispersive X-ray spectrometers (WDXS) with beam scan and sample translator control for computer-automated analysis

JEOL 840A scanning electron microscope
Oxford Instruments Thin-Window EDXS detector, with Moran Scientific EDXS mapping and quantification package
Oxford OPAL Electron Back Scattered (EBS) detector/software for determining crystal orientation

Philips CM20 scanning transmission electron microscope (200kV) with remote computer control of instrument panel, Gatan slow scan CCD camera for digital image acquisition; Gatan 666 Parallel Electron Energy Loss Spectrometer (PEELS), Oxford Instruments Super ATW EDXS detector
Philips EM420 transmission electron microscope (120kV) with Gatan 601 Serial EELS, EDAX 9900 system EDXS detector, with Be window

Olympus Reflected Light Microscope (Micro and Macro) with black and white digital image capture capabilities
Olympus Transmitted Light Microscope with hot stage facility

Specimen preparation
Electrolytic polishing
Reichert Ultracut 3 Ultramicrotome, with cooling stage
Vacuum coating units
Gatan dual ion beam thinner 600 B
A fully equipped mechanical and electrical workshop is available for non-standard specimen preparation

X-ray diffraction

Chemical/structural analysis

Mechanical testing

Thermal analysis

Corrosion

Materials processing

Polymers:

Ceramics:

ASTRO graphite sintering furnace (up to 2200°C in controlled gaseous atmosphere)
Thermal Technology high temperature hot press (up to 2000°C in controlled gaseous atmosphere; 10 tonne)
Kanthal rapid heating programmable furnace (up to 1700°C in air)
Lindberg tube furnaces (up to 1700°C in controlled gaseous atmosphere)
Cold iso-static press (working pressure: up to 30,000 psi; working chamber: 4.5" diameter 22" length).
Induction arc furnace
Thermal spray facilities

Polymer Physics

Magnetic Resonance

Fully computer controlled, X-band Pulsed/CW EPR spectrometer (Bruker ESP 380E) covering all conventional CW- EPR and most advanced pulsed EPR experiments between 4-400 K. On-line and off-line data analysis packages are available.<
Other EPR facilities include:- Varian E12 and V4503 CW-EPR spectrometers (X-band); home-built X-band and Q-band CW-EPR spectrometers, and microwave bridges at L and S bands.

Mössbauer Spectroscopy

An extensive set of eleven Mössbauer spectrometers with variable temperature facilities (five helium cryostats, one furnace), magnetic fields up to 14 T, conversion electron backscattering, selective excitation double Mössbauer spectrometer and imaging Mössbauer spectrometer. These are all equipped with the appropriate electronics and backed up with cryogenic supplies and a suite of analysis programs.

Magnetism and Neutron Scattering

LONGPOL neutron polarisation analysis diffractometer-spectrometer. LONGPOL is one of only a few instruments in the world with full neutron polarisation analysis capability.
MPMS-7 SQUID magnetometer which is capable of sensitive measurements in magnetic fields from 10 Gauss to 70 kGauss and at temperatures from 1.7 K to 800 K.
Faraday magnetometer for measuring the magnetisation of specimens at temperatures of 2-350 K in applied magnetic fields of 0-1 kG.

Thin Films

Thermal co-evaporation deposition system
Multiple-source 3-inch RF-magnetron and single-source 2-inch RF-magnetron deposition systems
Analytical equipment such as probe microscope SPM, XRD, SEM, and access to x-ray photoelectron and Auger spectroscopy

Mechanical workshop services

CAMT also houses a sophisticated mechanical workshop that is committed to quality, delivery, flexibility and innovation. Its services include:

Precision fitting and turning, milling and drilling
Sheet metal work
Stress-free spark erosion and E.D. wire cutting of electrically conductive materials
Coil winding of fine wire (down to 0.1mm diameter)
100 Tonne press
Cylindrical and surface grinding
Diamond slicing and other hard materials
Helium mass spectrometer leak detection
M.I.G. welding mild steel
T.I.G. welding aluminium and stainless steel
Silver soldering and soft soldering
Gas welding
Capacitor discharge welding
Wood work

CAMT INDEX