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Metallography and Electron Optics

The Department of Metallography and Electron Optics includes the latest technology equipment necessary for samples preparation, metallographic and electron microscopic examination, phases identification, microhardness testing and surface topography evaluation. 

 

Equipment involved:

  • Bandsaw for sectioning and handling of heavy samples

  • Table top cutting machine with variable rotational speed

  • Small, low-speed, precision cut-off machine

  • Cold and hot mounting devices for small to medium sized samples

  • Manual and automatic grinding and polishing machines

  • Electrolytic polishing and etching equipment

  • Sputter coater for the application of conductive films on specimens

  • Stereoscopic microscope

  • Inverted metallographic microscope

  • Upright microscope

  • Scanning electron microscope (SEM), equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS)

  • Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) camera

  • Image analysis software

  • Microhardness tester

  • Optical profiler

  • X-ray diffractometer

  • Atomic force microscope

Equipment

DescriptionCapacitiesApplication
Cutting machines (bandsaw, table top cutting and precision cut-off machines)Sampling from various size metallic productsEfficient analyses through proper sampling
Ultrasonic cleaning deviceCleaning of as received samples and fracture surfaces from oils and residuesImproved results from macroscopic and electron microscopic examination
Cold mounting devicesMultiple simultaneous specimens epoxy mounting systemsMinimization of preparation time, mounting under vacuum
Hot mounting deviceTwin mounting pressesUniform in size and high quality mounted specimens preparation
Automatic and manual grinding/polishing machinesQuick, high reflectivity metallic surfaces creationHigh quality preparation with minimum operator interference
Electrolytic etching deviceUse of various electolytes for different metallic samplesMicrostructure identification of metals and alloys
Electrolytic polishing deviceControlled material removal and mechanical deformation avoidance in samples preparationPreparation of samples for electron backscatter diffraction
Stereoscopic MicroscopeHigh zoom ratio, digital camera equippedAs received samples macroscopic examination
Inverted microscope25-1000x magnification, digital camera equippedMetallographic examination of as polished and etched samples for microstructure characterisation
Upright microscope50-1000x magnification, covers a wide range of industrial fields, digital camera equippedMetallographic examination of polished samples, surface features as and mineralogical specimens
Hardness testerVickers and Knoop micro- and macro- hardness tests based on ASTM and ISO methodsEffective phases identification and microstructural evaluation through hardness values and profiles
Sputter coaterSurface coating system with gold, silver or carbonConversion of non-conductive samples to conductive for SEM examination
Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)Up to 1.000.000x magnification, EDS system equippedHigh magnification examination and spot elemental analyses of metallographically prepared or not samples
X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD)Qualitative and semi-quantitative mineralogical analysisExamination of intermetallic phases, residual stresses and texture analysis
Optical profilerInterferometric objectives 5x and 50x, optical determination of surface roughness parameters with sub-nanometer resolution and large Z-rangeSurface topography examination for various industrial applications
Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)10.000.000x, three-dimensional imaging of surfaces with nanometer resolutionNano-sciences applications
EBSD camera Hikari XP with TEAM EBSD Suite and OIM EBSD softwareHigh speed mapping, up to 1000 indexed patterns per second with 99% indexing success, orientation precision to less than 0.1 degreeDetermination of crystals orientation, texture analysis, phases identification, quantification of rolling and recrystallized textures, internal strain determination (KAM analysis), calculation of grain size
EDS Apollo XF equivalent to Octane Super, with TEAM EDS Suite – Enhanced SoftwareOctane Super EDS silicon drift detector (SDD) with detecting surface of sensor 60 mm2, high-quality EDS data and excellent low energy performanceQualitative and quantitative analysis of microstructural constituents, elemental and phase mapping, spot and selected areas analysis, particle identification and analysis

Other Services

  • Analytical Chemistry

    The Analytical Chemistry Department supports chemical analyses of solid and liquid samples, for Quality Control and R&D purposes. Our laboratory services include the following activities: ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation for a wide

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  • Corrosion

    The Corrosion Department performs testing and evaluation of the corrosion performance of functional surfaces to support the clients in new developments, current product/process improvements or products quality assurance. The corrosion

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Full list of Services

elkeme

ELKEME, Hellenic Research Centre for Metals S.A.
ELKEME was founded in 1999 to support the Hellenic Metallurgical Industry. Through a variety of state-of-the-art laboratories ELKEME focuses on industrial research and technological development/analysis in four major metal sectors: Aluminum, Copper, Steel and Zinc, providing efficient solutions to our customers.