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Surface Science & Coatings
The SSC department performs research on surfaces, coatings, thin films and substrates; the goal is to support product and process development for industrial applications. Products studied are Al, Zn, Cu and steel sheet as well as Al extruded profiles, steel pipes, Cu tubes, polymer sheathed conductor cables, wire armour for submersed cables, foils and metal-polymer composite panels. Surface processes include cleaning, etching, passivation, anodizing, lacquering, painting and phosphating. SSC department focuses on products of various applications: packaging, buildings construction, energy and automotive. Analysis and evaluation of the properties of substrates, coatings and interfaces ensure optimum performance, functionality and appearance. Techniques applied for the characterisation include Microscopy, Spectroscopy, Thermal Analysis, Electrochemistry etc.
Typical surface characteristics measured are:
Surface topography, colour, gloss
Coating layer structure, physical properties and integrity
Lacquer type and thermal properties
Surface preparation efficiency (surface cleanliness)
Electrochemical activity (corrosion rate and protection, properties of surface)
Equipment
| Description | Capacities | Application |
|---|---|---|
| Differential Thermal Analyzer (Perkin Elmer-DTA7) | 5-100oC/min rapid heating & cooling from ambient to 1300oC, nitrogen & air atmosphere. | Determination of phase-change temperatures |
| ThermoGravimetric Analyzer (Perkin Elmer-Pyris 1 TGA HT) | Microbalance accuracy ±0.02%, with accurate temperature control (50-1200oC, heating rate 0.1-200oC/min), nitrogen & air atmosphere. | Quantitative analysis of compounds and volatile substances |
| ThermoGravimetric Analyzer (TA Q50) | Microbalance accuracy ±0.01%, with accurate temperature control (ambient-1000oC, heating rate 0.1-100oC/min), nitrogen & air atmosphere, switch gas. | Quantitative analysis of compounds and volatile substances |
| Differential Scanning Calorimetry (NETZSCH DSC 214 Polyma) | Temp. range -70 to 600oC (Intracooler), temp. accuracy 0.1oC/min, Enthalpy accuracy <2%, scanning rate 0.001-500oC, nitrogen & air atmosphere. | Accurate determination of phase-change temperatures & enthalpy |
| Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (Perkin Elmer-Spectrum GX FTIR) | Transmission, ATR & Grazing Angle Specular Reflectance Spectra, Specac Diamond ATR, PIKE Tech. 80o Spec Specular Reflectance Accessory. | Identification of organic molecules, Analysis of thin films |
| Gloss meter (BYK micro-TRI-gloss) | Gloss measurements at 20, 60 & 85o | Gloss determination of Low, Medium & High Gloss Surfaces |
| Color meters (BYK Instruments) | CIE Color measurements, sphere & 45/0 Geometries, ΔΕ* repeatability 0.01. | Color characterization of surfaces |
| Gauge meter (BYK byko-test MPOR) | Measuring range 0-2000 μm, accuracy ±1 μm | Coatings thickness on ferrous & non-ferrous substrates |
| Conductivity Meter (FOERSTER-SIGMATEST 2.068) | Fast and non-destructive determination of measured values at high accuracy, large measuring range from 0.5 to 65 MS/m, four selectable measuring frequencies (60, 120, 240 and 480 kHz). | Absolute measurement of the electrical conductivity of non-ferrous metals, Determination of metal purity |
| Conductivity Meter (SURAGUS-EddyCus TF) | Non destructive contact measurement, real-time and easy-to-use, accurate single-point (40 mm diameter) measurement of sheet resistance for conductive thin films (range 0.001 – 100 Ohm/sq), measurement of films with thickness 5 nm-500 μm, accuracy: < 3% for 0.001 – 50 Ohm/sq and < 5% for 50 – 100 Ohm/sq. | Electrical conductivity determination |
| Solartron Analytical 1287 Electrochemical interface Solartron Analytical 1255B LF Frequency Response Analyzer | High accuracy, wide bandwidth potentiostat/galvanostat which offers a full range of ac/dc test capabilities and performs simultaneous voltage and current measurements. The measurement resolution and accuracy is down to 1μV for the reference electrodes and 1pA for the working electrode. Also used for Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) over a full 10μHz to 1MHz frequency range. Provides precise measurement of gain and phase between any two points in a system. | Apparatus applications include: • Corrosion and corrosion protection • Properties of organic and inorganic coatings and films • Development of novel anode/cathode materials and electrolytes • Photoelectric effects Equipped with Electrochemistry Software packages CorrWare and ZPlot which are specifically designed to run a wide range of electrochemical tests including: • Impedance • Potentiostatic/galvanostatic techniques • Cyclic voltammetry |
| PARSTAT PMC-2000A Multichannel Potentiostat/AC-DC-FRA | Flexible experiment setup that can automatically sequence the potentiostatic, galvanostatic and impedance capabilities, determination of uncompensated resistance for iR compensation, 30 V Polarization Voltage range, 6-WIRE function measures an additional voltage benefiting Anode/Cathode impedance analysis, standard Maximum Current 1 A and standard Lowest Current Range 4 nA, EIS Frequency Range 7 MHz to 10 µHz, equipped with VersaStudio Software. | Corrosion and corrosion protection, Electrochemical properties of coatings, Energy applications (testing battery cells) |
| ET system electronic ACS4500/LT/FB | 4.5KVA AC/DC source capable to provide constant voltage or current | Electrochemical testing: • AC/DC anodizing • AC graining • Electrodeposition |
| Carbon & Moisture Analyzer (Leco RC612) | Carbon 50 ppm to 20% & H2O 100 ppm to 20% | Determination of Carbon/Water in solid samples |
| Accelerated oxidation test (892 Professional Rancimat) | Temperature range 50-220°C, Gas flow range: 1-25 L/h, Conductivity measurement 0-400 µS/cm. | Determination of oxidation stability of Fat and oil derivatives – Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME) samples, EN 14112 and ISO 6886 |
| Density measurements | Density ISO 1183-1, Immersion method A. | Measurement of density based on Archimede’s principle |
Other Services
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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
