Materials processing and characterization Laboratory - PROCAMAT
The advanced Materials Processing and Characterization Laboratory (PROCAMAT) is located at IMDEA Materials Institute, and is organized into three fundamental units:
- Composite Materials Processing Unit
- Metallic Materials Processing Unit
- Mechanical and Thermal Characterization Unit
The laboratory services coordinator is Dra. Vanesa Martínez. Each of the units also has the scientific supervision of the senior researchers responsible for each of the research lines.
The advanced Materials Processing and Characterization Laboratory (PROCAMAT) is structured as follows:
- Services coordinator: Dra. Vanesa Martínez Serrano (vanesa.martinez@imdea.org)
- Laboratory technicians:
- José Luís Jiménez Sánchez
- Miguel de la Cruz Pacha
- Amalia San Román Suárez
- Ángel León Soria
The advanced Materials Processing and Characterization Laboratory (PROCAMAT) has a warehouse of about 2,000 m2 and it is organized into three fundamental units with the following capacities:
Composite Materials Processing Unit: out-of-autoclave composite material processing such as hot plate press laminate manufacturing, resin transfer molding (RTM), hot and cold infusion and pultrusion composite profile processing.
Metallic Materials Processing Unit: processing of metal alloys by casting and casting by vacuum induction and by directional solidification and physical simulation of a large number of thermomechanical processes such as casting, welding, extrusion, rolling, forging, etc. Also, it has a SLM additive manufacturing machine.
Mechanical and Thermal Characterization Unit: Mechanical characterization using universal both electromechanical and servo-hydraulic machines (from 500N to 250kN) and non-destructive characterization of defects and internal structure using ultrasound (C-Scan). Mechanical-dynamic analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, differential calorimeter and determination of rheological behavior and viscoelastic properties (25 ºC and 400 ºC.)
- Manufacture of test pieces and demonstrators of composite and metallic materials.
- Characterization of mechanical properties (resistance, plasticity, ductility, elasticity, fatigue and creep) of metallic and polymeric materials up to 250kN of force. Including analysis with a digital image correlation system (DIC), strain gauges and with other strain gauges.
- Defects characterization by ultrasound (C-scan) to detect and evaluate defects using a non-destructive technique. The system allows to find and determine the size and position of typical defects in composite materials (delaminations, porosity, etc.).
- Viscous-elastic behaviour of materials (DMA), mainly polymers, in a temperature range of -150 – 600 ° C, with frequencies of 0.01 to 200 Hz and with a maximum force of 18 N. The grips are available to carry perform dual/single cantilever, 3 point bend and traction.
- Rheological and viscoelastic behaviour of fluids, molten and solid polymers, and reactive materials (resins) in a temperature range between 25ºC and 400ºC.
- Thermal characterization using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).
Current available equipment:
o Composite Materials Processing Unit
- Hot plate press for pre-preg consolidation.
- RTM equipment for laminates injection and manufacture.
- Hot and cold infusion system of composite materials.
- Pultrusion line for the manufacture of composite material profiles.
- Environmental chambers and stoves to retrofit composite materials.
o Metallic Materials Processing Unit
- Casting and casting by vacuum induction and directional solidification.
- GLEEBLE equipment for thermomechanical treatments and physical simulation of the processing of metallic materials.
- SLM additive manufacturing of metallic materials (Inconel, Aluminum, High entropy alloys, Nitinol, Nickel).
o Mechanical and Thermal Characterization Unit
- Electromechanical static testing machine (from 500 N to 150 kN).
- Electromechanical static testing machine (from 500 N to 10 kN).
- Servo-hydraulic dynamic testing machine (from 25 kN to 250 kN).
- Drop tower for impact tests up to 800 J.
- Non-destructive ultrasonic characterization system (C-scan).
- Dynamic Mechanical Analysis Unit (DMA).
- Digital Image Correlation System (DIC).
- Rheometer to determine rheological and viscoelastic behavior.
- Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA).
The rates of the services will vary depending on the manufacturing and characterization work required (type of material, manufacturing techniques, type of tests, number of samples, test standards, etc.).
In order to obtain a technical-economic offer of the R&D services, contact the laboratory services coordinator vanesa.martinez@imdea.org
Location
C/ Eric Kandel, 2
Tecnogetafe
28906, Getafe, Madrid (España)
Telephone: (+34) 91 549 34 22
email:
Equipment
