The institute has the following scientific infrastructures:
Processing
Pultrusion Line
to manufacture continuous composite profiles of thermoset matrices reinforced with carbon, glass, aramid, and other advanced fibres. Fibre fabrics or roving are pulled off reels, guided through a resin bath or resin impregnation system and subsequently into a series of heated metallic dies to eliminate the excess of resin, obtain the correct shape and cure the resin. The pultruded continuous profile is extracted from the dies by means of hydraulic grips.
Resin Transfer Moulding (Megaject MkV, Magnun Venus Plastech)
to manufacture composite components with excellent surface finish, dimensional stability, and mechanical properties by low-pressure injection of thermoset polymers into a metallic mould containing the fibre preform.
Hot-Plate Press (LabPro 400, Fontijne Presses)
to consolidate laminate panels from pre-impregnated sheets of fibre-reinforced composites or nanocomposites by simultaneous application of pressure (up to 400 kN) and heat (up to 400ºC). Both thermoset and thermoplastic matrix composites can be processed.
Electrospinning Unit (NANON-01A, MECC)
to produce non-woven nanofibrous mats as well as aligned bundles of nanofibres based on various polymers, ceramics and composites. Nanofibres of different shape (smooth and porous surfaces, beaded, core-sheath) and orientations (non-woven cloth, aligned, and aligned multi-layer) can be manufactured.
Physical Simulation of Processing (Gleeble 3800, DSI available in June 2010)
to perform laboratory scale simulation of casting, welding, diffusion bonding and hot deformation processing (rolling, forging, extrusion) of a wide range of metallic alloys (steels, Ni-based superalloys, Ti, Al and Mg alloys, etc), as well as their thermo-mechanical characterization.
Microstructural Analysis
Scanning electron microscope (EVO MA15, Zeiss)
with chemical microanalysis EDS Oxford INCA 350, with automated pressure regulation from 10 to 400 Pa to work with non-metallic samples without the need of metalizing.
Metallography laboratory
to prepare samples for microstructural analysis. Laboratory facilities include equipment for cutting, polishing and chemical etching, an optical microscope (Olympus BX-51 ) as well as an image analysis system for quantitative metallography.
X-ray computer-assisted 3D nanotomography scanner (Nanotom, Phoenix)
for three-dimensional visualization and quantitative analysis of microstructural features in a wide variety of materials ranging from metal powders and minerals to polymers and biomaterials. The scanner combines a 160 KV X-ray source to study highly absorbing materials together with a nanofocus tube to provide high resolution (0.2-0.3 µm detail detectability).
IMDEA Materials has signed an agreement with the Transmission Electron Microscopy Laboratory (LABMET) of the Physics Department at the Carlos III University to provide Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) characterization of materials. The LABMET has a FEI Tecnai 20 FEG TEM with X-Ray microanalysis, STEM and HAADF and several facilities for TEM sample preparation.
Mechanical Properties
Micromechanical testing stages (Kammrath and Weiss)
to observe the specimen surface upon loading under light, scanning electron, focused ion-beam, scanning ultrasonic, or atomic force microscopy. Two stages prepared for tension/compression and fibre tensile testing are available, with maximum loads of 10 kN and 1 N, respectively.
Universal electromechanical testing machine (Instron 3384)
to characterize the mechanical properties of materials, include fixtures for different tests (tension, compression, bending, fracture), load cells (10kN, 30 kN and 150 kN), and extensometers.
Rheometer (AR2000EX, TA Instruments)
to determine the rheological behaviour and viscoelastic properties of fluids, polymer melts, solids and reactive materials (resins) in the temperature range 25ºC to 400ºC.
IMDEA Materials has signed several agreements, within the framework of collaborative R&D projects, with the Department of Materials Science of the Polytechnic University of Madrid, which has the following research equipment:
- Nanoindentor, atomic force microscope, dynamic thermo-mechanical analyzer (DTMA). Mechanical testing (standard mechanical tests, fracture, fatigue, high strain rate deformation, low and high velocity impact testing, wear, etc.)
- Chambers and furnaces for testing in particular environments (77K to 2000K, controlled humidity and temperature, high vacuum, etc.)
- Advanced extensometry (DIC, Speckle interferometry, laser, etc.)
Thermal Properties
Dual Cone Calorimeter (Fire Testing Technology)
to study the forced combustion behavior of a polymer (to simulate real-world fire conditions); fire relevant properties including time-to-ignition, critical ignition flux heat release rates (HRRs), peak of HRR, mass loss rates (MLRs), smoke production, CO2 and CO yields, effective heat of combustion, and specific extinction areas are directly measured according to ASTM/ISO standards.
UL94 Horizontal/Vertical Flame Chamber (Fire Testing Technology)
a widely used flame testing methodology, particularly famous among the industry circles as this is a standard flammability technique for selecting materials to be used as enclosures for electronic equipment and other consumer applications in many countries. Basically, the ability of a sample to self-sustained ignition (and propagation) in an upward (or horizontal) flame spread configuration is evaluated according to international standards. Tests that can be performed using this equipment: horizontal burning test (UL94 HB); vertical burning test (UL94 V-0, V-1, or V-2); vertical burning test (5VA or 5VB); thin material vertical burning test (VTM-0, VTM-1 or VTM-2); and horizontal burning foamed material test (HF-1, HF-2 or HBF).
(Limiting) Oxygen Index (Fire Testing Technology)
to measure the relative flammability of a material by evaluating the minimum concentration of oxygen in precisely controlled oxygen-nitrogen mixture that will just support flaming combustion of a specimen. It is a primary characterizing and quality control tool to the plastic and electric cable industries and it has been specified by several military and transport groups.
Differential scanning calorimeter (Q200, TA Instruments)
to analyze thermal properties/phase transitions of different materials up to 725 oC. Equipped with Tzero technology, it provides flattest/reproducible baselines, superior sensitivity and resolution. It is also coupled with a refrigerated cooling system to operate over a temperature range of 40 to 400 oC and higher cooling rates of ~50 oC/min.
Thermogravimetric analyzer (Q50, TA Instruments)
to understand a materials’ thermal stability and composition up to 1000 oC by analyzing the weight changes in a material at higher resolution as a function of temperature (or time) under a controlled atmosphere.
Simulation
- High performance computing cluster (60 cores, AMD Opteron 2356 & 2431)
- High performance computing servers (8 cores AMD Opteron 8222SE, 8 cores INTEL Xeon X5450)
- Access to Mare Nostrum supercomputing facilities (Barcelona Supercomputing Center)
- Standard simulation, preprocessing and postprocessing programs (Abaqus, Hypermesh, Tecplot, etc.) as well as in-house developed codes for modelling and simulation of the mechanical behavior and damage evolution of structural materials.