Students taking the Introduction to Materials course, working on design projects, or research use the Metallography lab to characterize metals and plastics. The lab contains all the equipment necessary to mount, polish, and examine material samples. There are four inverted microscopes; two with image capture. Failure analysis can be conducted on two stereo microscopes. The lab also contains the equipment necessary to prepare samples for electron microscopy. TEM samples can be prepared using the ultrasonic disk cutter, dimple grinder, and ion mill. SEM samples are usually prepared using the same procedures as optical microscopy samples.
Equipment
- Three sample grinding stations
- Three dual-wheel polishing stations
- High speed linear sectioning saw
- Low speed sectioning saw
- Two mounting presses
- Rockwell B & C scale hardness testers
- Brinell hardness tester
- Buehler microhardness tester
- Fischione dimple grinder
- Fischione disk punch
- Fischione Model 1010 ion mill
- Two Lecia stereomicroscopes
- One with digital image capture
- One with digital image capture
- Four metallurgical microscopes
- One Zeiss Axiovert microscope with brightfield, darkfield, and digital image capture
- Impact testers for plastics
- Beakers and other lab supplies
- Stirring hot plate