Ceramics & Inorganic Materials Group

Gordon Laboratory

Facilities in the Gordon Laboratory

Students meeting a patient Together with the Composites and Coatings Group, we are developing a range of facilities for micromechanical testing, that are unique in the world. The Group also has its own specialised equipment for ceramics processing , in particular it is the only UK group with graphite furnaces capable of temperatures in excess of 3000 K.

The following equipment is available for use by members of the group:

 

For characterisation:

  • Metallographic preparation equipment

  • Microhardness indenter, including hot hardness up to 1500 °C

  • Nanoindenter (including hot hardness up to 500 °C)

  • In situ straining rigs for small scale testing in the SEM and Raman spectrometer

  • Renishaw Raman spectrometer (with stage capable of cooling and heating)

  • Creep rigs for testing up to 1500 °C

  • Moiré interferometer

  • Resonance frequency and damping analyser (IMCE, RFDA 23)

  • Dilatometer (Netzsch, 402C) up to 2200 °C

  • Image analysis equipment

  • Computer workstations with software for various applications (including Abaqus for finite element modelling, video software for image analysis)

 

Furnaces for burning out polymers under both air and inert atmosphere

 

Furnaces for producing ceramics including:

  • Astro Graphite furnaces, up to 2650 °C

  • Severn Furnaces graphite furnace, up to 2200 °C under inert atmosphere

  • Lenton 1700 and 17/4, up to 1600 °C in air

  • Gas reactor for vapour phase growth of materials

 

Processing equipment for making ceramic powder compacts

 

-from slurries

  • Ball mills

  • Attritor mill

  • Tape caster

  • Facilities for slip casting

  • Centrifuge

-by plastic mixing

  • Twin roll mill