Materials
We play at different areas of action in terms of polymeric materials:
- development of thermoplastics with improved performance, e.g. flame resistance
- development of bio-derived thermosets
- polymeric shell microcapsules – link
- development of thermoplastic elastomers
- nanoparticles and porous microspheres
- self-healing of polymers
- silane coupling agents for polymer matrix composites
- recycling and upcycling pf plastic residues
Polymer Processing
The Hands-on Polymers Lab has the required physical and human resources to respond to the different challenges of companies that play on the polymers field. It has capabilities to act on a variety of polymer processing technologies:
Polymer processing equipments
Miniextruder
Filament maker (3devo Composer).
Single screw extruder
Single screw extruder for polymer processing. Model 19/25 D. Controler AEV331.
Temperature controller: type 808, Eurotherm.
Twin-screw extruder
Brabender DSK 42/7 Co-Rotating Twin Screw Extruder.
Data Processing Plasti-Corder PL2000 module.
Two-roll Mixing Mill
Brabender PM-3000
Two roll-mill used for compounding (thermoplastic mixture preparation and elastomer
preparation).
3D Printing machines
Laboratory Press
Used for thermomoulding (Carver M-2089)
25ton-force, 3025ton-force
Heated plate (30 Cº – 500 Cº)
Casting (Customized set-ups)
Polymer characterization equipments
FTIR Spectrometer with Microscope
Device for analysis of the chemical structure, by infrared spectroscopy, with the possibility of utilization of a microscope. Attenuated total reflectance acessory for the analysis of powder samples, liquids, etc. Possibility for IR signal mapping.
Gas Permeation Chromatograph
Gel Permeation Chromatograph for the analysis of the properties of polymeric solutions, such as the molecular weight distribution of polymeric materials.
Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analyser (DMA)
TA Instruments Q800
Dinamic-mechanical analysis for the assessment of the rheological properties of polymeric materials.
Controlled temperature furnace (-150ºC – 500ºC)
Frequency range: 0.01 to 100 Hz
Measurement cells: fixed supported bending, fixed bending, three-point bending, fibre and film tension, compression, punch penetration.
Melt Flow Index analyser
Equipment for the assessment of the melt flow index, following ASTM, D1238-62T. Useful, e.g. to compare grades within a polymer type.
TGA – Thermogravimetric Analysis
Thermogravimetric analysis to assess the thermal behavior of materials. TGA is a method of thermal analysis in which the mass of a sample is measured over time as the temperature changes.
Rheometer (TA-Rheometrics RMS-800)
A rheometer is a device used to measure the rheological properties of materials, i.e. the flow and deformation of matter, correlating force, deformation and time. It is capable of measuring viscosity and elasticity of non-Newtonian materials under a wide range of conditions.
Normal load and binary sensors.
Controlled temperature furnace (-170Cº – 600Cº).
Measurement systems: cone and plate, parallel plates, three-point bending, solids torsion tension, uniaxial extensional flow.
Tests in stationary, dynamic and transient regimes.