Metals analysis
We offer a full service for the analysis and characterisation of metallic materials and components. Our unique combination of materials characterisation and analysis equipment, together with our team of expert and experienced staff in materials research, allows us to deliver the results you require. We are experienced in examining all types of metallic materials from cast irons to brasses to nickel super alloys.
We use a wide range of materials analysis equipment not available together elsewhere to deliver the results you need, including SEM, TEM, ICP-OES, XRD, XRF, Raman, FTIR and XPS.
Services offered include
- full metallographic preparation facilities
- metals composition and grade determination
- failure analysis and fractography
- examination for cause of failure including; over load, stress corrosion cracking, hydrogen embrittlement, liquid metal embrittlement, inclusions, fatigue, corrosion fatigue, surface damage etc
- mechanical properties - strength (UTS etc), toughness (charpy etc), fatigue
- hardness includes macroscopic, microscopic and nano-hardness
- phase determination e.g. austenite, martensite, banite etc in steels or alpha/beta phases in brass
- surface contamination identification
- inclusion and impurity identification
- general localised and galvanic corrosion measurements
- surface treatment assessments e.g. depth profiling of nitrogen in nitrided steels or coating thickness and hardness determination
- grain size measurement
- measurement of wear resistance and friction
- analysis of competitors products to determine if patents are being breached etc
Key benefits include
- reduced down time
- improved products
- increased sales through increased product quality
- eliminated supply chain problems
- trained staff
- support for in-house technical teams
Facilities, projects, publications and services
Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)
Arc Brazing of Stainless Steel to Stainless Steel and Galvanised Mild Steel
Brazing is the joining process which occurs at a temperature above 450 degrees celsius and below the solidus of the parent material. Below 450 degrees celsius the process is known as soldering and above the solidus of the parent material the process is known as welding.
An Analysis of the Statistical Fatigue Behaviour of Single and Multi-Spot Welded Joints
Multi-spot welded joints are routinely used in the automotive and other industries to produce structurally critical components. Unfortunately the size and complexity of the joints often limits the practicality of testing their mechanical properties, particularly when long term testing is required, such as in the case of determining fatigue properties.