Spark Plasma Sintering
The Spark Plasma Sintering device of ISL offers the possibility to obtain solid materials from powder and bulk material within a very short time using metals, ceramics, polymers and composites….
Therefore the powder is placed within a matrix, than compressed by 2 pistons and heated by a passing high electric current (20 000 Amperes).
Technical features
- Sample of 30 mm to 150 mm diameter
- Max. temperature of 2200 °C
- Max. heating rate 500 °C/min
- Compression force : 1250 kN
Vacuum furnace
This vacuum furnace allows the production of very pure solid materials by a procedure using powders which have been pre-compressed at low temperatures.
The sample is placed directly on the tungsten lifting platform and then heated up to the sintering or densification temperature.
Technical features
- Sample diameter up to 220 mm
- Max. temperature: 2000 °C
- Vacuum atmosphere: (1.10-7 mbar) or inert gas flushing
HIP - Hot Isostratic Press
The Hot Isostatic Press (HIP) is used to consolidate bulk powders but also to do the final pressing von solid materials.
Isostatic means, that the pressure is the same in all directions to enhance the relative density of a solid homogenous material from 97 % to 100 %.
Technical features
- Max. pressure (Argon) : 1900 bar
- Max. temperature : 2000 °C
- Dimension of the device : diameter 100 mm, height 200 mm
Hopkinson Bars
Hopkinson bars are testing devices which are used to perform mechanical testing at very high strain rates (300 to 10 000 s-1).
Hopkinson bars in compression and direct tensile configurations with different diameters (from 8 to 25 mm) and in several materials (f.ex. maraging steel, aluminium etc.) are available at ISL.
There is the possibility to achieve temperature tests and to do dedicated assembling according to the specific features of the material to be tested.
Technical features
Studied materials:
metals, ceramics, polymers, composites, fibers
Other devices for dynamic characterisation:
- Taylor tests
- impact tests with laboratory projectiles
- dynamic tensile test on fibers (TITY device)
Tools associated to dynamic testing:
- High-speed camera (frame rate max. 10-6 fps, max. resolution of 400 × 250 pixels, 256 frames max.)
- strain gauges
- laser metrology for speed calculation
- transient signal recorder
Tension / compression machines
ISL holds three electromechanical universal presses of 50 kN, 100 kN and 250 kN to cover strain rates from 10-4s-1 to 10-1s-1.
Different assemblies can be adapted: traction, compression, uniaxial and biaxial bending, compact tension, etc. Several assemblies have been especially designed and built at ISL.
Technical features
Studied materials:
metals, ceramics, polymers, composites, fibres
Associated tools:
environmental chamber, linear variable differential transformer (LVDT), extensometer
Other tools for the mechanical characterisation of materials:
micro and macro hardness
