AMPL | Facilities

Materials Processing

Powder mixing/milling facilities: low energy (rotator mixer), jar mill, and high-energy (SPEX) powder mechanical milling, (AMPL,SDSU)

Spark plasma sintering (SPS), current activated reactive chamber & hot/ spark plasma extrusion and equal channel angular extrusion rigs (AMPL, SDSU)

Induction heater/melter (15kW power, AMPL, SDSU)

Powder compaction facilities (uniaxial and isostatic pressing) (AMPL, SDSU).

Brookfield Viscometer and pH meter (AMPL, SDSU)

Extensive powder metallurgy processing facilities weighing, mixing, milling (low and high energy) SPEX milling, compaction and sintering furnaces (box furnace, 2 solid tube furnaces, 1 split tube furnace and one vacuum graphite furnace (up to 2000oC) (AMPL& ME, SDSU).

Thermocouple welder (AMPL, SDSU)

Water atomizer for metal powder production (AMPL, SDSU)

Low and high amperage (up to 2000A) power supplies (AMPL, SDSU).

Fumehood, digital balances for specimen weighing, high energy ultrasonic probe for powder dispersion Vibromixer, ultrasonic cleaners and hot plates (AMPL, SDSU).

Slip casting and Tape casting facilities (AMPL, SDSU).

Ballistic processing facilities (AMPL, SDSU)

Standard machining equipment, laser cutters, band saws, sanding machines, grinders, welders, drilling presses (ME, SDSU).

3D metal and plastic 3D printing facilities (AMPL & ME, SDSU)

Buehler diamond precision saw (AMPL, SDSU)

Grinding and polishing equipment for metallographic preparation, specimen mounting press (Bakelite), vacuum bake oven. (AMPL, SDSU).

Centrifuge (AMPL, SDSU)

Water jet cutter, micro-laser welder, laser cutter, ultra-high vacuum pump (ME/AMPL, SDSU).

Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) Setup (2000 A Capacity); Spart Plasma Extrusion (SPE) Setup (2000 A Capacity)

Ballastic Processing Setup for Thick Film Manufacturing

Materials Characterization & Properties

Metallographic microscopes and stereomicroscope equipped with digital cameras (AMPL, SDSU).

Particle size analysis equipment (laser-based and sieves-based including shaker) (AMPL, SDSU)

Electrochemical Etcher (AMPL, SDSU)

Ultra-high-speed (up to 160,000 frame/second) camera, 1 high speed cameras (~1200 frames/second), Thermal imaging camera (AMPL & ME, SDSU)

High-temperature fast response pyrometer, Omega data acquisition systems (AMPL, SDSU)

Field emission scanning electron microscope including EDX for compositional analysis (campus facility, SDSU).

Transmission Electron microscope (TEM) (Campus Facility)

TEM prep equipment including dimpler, punch and ion beam mill (AMPL, SDSU).

Image analysis facilities (AMPL, SDSU)

Raman Spectrometer (Campus, SDSU)

Differential Scanning Calorimeter (ME, SDSU)

X-ray diffractometer (Campus facility) for phase analysis qualitative and quantitative (including phase content, dislocation density and crystal size analysis).

Density measurement setup using Archimedes principle (AMPL, SDSU)

Universal testing machines for tensile and compression testing (ME, SDSU)

Micro-Hardness tester (50-1000 g) (AMPL, SDSU).

Rockwell macro-hardness testers (ME, SDSU)

Vickers Macro hardness testers, (up to 100kg) (ME, SDSU).

Four-point flexural strength setup room temperature and high temperature (AMPL, SDSU)

Pin-on-Disc Wear Tester (AMPL, SDSU)

Electrical properties characterization setup (4-point probe) (AMPL, COE, SDSU)

pH Meter