The innovative materials laboratory aims at developing a deep understanding of materials behaviour by developing physical models, implementing them numerically and experimentally verifying their predictions.
The laboratory also supports all CIRA’s project, and external customers, requiring material characterizations by offering a wide range of material testing services, including mechanical testing, thermal characterization, metallographic analysis, and polymeric 3D printing capability.
The laboratory develops original model of materials behaviors based on a multiscale approach and implements them using in house developed finite element codes.
From the material characterization point of view, the laboratory is capable of performing static, dynamic and fatigue mechanical testing at different temperature, ranging from -150C to 1300C. The laboratory is also capable of performing thermal analysis of material samples, including Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis, Dynamical Mechanical Analysis, Rheology and Thermomechanical Analysis. Also, the laboratory is capable of carrying out surface preparation and metallographic observation of metallic, composite and ceramic material samples.
Mechanical testing
• Static mechanical testing up to 100kN, from -150C to 350C by means of a Intron 5900R4505 testing machine,
• Dynamical and fatigue testing up to 250 kN, from room temperature up to 1300C, by means of a MTS 850HT machine,
• High speed mechanical testing up to 50 kN and 20 m/sec, by means of a MTS Hig Rate Machine,
• Low force mechanical testing up to 5kN, thanks to a SHIMATZU AGS-X 10kN testing machine.
Thermal analysis
• Modulated Differential Scanning Calorimetry by means of a TA MDSC Q20,
• Scanning thermogravimetry up to 1200 C by means of a TA DTGA Q 5000IR,
• Rheology analysis from -30C to 600 C by means of a TA DHR2 Rheometer,
• Dynamical Mechanical Analysis by means of a TA DMA 2980 (obsolete instrument),
• Thermomechanical analysis by means of a TA TMA 2980 (obsolete instrument).
Microscopy morphological analysis
• Metallic samples preparation for microstructure observation,
• Composite and ceramic sample preparation,
• Leica Stereomicroscope,
• Leica Metallographic microscope up to 1000x.
Polymeric 3D printing capability
• Stereolithographic 3D printing by means of a Formlabs Form 2 printer,
• Polymeric powder laser melting 3D printing by means of a Sinterit LISA printer.
Andrea Vigliotti
Innovative Materials Laboratory, Head
CIRA – MAIN site
office: +39 0823 623916
mobile: +39 349 4280638
email: andrea.vigliotti@cira.it