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New Materials Tests Available to Iowa CompaniesIowa companies now have ready access to two sophisticated materials testing methods, thanks to new equipment acquired by the Materials Group in IPRT Company Assistance. The group provides services to help Iowa manufacturers solve difficult materials problems. Corrosion TestsThe first piece of equipment is a cyclic corrosion testing chamber, commonly called a CCT chamber, which exposes products to harsh conditions for accelerated comparisons of coatings or alloys. “The chamber is one of the most sophisticated and versatile units available,” says Paul Berge, program manager of the Materials Group. “It meets a wide range of international standards for such testing.”
IPRT's new cyclic corrosion testing chamber. The chamber can perform customized testing procedures, including standard continuous salt-fog exposure, preprogrammed salt fog and drying cycles, non-salt water condensation, air drying and controlled humidity exposure. While salt-fog corrosion testing has existed since the early 1900’s, cyclic corrosion testing is a relatively recent development. Atmospheric exposure often consists of wet and dry cycles, so cyclic tests correlate better to actual outdoor exposure than continuous tests. Alloy EvaluationThe second piece of equipment is an optical emission spectrometer, which makes fast quantitative measurements of material chemistry for alloys based on iron, copper and aluminum. “In the past, we’d send alloy samples to a commercial laboratory for analysis. This time-consuming procedure often delayed project completion,” Berge says, noting that such data is often the key to solving a manufacturer’s materials problems. The new device uses a high-voltage electrical arc passing between the sample and an electrode, which vaporizes a small amount of sample material. The vaporization releases ultraviolet radiation and visible light. The wavelength and relative intensity of released energy is then used to automatically calculate the relative amounts of various elements present in the sample. The bench-top device is a SPECTROMAXx made by Spectro Analytical Instruments Inc. While the unit can currently evaluate three material types, it can be upgraded to handle others if needed. IPRT |
Contact UsFor more information on how IPRT can help your company solve its materials problems, please contact: Paul Berge
Institute for Physical
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Institute for Physical Research and Technology
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