The Ultrapyc 5000 at the MCL measures the density of samples varying from 0.25 cc to 135 cc in volume, allowing for a wide variety of samples to be tested, including powders, solids, and slurries. Slurries are a suspension of solid in some liquid and are used in a...
Read More >>Percent Crystallinity by the XRD Integration Method
X-ray diffraction experiments can be explained by Bragg’s law. The reflected x-rays from long-range crystallographic order planes can be predicted using the following equation. Where n is an integer, λ is the wavelength of the incident x-rays, d is the inter-atomic spacing, and θ is the angle of incidence....
Read More >>XRD Phi Rotation Scanning
X-ray diffraction (XRD) is a powerful analytical tool for industry professionals and material scientists. A source (typically copper) produces x-rays which are directed at a flat sample. These x-rays are diffracted at certain angles by the crystal planes in the material and are detected at those angles. Based on...
Read More >>Heat Capacity by the Sapphire Method
The heat capacity of a material is a crucial property to consider when determining its functionality in certain applications. The typical SI unit of heat capacity (Cp) is Joules per gram Kelvin (). It is a measurement of how sensitive a material is to changes in temperature due to...
Read More >>The Universal Reflectance Accessory
Many scientific applications of thin films, thermal and optical coatings, conducting oxide layers, as well as many other systems, require analysis of reflectance, absorption, and transmittance of electromagnetic radiation; specifically visible light and near-visible radiation. Here in the Materials Characterization Lab at the University of Utah, we utilize the...
Read More >>Vickers Hardness testing
Hardness is defined as a material’s resistance to permanent deformation such as penetration or scratching. Static indentation tests are one way to determine hardness. For static indentation, a cone, pyramid, or ball is forced into the surface of the material. The relationship between the load applied for a given...
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