1. Chemical / Compositional Analysis Lab

Typical equipment

• XRF for bulk chemistry of metals, slags, oxides and powders

• XRD (incl. hot-stage XRD up to ~1600 °C) for phase / mineral ID

• OES spark spectrometry for metallic alloys

• SEM with EDS/EBSD for microstructure, inclusions and surface contamination

• Wet chemistry lab, ICP support, portable FTIR and portable mass spectrometer for in-field or process analysis

What it’s used for

• Full chemistry of steels, non-ferrous alloys, slags, dusts and process solutions

• Phase and mineral identification in metals, powders, ores, cements and by-products

• Inclusion chemistry, tramp element screening, cleanliness, PMI and failure investigations

• Chemical support to hydrometallurgy, recycling and cement/concrete projects

2. Thermal Analysis Lab

Typical equipment

• STA 449 / 409 (TGA + DSC/DTA) with quadrupole mass spectrometer (STA-QMS) up to 2400 °C

• Stand-alone TGA, DSC, DTA systems

• Calorimeter and ageing chambers (-50 to +180 °C, humidity control)

• Hot-stage XRD for in-situ phase evolution

What it’s used for

• Decomposition, oxidation, melting, phase transitions and enthalpy of metals, powders, slags, polymers and ceramics

• Evolved gas analysis (CO, CO₂, H₂, H₂O, organics) to understand reaction mechanisms

• Thermal stability and reactivity of cements, concretes and alternative binders

• Thermal behaviour of feedstocks for pyro/ hydro-metallurgical and decarbonisation processes

3. Metals & Metallography Lab

Typical equipment

• Optical microscopy, macro-etching, sulphur printing

• SEM/EDS (and EBSD/WDS where required) for detailed microstructural analysis

• XRD/XRF/OES access for coupled structural–chemical work

What it’s used for

• Microstructure and grain size measurement; phase fraction quantification

• Inclusion rating, banding, decarburisation depth, case depth verification

• Weld macro/micro examination and HAZ mapping

• Root-cause failure analysis of components and trial products

4. Mechanical Testing Lab

Typical equipment

• Tensile and compression test frames (room and elevated temperature)

• Charpy impact, creep and impression-creep rigs

• Hardness: Brinell, Vickers, Knoop, Rockwell; macro and micro hardness mapping

• Ancillary tests: tribology, modulus by indentation, expansion tests, ageing chambers

What it’s used for

• Qualification of new metals, welds and additive parts (strength, toughness, ductility, creep)

• Property mapping across sections, cases and HAZs

• Mechanical validation of materials produced in pilot furnace / rolling trials and in cement/concrete programmes

5. Powder & Additive Manufacturing Lab (AMCC)

Typical equipment

• Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF / DMLM) machine for metal AM

• Powder characterisation suite:

  • Malvern Morphology 4 (shape, size, circularity)

  • Granudrum (flowability, avalanche angle)

  • Granupack (bulk & tap density)

  • Nanovea profilometer (surface roughness / 3D profile)

• PSD analysis, flowability tests, milling, sieving and powder recycling rigs

What it’s used for

• Full powder QA: size, morphology, chemistry, flow and packing behaviour

• Benchmarking powders from different suppliers and powder reuse strategies

• AM process development: parameter optimisation, new alloy powders, post-processing and mechanical testing of printed parts

• Powder metallurgy development and scale-up from grams to kg

6. Cement & Concrete Lab (Sustainable Cement and Concrete Centre)

Typical equipment

• Mixing & casting: 10 L and 70 L pan mixers, mortar mixer, vibrating tables, workability/flow equipment

• Curing & storage: water tanks, temperature-controlled containers

• Durability: sulphate resistance container, carbonation chambers, chloride migration rig, freeze–thaw ageing, calorimeter, air-entrainment meters

• Strength & physical testing: compressive strength rigs, Vicat apparatus, density and surface measurements, bulk materials processing (drum mill, jaw crusher, diamond cutter)

What it’s used for

• Design and testing of novel cements, alkali-activated binders and concretes using industrial by-products and slag

• Mechanical and durability testing of mortar and concrete for product qualification

• Process optimisation and derisking of low-clinker and clinker-free systems, including slag cooling and formulation optimisation using ML tools