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Materials Engineering

Our acivities Technology transfer and innovation Facilities

 

The Materials Department shows a strong experience concerning corrosion behavior depending on the tested material or/and used medium).  The measurement can be performed by potential scanning, by intensity scanning, or at a given potential (static measurement).

A specificity of our laboratory is the knowledge in measuring corrosion rate when two or more metallic parts are in contact (galvanic behavior), allowing comparison and evaluation of :

  • The criticism of the obtain system.
  • The effect of a potential surface treatment on one (or more) of the metallic part(s).
  • The effect of heat treatment on one (or more) of the metallic part(s).
  • The kinetic of the corrosion versus time.
  • Automotive.

With metallic, polymers, ceramics and composites experts, the staff of the Materials Department can help industrial partner to innovate by :

  • Improving specific parts of processes,
  • Creating or designing new parts or processes,

Expertise can also be realized in order to determine the microstructure, the general behavior, the thermal treatment, the surface treatment, the hardness, the mechanical characteristics, origin of failure… of a large range of materials and systems.

Technology Transfer and Innovation

Kinetics of corrosion established between two or more metallic.

Establishment of a galvanic scale (to help designers working in R&D Departments with  the choice of materials).

Simulation and optimisation of resin injection in RTM composite process

Partner : AIRBUS Nantes

Aims of the project :

  • Confirm the capability to manufacture complex composite part using RTM process.
  • Define the injection parameters.
  • Verify the materials health of the manufactured part.
    • Numerical simulation of resin injection
    • Design injection tool
    • Non Destructive Inspection using US
    • Destructive control – micrographics analysis

Optimization of mechanical properties of stainless steels (medical field)

Partner : SUTUREX RENODEX

Aims of the project :

  • Optimization of the hardening heat treatment without decreasing the corrosion resistance (to find a compromise).
  • Experimental design to reduce the number of experiments and to know the effect of each parameter on  the  plasticity.
  • Conception and manufacturing of a system to estimate the brightness of the final needle (quality test).

Facilities

Specific software:

  • NEMROD W (experimental design).
  • PICAT (simulation of polymers injection).

Testing Machines :

  • ZEISS optical microscope with SYMAXOS-PRO software for image treatment (magnification ranging from 6 to 50 for a first device, an from 100 to 1000 for the second one).
  • HITACHI 570 SEM with EDX analysis, KEVEX delta (driven by NORAN SYSTEM 6 software).
  • IR-FT spectroscopy device.
  • Electrochemical RADIOMETER devices PGP201 and PGZ100 (driven by VOLTAMASTER4 software).
  • NETZSCH Thermal analysis devices : DSC 200F3 ; ATD-ATG  STA 409PC ; Dilatometer DIL 402PC.
  • INSTRON Mechanical testing (5kN, 100kN, 300kN sensors), with ZWICK electronic system (driven by TESTXPERT II).
  • MITUTOYO Microhardness device.
  • EMCO TEST Hardness device.
  • Laser granulometer (MALVERN Mastersizer 2000) available for dry powders or powders dispersed in liquid solutions.
  • Furnaces up to 1600°C under controlled atmosphere.