Facility and Test Equipment

Facilities at the Center

The focal point of the Composite Materials and Structures Center is a 7500-square-foot research facility located in the Research Complex-Engineering Building on the MSU campus. Laboratory equipment along with offices for faculty members, students and visiting industrial researchers are housed there.

LEFT : An overview of Composite Manufacturing and Processing Facility
RIGHT : Composite testing and evaluation takes place in the Analytical Laboratory.

Research Equipment

The main function of the facility is to provide research equipment necessary for composite materials and structures investigations.

In keeping with MSU's land grant philosophy to foster education, research and public service, the center maintains a full-time research staff. These professionals are available for funded industrial research activities. Industrial or governmental organizations may contract directly with the center for research involving use of its equipment.

Research at the center involves organic and inorganic, particulate, discontinuous and continuous reinforcements with polymeric, metallic, ceramic and concrete matrices.

Extensive state-of-the-art analytical, processing, fabrication and characterization equipment is available. Equipment includes major groupings of instrumentation for surface and interfacial analysis, experimental mechanics and composite fabrication and characterization, as well as apparatus for characterization of chemical, thermal and physical properties of materials.

For Technical Specifications on the equipment listed below and more, see the Updated List of Research Equipment.

Surface and Interfacial Analysis
Perkin-Elmer PHI 660 Scanning Auger Microprobe 
Perkin-Elmer PHI 5400 Small Spot 
Electroscan 2020 Environmental Scaning Electron Microscope 
JEOL Scanning Electron Microscope 

ABOVE : A detail of an x-ray photoelectron spectrometer used for surface analysis and adhesion studies in composite materials.

Surface Energetic Analysis
Microwilhelmy Apparatus for Contact Angle Measurements 
Pendant Drop Cell 
Elevated Temperature Microbalance Apparatus for Wettability Determinations with Polymers 

Matrix Characterization Equipment
Dupont Thermal Analysis Model 9900 
Differential Thermal Analysis 
Dynamic Mechanical Analysis 
Thermal Gravimetric Analysis 
Differential Scanning Calorimetry 
Thermal Mechanical Analysis 
Rheometrics RMS 800 Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer 
Micromet III Dielectric Analyzer 
Perkin-Elmer Differential Scanning Calorimeter Model DSC7 

Composite Processing Equipment
Baker-Perkins 30mm Twin Screw Extruder 
New Britain 4 oz. Injection Molding Machine 
Research Tool Hot Melt Prepreg Unit 
McLean Anderson Filament Winding Unit 
United McGill Autoclave (330 psig/375oC) 
Carver Dual Daylight Heated and Cooled Hydraulic Press (12 inch, 425oC) 
Various Forced Air and Vacuum Ovens 
Resin Transfer Molding System 
MSU Powder Prepreg System 

Above: Dry polymer powder prepreg system

Experimental Mechanics Instrumentation
MTS 880 Servohydraulic Testing Equipment (22 KIPS/300o/C) 
MTS 880 Servohydraulic Testing System (22 KIPS/1500oC) 
MTS 810 Servohydraulic Testing System (22 KIPS) 
UTS Testing System (22 KIPS) 
Single Fiber Testing Apparatus 
Reflected and Transmitted Light Microscopes 
C-Scan NDI Equipment 
Gas Gun Instumented Impact System 
DYNATUP Instrumented Impact System 
Interfacial Testing System for In-Situ Measurement of Fiber-Matrix Adhesion 

Instrumentation Available on Campus
Melt Flow Indexer 
Sharpy Impact System 
Gas Chromatographic Systems 
UV-VIS Spectrophotometers 
Liquid Chromatographic Systems 
Environmental Chambers 
TEM, STEM and Microprobe Facilities 
Ultramicrotomy 
X-ray Diffraction 
Laser Confocal Scanning Microscope 
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Facility 

Left: microwave chamber Right: A researcher conducts measurements on the effect of microwave processing on polymer composite properties

Testing Available at the MSU Composites Center

The Composites Materials and Structures Center is equiped to preform the following tests. For information on pricing and availablility, see the "For More Information" section at the end of this page.

Tensile Properties of Plastics and Composites

Tensile Properties of Fiber-Resin Composites 
Tensile Strength of Composite Rings - Split Disk Method 
Tensile Properties of Plastics 
Tensile Properties of Modulus Single Filaments 
Tensile Properties of Plastic Sheets and Films 
Tensile Properties of Plastics at High Speeds 
Tensile Properties of Reinforced Pultruded Plastic Rods 

ABOVE : A researcher conducts a composite tensile test.

Compressions Properties of Plastics and Composites

Compression Properties of Fiber-Resin Composites by IITRI 
Compression Properties of Cellular Plastics 
Compression Properties of Rigid Plastics 

Shear and Adhesion Testing of Polymers and Composites

[+/- 45] Tension Test Method 
Two Rail Shear Test Method 
Short Beam Shear Test 
In-Plane Shear Strength of Reinforced Pultruded Plastic Rods 
Shear Strength of Reinforced Pultruded Rod by Short Beam Shear 
Iosipescu Shear Test Method 
Climbing Drum Peel Test 

Micromechanical Testing of Polymer Composite Materials

Single Fiver Fragmentation Test 
Microdroplet Debonding Test 
Microindentation Test 
Single Fiver Compression Test 

Surface and Failure Analysis

Auger Spectroscopy 
X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy 
Scanning Electron Microscopy 
Environmental Scaning Electron Microscope
Fourier Transform Infared Spectroscopy 

ABOVE : Auger spectroscopy

Fatigue Testing of Plastics and Composites


 
Tension-Testing Fatigue (1 million cycles) 
Compression-Compression Fatigue (1 million cycles) 
Flexural Fatigue of Plastics by Constant-Amplitude Force 

Flexural Properties of Plastics and Composites

 
3 or 4 Point Flexure Test Method 
Deformation of Plastics Under Load 
Flexural Properties of Fiber Reinforced Pultruded Rods 

Impact Properties of Polymers and Composites

 
Impact Resistance of Plastics 
Unnotched Cantilever Beam Impact (Izod) 
Tup Impact Resistance 

Polymer Composite Processing Equipment

Hot Melt Prepregger 
Injection Molder 
Twin Screw Extruder 
Thermoplastic Impregnater 
Autoclave 
Compression Press 

ABOVE : Hot Melt Prepregging Process

Thermal Analysis and Physical Properties of Plastics and Composites

Fiber Volume of Resin matrix Composites 
Void Content of Reinforced Plastics 
Specific Gravity and Density 
Linear Thermal Expansion by TMA 
Determining Temperatures and Transitions by DSC 
Transition Temperatures of Polymers by DTA 
Gel Time and Peak Exothermic Temperature of Resins 
Heat of Fusion by DSC 
Viscolity of Epoxy Resins 
Heat of Fusion by DSC 
Viscosity of Epoxy Resins 
Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Polymers 
Rheological Measurement of Polymers Melts by DMA 
Thermal Flow and Cure of Thermosetting Plastics by Torque Rheometer 
Cure Behavior of Thermosetting Resins by Dynamic Mechanical Procedures 
Gas Permeability of Plastic Films 
Molecular Weight by GPC 
Weight Loss by TGA 

For More Information

Please contact the Center with any inquiries into specific research projects, center organization and operations, or testing availabitity. 
CMSC Address:
Composite Materials and Structures Center
2100 Engineering Building
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI.  48824-1226
Phone: (517) 353-5466
Fax: (517) 432-1634

CMSC Director
Lawrence T. Drzal
Phone: (517) 353-7759

Consortium Coordinator
Bart Moore
Phone: (517) 353-3969

Please send questions and comments to

web@cmsc.egr.msu.edu

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