You can browse this list of facilities and equipment, or search a full list.
Facilities
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HIVE: Heating by Induction to Verify Extremes
Performance evaluation and verification of small-scale components and samples under heat fluxes up to 20 MW/m2 and from room temperature to ~3000 °C in a highly flexible and adaptable facility.
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Plastic Fabrication Workshop
Creating bespoke, flexible and affordable containment solutions for hazardous environments.
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Robotics facilities
We have some of the best facilities in the world for developing remote handling robotics.
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SUNRISE: a UKAEA supercomputing facility
We are accelerating fusion energy research using artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing.
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The Materials Research Facility
UKAEA’s Materials Research Facility (MRF) prepares and examines samples of radioactive materials to assess their performance in nuclear reactors.
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UHT-MaT: Ultra High Temperature Materials Testing Infrastructure
A unique UK facility for the mechanical testing of materials at temperatures exceeding 2,000°C.
Equipment
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Agilent Nanoindenter G200-1
Analysis of the mechanical behaviour of a material by pressing a microscopically small tip into a sample and measuring the required load versus the displacement of the tip into the…
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Atom force microscope: Dimension D3100
Imaging technique for very high-resolution three-dimensional image of sample surface.
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Carbolite Gero Vacuum Tube Furnace
A vacuum tube furnace for processing or testing of materials at high temperatures.
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CHIMERA
A world-first machine for testing fusion energy components – Combined Heating and Magnetic Research Apparatus (CHIMERA).
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Digital image correlation: LaVision µDIC
Micro-scale measurement of 3D strain, displacement and shape.
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Dilatometer: Linseis L75V PT
The Dilatometer is used to measure the thermal expansion of materials as a function of temperature.
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FEI Helios NanoLab 600i Focussed Ion Beam scanning electron microscope
The Focussed Ion Beam (FIB) can be used for high-resolution imaging and as a tool to machine micron-scale test pieces into the surface of a sample.
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Gatan Precision Ion Polishing System (PIPS II)
Used to sputter away material from a localised region of a sample with 2 coincident beams of low energy argon.
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Grindosonic Mk7 Impulse Excitation Technique
Non-destructive measurements of sample resonant frequencies to allow for the determination of Youngs Modulus.
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JEOL NEOARMex Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope
Atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscope coupled with Protochips – Atmosphere system for in-situ gas cell and heating experiments.
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Laser Flash Analysis: Linseis LFA 1000
The Laser Flash Analysis is used for the determination of heat transport properties such as thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity.
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Netzsch Differential Scanning Calorimeter Precision and Mass Spectrometer
Allows for the acquisition of data on endothermic and exothermic processes of a sample as it undergoes chemical or physical changes induced by changing temperature.
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Physical Properties Measurement System: Quantum Design DynaCool™
Electrical, magnetic and thermophysical material characterisation at magnetic fields of up to 14 T and temperatures between 400 – 1.8 K.
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Plasma Cleaner
PIE Scientific Tergeo EM Plasma Cleaner – used to remove carbon contamination from the surfaces of TEM samples or bulk materials.
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Rigaku Smartlab X-ray diffractometer
Automated multipurpose X-Ray diffractometer (XRD) with guidance software.
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Shimadzu AGS-X 10kN Mechanical Test Machine for static testing
A 10kN capacity static machine which can be used for tensile, bending and compression testing. A furnace enables tests at higher temperatures.
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Simultaneous Thermal Analyser: Linseis STA PT1600
Combining thermo-gravimetric analysis with differential scanning calorimetry.
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TA Electroforce 3550 15kN dynamic load frame
Mechanical fatigue, fracture toughness/crack growth and dynamic characterisation testing.
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TESCAN AMBER X Plasma Focussed Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscope
A dual-beam system with both an electron beam and a xenon ion beam.
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TESCAN Mira3 XMH scanning electron microscope
A high-performance scanning electron microscope system which provides high resolution and low-noise imaging.
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Ultrasonic Fatigue Rig (UFR)
Ultrasonic device for fatigue testing of small-scale samples developed by the Materials Reaearch Facility at UKAEA.