Nanoforce Technology Limited > Ceramic Processing

Ceramic: Ancillaries

High Temperature furnace

The HT furnace is currently in working order and is used for a wide range of heat treatments, including binder burn-off of organic materials, annealing of sintered ceramics/metals, degradation of unwanted phases via high temperature oxidation and sintering of ceramics and ceramic-metal composites.

Unlike the SPS, heat is transferred from the surrounding heating elements to the unfired bulk by a method of convection. The HT furnace is the newest equipment within the Nanoforce Laboratory and is therefore in very good condition. It has a chamber capacity of 4 or 8 litres and internal chamber dimensions of 210 x 190 x 190 mm, and is capable of reaching temperatures as high as 1800 ^oC. With up to 8 heating and cooling segments (standard furnaces use between 5 and 6), heat treatments can be controlled and manipulated to the highest degree.

Ball Milling Machine

Is used predominately to produce the raw materials for solids with nano-scale microstructures.

It is also well suited for mixing and homogenising emulsions and pastes or for mechanical alloying in materials research, and has been used to make ceramic slurries for casting of ceramic green bodies. Milling can take place dry, in suspension or under inert gas, depending on the application.

High energy Milling Machine

Our planetary milling machine is a able to reduce powder particle sizes to a several atoms (few nanometers) and is currently the only device of its kind within the UK .

Our premium line P7 is an extension to the existing classic line of planetary mills. Previously unachieved rotation speeds are now possible with the P7, yielding ultra-fine grinding results down to the nano range. Sample quantities can be as high as 70 ml per operation and the disc speed can vary from 100 - 1,100 rpm, with particles final fineness <0.1 |ìm.

Polishing and Lapping facility

Our polishing facilities offer the most efficient and reliable methods of producing precision flat and polished surfaces. Our equipment is currently used to polish specimens from all material classes from ceramics, metals, composites, and polymers.

Our LM15 has a rigid metal construction with a height-adjustable worktable. The machine incorporates a digital Process Timer and a fully automatic Liquid Diamond Dispensing System. Its most distinctive and noticeable features are that it can produce optically flat surfaces with high precision surface finish it reduces waste (such that only small quantities of diamond abrasive and non-toxic fluids are used), it is suitable for bench mounting and is easily transportable.

Table top Cutting machine

Our precision table top cut-off machine can be used to perform trimmings on materials as hard as diamond. It is equipped with sample rotation or oscillation and uses a method of precise and deformation-free cutting. With a constant feed speed in the range of 0.005 - 3.00 mm/s and a variable wheel speed up to 3,000 rpm, the machine can be pre adjusted to match the requirements of the material to be cut. The device has a positioning accuracy of 5 |ìm, and an adjustable force limit.

The device is fitted with a water cooling system to prevent overheating and damage of sample and tools, and is currently in good working order.

Mechanical Press

Our manual press uses a hydraulic system and can apply a variable load within a range of 0-15 tonnes. This load can then be held for particular time and then released at a moderate speed. It is specifically suited to the preparation of disks using the mould and die assembly.

The hydraulic press is commonly used to press and or to laminate multilayered thin film discs, ceramic green bodies, metal/ceramic powders, paper, and range of biological materials.

Low temperature oven

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Resources & Equipment > Ceramic Processing