Northumbria's Synthesis and Polymer Innovation Facility has a range of equipment and technology available.
Browse the drop down sections below for a comprehensive list of our equipment and typical uses. Please contact us to discuss your requirements in more detail.
| Section | Sub Category | Equipment | Typical Use | |
| 1 | Synthesis + Processing | Molecular | Synthetic Chemistry Facilities for Small Molecule Synthesis | Preparation of novel molecules, functionalisation of materials. |
| 2 | Synthesis + Processing | Polymer | Polymer Synthesis and Scale-up Equipment to multi kilo scale | Preparation of novel or modified polymers for subsequent processing and qualification testing. |
| 3 | Synthesis + Processing | Extrusion |
Filament extruder and spooler for thermoplastic polymers |
Compounding of formulations. |
| 4 | Synthesis + Processing | Coating |
Spin-coater and Jetlab2 inkjet coater |
Preparation of samples for test purposes. |
| 5 | Synthesis + Processing | Printing |
3D printing facility used for developing new polymers for Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Multi Jet (MJ) and Digital Light Processing (DLP) |
Preparation of components. |
| Section | Sub Category | Equipment | Typical Use | |
| 6 | Analysis | Mass Spectroscopy |
Molecular analysis by HPLC-MS, GCMS and pyGCMS. “-Omic” level workflows and data analysis available |
|
| 7 |
Analysis |
UV/Visible |
Surface reflectance UV/vis, Raman and fluorescence spectrometer (including portable equipment) |
Identification of surface features. |
| 8 |
Analysis |
IR |
FTIR spectroscopy (including NIR) |
Identification of unknown materials. Following reaction kinetics via loss of functional groups. |
| 9 |
Analysis |
Microscopy |
Surface analysis by FTIR microscopy, microspectrophotometry and confocal microscopy. Inhouse access to surface analysis by SEM. Time lapse imaging and data analysis. |
Preparation of samples for test purposes. |
| 10 |
Analysis |
Elemental analysis by ICP, AA and XRF (fixed and portable). Inhouse access to surface analysis by SEM-EDX |
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| 11 |
Analysis |
Multidetector Gel Permeation Chromatography |
Molecular weight determination. |
|
| 12 | Analysis | Modulus |
Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analysis |
Determination of mechanical properties over a broad temperature range. Assessment of crosslink density of polymer thermosets. Determination of extremely short and extremely long timescale mechanical behaviour. |
| 13 |
Analysis |
Modulus |
Instron Tensile Tester | Determination of elastic properties, modulus, fracture toughness. |
| 14 |
Analysis |
Adhesion |
Elcometer stud-pull adhesion tester |
Quantification of adhesion. |
| 15 |
Analysis |
Differential Scanning Calorimetry | Measurement of thermodynamic transitions (glass transition, melting/crystallisation).
Quantification of reaction kinetics. |
|
| 16 |
Analysis |
Thermal Gravimetric Analysis |
Measurement of weight loss under heating, identification of volatile materials. |
|
| 17 |
Analysis |
Surface |
Dynamic Contact Angle Instrumentation |
| Section | Sub Category | Equipment | Typical Use | |
| 18 | In-Service Testing |
Controlled release leaching tank, tergotomer and dissolution baths |
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| 19 | Modelling |
Remotely accessible, high performance PC cluster running soft matter modelling through calculations and simulations |
Contact us via the form below for more information on our equipment or to discuss your requirements in more detail.
