Materials Science Research Laboratory

Materials Science Research of Material Effects and Properties

Intertek MSG has extensive experience in characterising, structure, in processing, and in determining fundamental electrical, optical, rheological, tribological and mechanical properties in a wide range of materials.

Inventors and engineers seek new materials which offer advantages in terms of key properties. Developing new materials can happen by synthesising new molecules, which is very expensive, or by processing and using novel ways to form materials into components. However, material processing is only half the story - the microstructural changes need to be characterised, whether they are at the nano, micro, meso or macroscale, and the structure, processing and property relationship needs to be understood. This presents real challenges for materials science, and is where Intertek MSG can help.

Intertek has an unrivalled capability with molecular and elemental analysis, surface and interfacial science and morphological characterisation to support our processing and physical property determination techniques. In plastics and polymers, composite materials, electronics, coatings, slurries and colloids, ceramics and metals we have broad experience and have coordinated many projects over decades of serving the materials science community.

• Surface Science:
  The Surface Science team offers a world-class capability in XPS and SIMS, which in tandem with an internationally recognised physical property measurement laboratory, can be brought to bear on many materials challenges - especially in adhesion and adhesives development.
  
• Physical Properties:
  The Physical Properties laboratory offers fracture mechanics, high speed impact, fatigue, creep and other long term property determination, including novel and highly instrumented wear, lubricity, friction and scratch techniques, which are all supported with X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, electron, optical and laser scanning microscopies to support fracture and property understanding.

In short, we have the capability to undertake the most demanding materials science projects using the optimum tools for each particular job.