SAMPLE PREPARATION LAB

Intrumentation

MCL maintains a complete sample preparation lab for mechanical cutting and polishing. The following instrumentation is located in N031N MSC unless otherwise noted:

Logitech PMS Automatic Polisher
Electrochemical Polishing Equipment
Polishing Wheels (Buehler Ecomet 5, Leco VP160, Vari/Pol VP-150, UniPol)
Basic-Dice ll Diamond Saw
Sonic Mill Series HD
Struers Accutom-50 Diamond Saw
Combi-Cutter (Large Diamond Saw- 8” blade)
Smaller Slow Speed Buehler Isomets, Ameritool Inc. Table Top and Gryphon Band Diamond Saws
Boyar-Shultz Challenger Hydraulic 6-18 Diamond Surface Grinder and Saw (112 MRL Machine Shop)
Other Tools (microscope, heaters, ultrasonic cleaner, hand files, and measuring tools)
Basic Prep/Polish Supplies (sandpaper, Diamond slurries and paste, powders, etc.)
New ADT 7100 Series ProVectus Dicing System is located in 126A MRL Building.

Click here for more details about the above instrumentation and tools. A separate TEM Prep Lab is available in the MRI Building for TEM sample preparation.

Technique Description

For various analytical techniques, samples need to be cut, shaped, polished, hole-punched, and/or prepared to allow for testing.

Sample Requirements/Specifications

Sample requirements vary widely with instrument/tool, material type, and for the speciific testing required. Please consult the technical staff for sample requirements/specifications for your project.

Rates

Click here to view current pricing rates

User Policies, Procedures, and Training

Some prep lab instruments are available for after-hours use; request key from technical staff in advance.
Lab users are expected to follow MRL safety rules in the lab and be courteous of other users.
New users need to have a Portal account and should inquire about training requirements for specific instrumentation/tools with the technical staff before proceeding to use it.