Facilities

The MCP Group has two world class experimental based laboratories, the Characterisation Laboratory and Processing Laboratory together containing over $2 million worth of equipment.

Characterisation

The Characterisation Laboratory has its emphasis in the analysis and characterisation of materials and is equipped with a number of rheometers:

• Rheometrics Rheometer for Fluids and Solids (ARES)

• Rheometrics Rheometer for low Viscosity Fluids and Solids (RDSII)

• Capillary Rheometer for Plastics

• Capillary Rheometer for Solutions and Suspensions

• Slit Rheometer for Plastics

• Elongation Flow Rheometer

The other equipment housed in this laboratory include:

• Instron Testing Machine

• Rheometrics DMTA

• Miniature Tensile Testing Machine

• Gnomix Pressure-Volume-Temperature (PVT) Machine

• TA Modulated Differential Scanning Calorimeter (MDSC)

• Melt Flow Indexer

• Perkin Elmer Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer 2000 (FTIR)

• Karl Fischer Moisture Analyser: Mettler DL37 KF Coulometer

• Karl Fischer Titration

• Molecular Weight Analyser: Alliance GPCV 2000 from Waters

• Omni Lab scale homogeniser

Processing

The Processing Laboratory is equipped with small scale and pilot processing units. The equipment is used to test the potential industrial application of materials developed within the centre. The following pieces of machinery are currently in use:

• Twin Screw Extruder

• Single Screw Extruder

• HAAKE Micro Compounder

• 25mm Gateway Screw Extruder and Film Blowing Tower

• 10mm Mini-extruder

• Demag 80 Tonne Injection Moulding Machine

The MCP Centre also specializes in computer aided polymer processing and materials design. Two simulation programs currently in use are: 

• POLYFLOW software: simulation of polymer flow with free surfaces

• MOLDFLOW FLOW/TSET software: injection moulding simulation

For more information, contact Dr Peter Halley.