Facilities

Cold Spray Deposition Laboratory

The Cold Spray Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin is equipped with a commercial scale, high pressure CGT 4000-34 Kinetik system. The laboratory conducts both fundamental and applied research in the area of cold spray coating technology. In the cold spray process, a heated carrier gas passes through a converging/diverging nozzle system in the spray gun until it reaches supersonic velocities. The powder particles are introduced into the gas stream just in front of the converging section of the nozzle and are accelerated by the expanding gas at supersonic velocities on to the surface of the part to be treated.

Advantages of Cold Spray

• Low particle temperature minimizes possibility of oxidation, elemental segregation, or phase changes
• Fast deposition rates ideal for additive or near-net-shape manufacturing
• Process can be used for dimensional restoration and repair
• Coatings have less than 1% porosity
• Feedstock powder properties are maintained

Our cold spray research encompasses a wide range of metallic materials, including chromium, iron-chromium-aluminum alloys, ODS steels, stainless steels, nickel and nickel-based superalloys, molybdenum, tungsten, titanium, copper, and aluminum. We have expertise in cold spray for nuclear applications, specifically coatings for accident-tolerant fuel cladding and the production of free-standing cladding tubes. Cold spray coatings have also been produced for aerospace, automotive, and naval applications.

Field-Assisted Sintering Technology (FAST) Laboratory

Nuclear and Applied Materials Research Group at UW Madison houses a Thermal Technology DCS 10 field-assisted sintering technology (FAST) machine. The process sinters metal powders using a high electrical current to rapidly heat a conductive tooling assembly under simultaneous uniaxial pressure inside of a vacuum chamber. Since the process contains no heating elements, the sample can be rapidly heated or cooled, resulting in the ability of high-density materials to be sintered with ultra-fine or even nano-sized grain structures.

Advantages of FAST process

• Fast and uniform sintering process.
• Compaction and sintering process occur simultaneously.
• Nanostructured (or nanocrystalline) materials can be manufactured.
• Various materials, including metals, ceramics, and composites, can be processed.

Ion Beam Laboratory

The Ion Beam Laboratory (IBL) at the University of Wisconsin, Madison houses a NEC 1.7 MV tandem accelerator. The accelerator is actively used for research aimed at advancing the science of radiation damage of materials including alloys, ceramics, and coatings. The accelerator is equipped with TORVIS and SNICS ion sources for enhanced capabilities and the samples temperature is monitored by thermocouples and IR camera. The IBL is a Nuclear Science User Facility (NSUF).

Visit the Ion Beam Laboratory’s website to learn more.

Our group also maintains other labs for a variety of purposes including electrochemistry, sample preparation, and high temperature testing. Learn more about our other labs using the tabs below.