MERLIN - Materials Energy Research Lab in Nuclear

MERLIN is our active materials labs with capability for working with uranium compounds.

MERLIN is physically split into three areas:

For access and information, please contact Dr. Simon Middleburgh.

Equipment List

Glovebox: MBraun LABStar
- for handling pyrophoric metal powders and small quantities of uranium
Downflow Booth
Ball Mill: Retsch PM 100
Roller Mill
Automatic Pellet Press
Pellet press: Retsch
Cold Isostatic press
Suite of 3D printers including resin, ceramic, metal and plastic printers
Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence Spectrometer
Planetary ball mill
Shaker Sieve Stack: Retsch AS200
Vacuum furnace:
- Maximum temperature: 2200°C
- Atmosphere: Vacuum or
  Inert gas.
Tube furnace:
- Maximum temperature: 1800°C
- Atmosphere: air, inert gas or hydrogen.
Vertical tube furnace:
- Maximum temperature: 1600°C
Batch furnace: Carbolite CWF 1300
- Maximum temperature: 1300°C
Drying Oven: Carbolite
Fume hood
Sectioning: Buehler Isomet High Speed with SiC and Diamond tipped blades.
Metallographic and ceramographic preparation:
- Grinding and Polishing: Buehler EcoMet 30
- Mounting: Buehler SimpliMet 4000
Spray Dryer: Yamato DL410
Bottom-loaded Furnace: Carbolite Giro 30-3000C
Arc Melter: MTI EQ-SP-MSM207
Kiln for thermal treatment of large samples
Centrifuge
High Pressure Reactor capable of reaching 150 bar and 300 C, volume 100 ml.
Pycnometer
Fuser for production of glass discs and dissolution in liquids
Suite of Analytical balances

Scanning electron microscope: Hitachi TM4000
- Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy: Oxford Instruments Aztec One
Raman microscopy: Bruker SENTERRA II
High temperature Mechanical Tester: Walter + Bai LFMZ-100-M 100kN Servo-Electrical Uniaxial test machine with 900 C Furnace
Optical microscopy: Leica DM2700
X-ray diffraction: Malvern Panalytical Aeris
- heated stage capability
Simultaneous Thermal Analysis: Netzsch STA 449 F-series (information)
Mass Spectrometry: Netzsch QMS 403 Aëolos Quadro
Zeta Potential: Cordouan Technologies Wallis Zeta Potentiometer
Viscometer
Laser Flash for measurement of thermal properties of samples upto temperatures of 1600 C in air and in vacuum.
Scintillation detector with high speed digital to analogue convertor