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 two areas:
- Materials Manufacture
- Materials Characterisation
For access and information, please contact Dr. Simon Middleburgh.
Equipment List
Materials Manufacture
- Glove box: MBraun LABStar
- for handling pyrophoric metal powders and small quantities of uranium
- Ball Mill: Retsch PM 100
- Pellet press: Retsch
- 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
- 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
Materials Characterisation
- Scanning electron microscope: Hitachi TM4000
- Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy: Oxford Instruments Aztec One
- Raman microscopy: Bruker SENTERRA II
- 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
