Surface analysis and characterization laboratory
Your needs: surface characterization of your materials
Knowing the properties and surface conditions of a material can help you adapt your manufacturing processes. The support of a specialized laboratory will enable you to carry out analyses and expert appraisals on the surface of materials to optimize your performance.
The surface of a material is a vulnerable zone where numerous interactions with its environment take place. Its specific characteristics determine the overall performance of materials. In the event of failure (corrosion, wear, adhesion, friction, etc.), it can have an impact on a product's reliability and durability.
Our customized surface analysis
services and techniques
Our analysis services
Surface chemistry is concerned with the surface properties of materials. It enables us to modify the chemical properties of surface materials, if necessary, to give them new properties adapted to their utility.
Morphology, the three-dimensional study of surfaces, and topography, analyzed at macro, micro and nanometric levels, are crucial for optimizing industrial manufacturing processes. These analyses help prevent failures by providing an in-depth understanding of material properties.
Multilayer analysis of material surfaces involves examining several surface layers of a material. This technique is widely used to identify the surface composition of materials.
The surface of a material interacts with its external environment and may encounter chemical contamination or particle pollution as a result of the various stages in the manufacturing process, for example.
The surface tension measurement determines the force acting on the surface of a liquid, due to the attraction between its molecules. This force is responsible for behaviors such as drop formation and spreading on surfaces, and helps minimize the surface area of the liquid. This measurement makes it possible to understand and optimize liquid-liquid and liquid-solid interactions in various industrial and scientific contexts.
Surface topography analysis helps optimize the contact, adhesion, and durability properties of materials, particularly for coatings, medial devices, and aeronautical components. During this surface analysis, the physical characteristics of the surface of a material, such as its texture, its roughness, and its overall shape are assessed.
VSSA analysis makes it possible to determine the specific surface area of a material per unit volume. This analysis mainly concerns the pharmaceutical industry and the characterization of materials, in particular porous materials or powders, where chemical reactivity and dissolution are influenced by the specific surface area.
Profilometry primarily focuses on the quantitative measurement of vertical variations in the surface of a material. This surface analysis provides precise information on surface texture, ensuring product quality and performance.
Our expert services
FILAB is able to analyze the surface of a material on a nanometric scale (extreme surface analysis) using cutting-edge techniques such as TOF-SIMS, XPS/ESCA and AFM.
As well as checking the surface cleanliness of the material, the laboratory identifies the pollution in question.
Material interface analysis is a technique for studying the transition zone between two distinct substances in a composite material. It enables us to understand the chemical and physical interactions at interfaces, which are crucial to material performance and stability.
- Corrosion, cracks, fractures, adhesion problems
By analyzing the imperfections in your metal alloys, we can determine their origins and impact. We carry out detailed failure analyses to provide an in-depth understanding of their nature and scope.
Controlling the homogeneity of surface treatments is essential to ensure uniform material quality and performance, enabling any variations or defects in the treatment process to be detected and corrected. This verification guarantees the reliability and durability of materials in their specific applications.
Adhesion analysis evaluates the strength with which two surfaces bond to each other, for example between a coating and a surface. Knowledge of this characteristic guarantees the reliability and durability of coatings and assemblies in the automotive, aeronautics and electronics sectors, for example.
Shot blasting is a surface treatment process by impacting small beads on a material to improve its texture or mechanical properties. This process, carried out in the laboratory, improves the resistance to fatigue, corrosion and wear of metal components. This treatment is common in the aerospace and automotive industries.
During a laboratory roughness analysis, our experts measure the surface texture of a material and quantify irregularities. This surface analysis makes it possible to verify specific performance and aesthetic criteria.
The delamination study is used to examine layers of a composite or coated material to identify any signs of separation or abnormality. This information conditions the structural integrity of composite materials used in aeronautics or construction, for example.
Laboratory tomography testing uses x-rays or other forms of radiography to create three-dimensional images of the interior of an object without destroying it. This method helps analyze defects in materials, helping to prevent failures in industries like energy.
Our R&D services
(functionalization or passivation)
(functionalization or passivation)
The development and validation of surface treatment processes are fundamental to innovating and improving the performance of materials, by ensuring that each method is effective, reproducible and compliant with the required quality standards. This approach guarantees the reliability and effectiveness of the treatments applied, adapted to the specific features of each material.
Ageing studies enable us to predict durability and resistance over time. In particular, it enables us to anticipate changes in its properties under the effect of environmental and usage factors.
Surface treatments give materials a particular appearance and characteristics, depending not only on the type of surface treatment used, but also on the substrate on which the coating will be applied.
FILAB offers a range of training courses, but it is also possible to carry out training on demand.
Our technical resources
Our FAQ
What is surface analysis?
Surface analysis refers to a set of techniques used to study the physical, chemical and morphological properties of the surface of a solid material. This technique is widely used in materials science, physics, chemistry...
What techniques are used for surface condition analysis?
Techniques commonly used in surface analysis include scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction. These techniques provide information on the topography, chemical composition, molecular orientation and mechanical properties of a material's surface.
When should a surface condition analysis be carried out?
Surface analysis is particularly useful for understanding the properties and interactions of materials in applications such as catalysis, corrosion, friction, adhesion, electronics and many other areas of research and engineering.
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