Filab, materials characterization laboratory
The FILAB laboratory offers a physico-chemical analysis and characterization service for all types of materials.
Materials science studies the properties, structure, synthesis and manipulation of materials to create new materials with improved performance. FILAB’s engineers and PhDs are supported by technical resources located in the 5,200m² Analytical Park.
Materials characterization is the process of evaluating and describing the physical, chemical, mechanical, thermal, electrical, optical, magnetic and other properties of materials.
Why characterize materials?
Each material has its own specific characteristics whose properties will govern the performance of the final product. Indeed, the criteria for choosing a material can affect its chemical nature, composition, shape (granulometry, crystallinity, morphology, etc.), surface finish and so on. From shaping to use of the final product, it is essential to ensure the conformity of the materials used, and to control the risks of failure (cracks, breakage, corrosion, etc.).
The support and experience of a laboratory specializing in material characterization or materials research enables you to optimize your production processes with more suitable materials, and to accurately analyze the causes of and remedies for failures in your products and materials.
Our services
The FILAB laboratory offers a physico-chemical analysis and characterization service for all types of materials.
Metal alloys
Do you need to ensure the conformity of your metal alloys by studying their chemical composition?
Composition analysis of metal alloys is one of our material characterization services. These analyses, and in particular deformation, enable you to identify the structure and concentration of the constituent elements of your alloys, providing information on performance and potential applications.
Have metal alloy defects analyzed to understand their causes and consequences. We can carry out in-depth studies of metallurgical failures to help you better understand their nature and extent.
The surface of a material is where all interactions with its environment take place, potentially altering the performance and protection of materials.
Extreme surface analysis in the laboratory, as part of materials characterization, involves the study of surface layers at the nanometric scale. This analysis reveals precise information on surface composition, structure and interactions, in order to optimize performance in specific applications.
Impurity analysis on metal alloys: how can they affect performance?
Impurity analysis on metallic materials helps ensure material conformity and prevent potential failures by identifying the contaminants present. Contaminants can alter the physical, chemical or mechanical properties of materials.
Quickly analyze pollution on your metal part thanks to our state-of-the-art analytical equipment.
Pollution analysis on metal parts in the context of materials characterization identifies and quantifies contaminants, enabling corrective action to be taken to guarantee the integrity, performance and longevity of components in their specific applications.
Polymers and composites
Have a nanoscale analysis carried out to better understand the keys to the performance and protection of materials.
Discover what's hidden in your products using polymer deformation. This technique allows you to determine the nature and quantities of materials present in a formulation within a material. Reveal the true chemical composition of a product thanks to this in-depth analysis.
Surface analysis
The surface of a material is crucial to its interaction with the environment and
influences its performance and protection. By analysing the surface at the
nanometric scale, you can understand the challenges facing your material.
Explore the structure and layers of your samples with our analysis services, using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Uncover hidden details and measure the thickness of different layers.
Whether due to an internal manufacturing problem or a customer return, a product failure can have repercussions on its reliability, solidity and
performance. Discover the reasons behind these failures and the consequences they can have..
FILAB offers technical and human solutions to help manufacturers detect and understand defects in organic or metallic processes. Don't let failure problems slow you down. Rely on our expertise.
Organic or metallic treatments can lead to failure problems over time or due to poor compatibility with the product's environment. To detect and understand these defects, FILAB offers manufacturers its technical and human resources.
Ceramics and glass
Visual analysis of a sample using high-performance imaging techniques such as optical microscopy or scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Using these methods, you will be better able to measure the thickness of the different layers present.
Optimise the performance of your materials by studying their atomic composition using XRD.
Crystallographic characterisation in the laboratory provides atomic information, in particular on the arrangement of the crystals in the material, in order to gain a better understanding of the mechanical, thermal and electrical properties of ceramics and glass.
The study of failures in glass and ceramics helps to identify the underlying causes of breakage or degradation, thereby improving and reinforcing the resilience and durability of these materials in their specific applications.
Powders
Characterisation of metal powders in accordance with the Ma-0015 standard for additive manufacturing.
Analysis and characterisation of your hydroxyapatite powders (HAP) in accordance with ISO 13779-3 and ISO 13779-6, by the FILAB laboratory.
The morphological study of powders, as part of materials characterisation, enables the shape, size and distribution of particles to be analysed.
Discover the hidden secrets of a sample using our advanced imaging techniques
such as optical microscopy or scanning electron microscopy (SEM). As well as revealing relevant details, these methods also tell you about the thickness of the different layers present.
The quality of a powder will play a decisive role in improving its final results. The FILAB laboratory therefore carries out powder control analyses to support you in your manufacturing processes.
The laboratory characterisation of powders is an analytical process that enables particle size, particle size distribution, morphology and chemical composition to be assessed, influencing the quality and performance of products in a variety of industries, from pharmaceuticals to metallurgy.
What analysis techniques are used to characterise materials?
The FILAB laboratory’s analytical facilities cover 5,200m² and offer a range of techniques to best meet your materials characterisation needs. In addition, the laboratory invests heavily each year in its analytical facilities in order to maintain its high-performance technical resources.
Our techniques
Our FAQs
Materials characterisation is a technique that has evolved over time. It became a formal field of scientific research at the beginning of the 20th century with the development of microscopy.
It is an essential step in understanding their properties and performance. Many techniques are available to scientists and engineers to characterise a material, ranging from microscopy to spectroscopy.
Materials characterisation is a technique used to determine a material's chemical composition, crystalline structure, microstructure, morphology, mechanical and thermal properties, etc. The choice of technique depends on the type of material to be characterised, the precision required and the information required.
Some of the most commonly used tools for materials characterisation include:
- microscopy (optical, electron, confocal, atomic force),
- spectroscopy (infrared, Raman, and other types of optical and radiation spectroscopy),
- X-ray diffraction,
- calorimetry, rheology,
- thermogravimetric analysis
- and mass spectrometry.
Materials science studies the structure, properties and performance of materials. It provides an understanding of the relationship between the chemical composition, internal structure, physical properties, performance and applications of a material.
Materials science encompasses fields such as physics, chemistry, materials engineering and other related sciences. Materials scientists study a wide variety of materials, including metals, polymers, ceramics, composites and semiconductors. The aim is to develop new materials with improved properties or to improve existing materials.
Materials chemistry is a discipline that studies materials from a chemical point of view: structure, composition, reactions. It plays an essential role in the discovery and development of new materials.
The analytical techniques used in materials chemistry are chemical synthesis and spectroscopy. Advanced characterisation techniques such as X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy are also used to examine the properties of materials at the atomic scale.
Using a materials laboratory can be useful in various industries and applications:
Materials analysis and characterisation:
To understand the physical, chemical and mechanical properties of materials, such as strength, ductility, conductivity and chemical reactivity.
Quality control:
To ensure that materials used in a specific industry meet the required quality and performance standards, including durability and corrosion resistance tests.
Development of new materials:
For the innovation and development of new materials that offer better performance, increased durability, or reduced cost. This can include research into composites, polymers, nanomaterials, ceramics and metals.
Materials failure resolution:
To analyse material failures in existing structures or defective products, understanding the cause of failure can help avoid problems and improve product design.
Regulatory and environmental compliance:
To ensure that the materials used comply with current regulations, particularly with regard to their environmental impact, recyclability and toxicity.
Optimising manufacturing processes:
To improve manufacturing processes, reduce costs and increase production efficiency by better understanding how materials behave during different processes.
Using a materials laboratory provides access to specialist expertise and advanced equipment to carry out these analyses and tests, which may not be available in-house for many organisations. This helps to guarantee the performance, safety and sustainability of products and projects, while promoting innovation and competitiveness.
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