National R&D Institute for Non-ferrous and Rare Metals - IMNR

Pilot installations, developed and built in-house:

• Pilot installation for functional testing of phase change materials for thermal energy storage: allows the pilot scale measurement of the storage and heat transfer capacity of inorganic phase change materials with working temperatures in the range of 300-500⁰C;
• Prototype plant for smelting non-ferrous metal waste and treating gases / noxious substances in a microwave field (5L crucible; max. temp. 1,400⁰C).

HIGH PT-MET Center (Research Centre for the Intensification of Metallurgical Processes at High Pressures and Temperatures) - main equipment:

• Electron beam installation (TORR Int. Inc., USA): allows deposition on rotating 3D plates or rods with a length of max. 350 mm; simultaneous or multilayer deposition of thin films; heating substrates during deposition; (W, Ni, Co, Cr, Al, Y), dielectric materials (Al2O3, SiO2, ZrO2, etc.) and compounds;
• Thermal evaporation deposition installation (TORR THE5-750W, Torr Int. Inc., USA), inox, 5 resistive evaporation systems of max. 100 A, deposition thickness control with a quartz crystal microbalance, rotation of parts during deposition up to 20 rpm, deposition on several small pieces or a single piece of 100 mm diameter, deposition of thin films of up to 5 elements (Al, Ni, Cr, Ag, Au), metal-organic, alloys and compounds;
• Continuous and discontinuous flow autoclave (AMAR EQUIPMENTS PVT Ltd. India), inox, volume 20L, temperature max. 250°C, pressure max. 30 atm, continuous and discontinuous operation;
• Hydrothermal synthesis autoclave (BERGHOF, Germany), inox, volume 5.5L, temperature max. 300°C, pressure max. 150 atm;
• High pressure autoclave (HP Systems, France), inox, volume 1L, temperature max. 180°C, pressure max. 4250 atm, Controller PID, compressor FIAC AB100/350MC with two pistons and pressure of max. 10 atm;
• Spray-dryer (LabPLANT, UK), borosilicate glass, suspension flow rate 4-32 ml / min, air temperature 40-250°C, air flow 5-30 m3/h, air pressure 1-3.5 atm, option to change the length of the drying path, filtering system for particles below 10 μm;
• Inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectrometry, ICP-OES (Agilent 725, Agilent Technology, USA): performs a high number of analyses on a wide range of samples including metals, ceramics, plastic, glass, geological and environmental samples.

Advanced and Nanostructured Materials Laboratory - main equipment:

• 3D Printer Bioplotter ENVISIOTEC: rapid prototyping from thermoplastic melts up to 250°C (PCL, PLLA, PGLA), from hydrogels (agar, gelatine, collagen, chitosan), from two component systems (alginate, fibrin), from ceramic pastes (hydroxyapatite, tricalcium phosphate), metal paste (titanium) or other materials (polyurethane, silicone, acrylate, graphene, etc.);
• 3D Printer Bioscaffolder SYSENG: rapid prototyping of pastes at low temperature;
• Computerized hydrothermal electrochemical system for the production of nanocrystalline powders and nanostructured thin films, consisting of: autoclave CORTEST (2.2L stainless steel/teflon autoclave, max. 304°C, max. 250 atm, possibility to work under inert gas atmosphere, electrodes system connected at potentiostat/galvanostat Radiometer PGZ100), autoclave SAM (1L and 2L stainless steel/teflon autoclave, max. 300°C, max. 250 atm, possibility to work under inert gas atmosphere), potentiostat / galvanostat radiometer PGZ100 / Voltalab 10 and Booster Radiometer;
• Continuous micropilot installation for synthesis by unconventional hydrolytic procedures and colloidal sol-gel, consisting of: a 50L glass cascade reactor complex, Bibi Stirling D4000 distiller, Direct Q3 UV Ultra-Pure Water System, pH Meter / Computerized Conductivity Meter Jenway 4330, high-capacity electronic agitators, filtration systems, vacuum pumps;
• Characterization equipment: differential scanning calorimeter Neztsch DSC F3 Maia; UV-VIS PG Instruments T90 + spectrometer; FT-IR spectrometer, ABB MB 3000; Zetaseizer ZS90 laser and zetapotential granulometer; equipment for contact angle determination Drop Shape Analyzer DSA100, KRÜSS; scratch tester with AFM mode, NANOVEA; SV-10 viscometer;
• Induction melting furnace: melting and casting in vacuum/controlled atmosphere, Linn High Therm GmbH, molds in a controlled atmosphere;
• Electrolysis facility in aqueous solutions: potentiostat/galvanostat with digital control; electrolysis cells set with heating and shaking capacity; Glove Box Brown MB-20G enclosure with controlled atmosphere (argon or nitrogen); thermostatic heater, max. temperature 300°C; magnetic stirrer with heating, peristaltic pump, analytical balance;
• Electrolysis facility in molten salts: DC-rectifier type R-CCT R / m, max. 12V / 600A; Tacussel PRT 10-20X potentiostat type, max. ± 20V / ± 10A; molten salts electrolysis cells 0.3-30dmc, max. 1200°C; drying installation – purification of inert gases (argon, nitrogen); anode gas detection and analysis apparatus (CO, CO₂).
• High temperature metallurgical facility: CTF 12/100/90 vertical electric furnace, with digital programming; airtight enclosure for melt treatment with controlled atmosphere; hydraulic press 6tf, mold press for metal powders 20x30mm;
• Ultrafast melt-spinning solidification equipment, consisting of: frequency generator, inductor, melting crucibles, cooling disk (copper), laser tachometer.

Metal Resource Valorisation Technologies Laboratory - main equipment:

• Solubilizing installation: extraction and separation of non-ferrous and rare metals from primary and secondary resources by hydrometallurgical processes at laboratory scale;
• High-performance optoelectronic spectrometer for fast metal analysis: spectrometric determination of the chemical composition of metals; analysis of small pieces with different forms, e.g. wires >0.5 mm, metal splinters, screws, washers or even small balls;
• U-WAVE-1000 Microwave-ultraviolet-ultrasonic Synyhesis 3 In 1 Extraction Reactor: multifunctional chemical reactor that can combine random overlap and adjust the microwave energy, ultraviolet light and ultrasound waves;
• Dentar Oven Vulcan Type 3-350 Heat treatment furnace: heat treatments applied to amorphous-crystalline phase transformations of thin layers;
• Semi-pilot plant for liquid-liquid extraction: extraction and separation of non-ferrous and rare metals from solution by liquid-liquid extraction.

Analysis Laboratory - main equipment:

• X-RAY Diffractometer Bruker - AXS D8 Advance;
• Atomic Absorption Spectrometer AAS ZEEnit 700, Analytic Jena AG;
• Thermal Analysis Equipment SETSYS Evolution, Setaram;
• Potentiostat/Galvanostat, PGSTAT128N Autolab (Metrohm);
• Scanning Electron Microscope SEM QUANTA 250;
• Optical Microscope, Axio Imager A1m, Carl Zeiss Microimaging Gmbh;
• MHT-10 Microhardness Tester, Anton Paar, with Vickers indenter.

Small-scale alloy manufacturing and processing services

• alloy manufacturing: brazing alloys (Ag, Cu-P-Ag), soldering alloys (Sn-Pb, Sn-Pb-Sb, Sn-Sb), master alloys Cu-P, easily fusible alloys (AF50, AF70, AF90), antifriction alloys (based on Sn, Pb and Al), cast alloys (Cu-Sn and Cu-Sn-Pb), other alloys (Cu-Al, Cu-Zn, Pb-St, Zn, etc.);
• alloy processing: wire / strip / bar / chip / electrode / plate / block alloy processing, Au, Ag, Zn, Al, etc. processing.

Analysis / characterization services

1. Chemical composition:

• element detection: Cu, Co, Cd, Pb, Sb, Zn, Ni, Fe, Cr, Mg, Ca, Na, K, Rb, Li, Sr, Ga, In, Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, Rh by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS);
• detection of approx. 70 chemical elements (in high, low and trace concentrations) by inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES);
• volumetric and gravimetric chemical analysis: dosing Fe, Fe²⁺, Ca, Mn, Sn, Si, Ba, SO₄^2-, CO₂ etc.

2. Physical and Structural Characterization:

• identification and quantification of crystalline phases; determination of crystallinity and crystallite size; characterization of crystalline structures: indexing, crystallization system, network parameters; detection of micro-deformations - by X-ray diffraction for powders;
• mineralogical analysis by optical microscopy in polarized, reflected and transmitted light;
• metallography by optical microscopy;
• VICKERS microhardness;
• morpho-structural characterization by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) / Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS);
• particle size analysis and electrokinetic potential of nanoparticles – DLS method;
• structural analysis by FT-IR method (available for solid, liquid and thin film samples);
• surface analysis by AFM method (atomic force microscopy);
• scratch test;
• contact angle measurement (determination of the hydrophilic / hydrophobic character of the surfaces).

3. Thermal analysis

• thermal behaviour analysis of metals, powders by thermal analysis DSC-TG, 20°C – 1600°C;
• thermal behaviour analysis of metals, powders by differential scanning calorimetry DSC, - 20°C ÷ 600°C;
• analysis of thermal conductivity, thermal diffusion coefficient and specific heating capacity for molten materials (20 – 400°C).

R&D services - coatings / thin films

• obtaining ceramic thin films by the hydrothermal – electrochemical method;
• thin films deposition by thermal evaporation (Physical Vapour Deposition, PVD) – thickness up to 50 µ, deposition on flat surfaces 350x350 mm, or cylindrical surfaces: Ø = 150mm and L = 350mm;
• thin films deposition by RF-magnetron sputtering (Physical Vapour Deposition, PVD) – thickness up to 1 µ.

R&D services – advanced materials         

• thermodynamic and kinetic evaluation of processes for obtaining metal-based materials;
• synthesis of ceramic and inorganic-organic hybrid nanopowders by hydrothermal / solvothermal process (nanostructured powders based on pure and doped oxides, and hybrid powders based on hydroxyapatite and polymers);
• synthesis of ceramic and composite powders by hydrolytic processes (precipitation and coprecipitation): powders based on pure and doped oxides, metal-ceramic composite powders with a core-shell structure, etc.;
• powder processing: sintered products, morphology control, heat treatment in air, controlled atmosphere (argon), vacuum;
• obtaining stable suspensions based on ceramic powders;
• research services in the field of additive manufacturing – 3D structures (3D-printing).

R&D services – exploitation of secondary resources

• oxidation-reduction processes – reduction of sulphides of non-ferrous metals from concentrates, in aqueous, acidic or basic media, at high temperatures and pressures, in an oxidizing atmosphere in order to recover useful metals;
• recovery of non-ferrous metals from scrap metal using a microwave melting process;
• manufacture of non-ferrous alloys using secondary resources.

Technology transfer services - R&D results in the field of materials science and engineering available for transfer:

• patents and patent applications;
• products and technologies.

Training services (courses certified by National Authority):

• ”Process improvement manager”;
• ”Process improvement specialist”.

- Chemical and structural analysis
- Small-scale manufacturing (alloys)
- Training