Technical Facilities Equipment,

� Sample preparation equipment for metallo-graphy and optical microscopy: Vibration pol-ishing (VibroMet2), fully automatic electro-lytic polishing and etching (LectroPol5), fullyautomatic hardness testing (KB10) with arange of HV 0.0025 – HV10

� Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) for de-termination of the chemical composition ofsteels and aluminum alloys

� Energy-dispersive X-ray micro analysis EDX(in combination with SEM und TEM)

� Scanning electron microscope JEOL JSM6400

� Zeiss Auriga Crossbeam electron and ionbeam microscope with EBSD system, Fo-cused Ion Beam (FIB), lift-out technique,STEM, energy-dispersive X-ray micro analy-sis EDX

� System for digital imaging, archiving and doc-umentation (Imagic)

� Transmission electron microscope Jeol JEM2000FX

� Transmission electron microscope Jeol JEM2010 F

� Software packages Thermocalc® undDICTRA® for calculation of phase diagramsand precipitation processes (thermodynamicsimulation)

� Quantitative microstructure image analysis

� Ultrasonic system GE USN 60 for use withconventional UT probes

� Olympus Omniscan MX2 for use with con-ventional and PhasedArray probes

� Ultrasonic simulation software package CIVA

� Two-axes scanner for automated scanningand position-encoded data collection

� Encoders for semi-automated scanning

� Ultrasonic wall thickness measurement GEDMS 2 TC

� Acoustic emission system Vallen AMSY6 foracquisition with up to 12 channels

� X-ray tubes for radiography with energies upto 300 keV

� Radiographic imaging using conventional X-ray film or high-resolution phosphor imagingplates (Dürr-NDT)

� Videoscope Olympus IPLEX FX

� Equipment for magnetic particle testing andpenetrant testing in the lab and on site

� Multi-frequency eddy current system for in-spection with up to 4 frequencies, differentprobes, scanner for position-encoded dataacquisition (lab device)

Ultrasonic inspection

Penetrant testing

Radiography

Non-Destructive Testing:

Units

- Non-destructiveTesting (NDT)

- Electron Microscopyand Metallography

- Research NetworkAMICA

Department

Non-destructiveTesting and MaterialCharacterization

Contakt

Dr.-Ing. M. SpeicherPhone: +49 711 685-60334

e-mail: zfp@mpa.uni-stuttgart.deInternet: http://www.mpa.uni-stuttgart.de

Material properties and imperfections are a major in-fluencing factor for the behavior of components un-der operational loads and for the lifetime of compo-nents and installations. Characterization and imag-ing of material properties on multiple length scales isan essential tool in studies of material behavior un-der the expected loads and of damage mechanismand progression. The Department NDT and Materi-als Characterization with its equipment and exper-tise can study and characterize different materialproperties down to the nm-scale range. The knowl-edge gained through characterization and imagingcan be applied to optimize material properties andfabrication processes, and will contribute to the iden-tification of causes for component failures.

The department's laboratories are accredited ac-cording to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005 for differentNDT methods (UT, RT, VT, MT, and PT), metallogra-phy, and electron microscopy. The department alsoholds accreditation according to DIN EN ISO/IEC17020:2012 as inspection body typeAfor determina-tion of conformity with requirements of the High Pres-sure Gas Pipeline Ordinance (Gashochdrucklei-tungsverordnung - Gas HDrLtgV).

Research / Development

� Study of materials microstructure and its relationto material behavior under loads (thermal, me-chanical)

� Determination and characterization of features re-lated to damage mechanisms, such as optical mi-croscopy for visualization of creep cavities orstudy of the evolution of precipitates using scan-ning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmis-sion electron microscopy (TEM) imaging

� Novel sample preparation techniques for metallo-graphy and electron microscopy

� Scientific and technical studies and projects re-lated to:

- Application of ECCI technique within the field-emission-SEM AURIGA for determination of dis-location densities

- Thermodynamic simulation of phases and precip-itates in high-temperature creep-resistant steels

- Evaluation of the impact of microstructural prop-erties on hardness and deformation resistance innickel alloys for power plant applications

� Studies on ultrasonic inspection of austeniticstainless steel welds, nickel alloy welds, and dis-similar metal welds

� Evaluation of uncertainties in non-destructive test-ing for probabilistic reliability assessment of com-ponents

� Transfer of scientific research results into on-siteapplications for safe and reliable operation of com-ponents and installations

� Stuttgart Research Focus (SRF) Advanced Mate-rials Innovation and CharacterizationAMICA:

- Initiation of a shared experimental and numericalinfrastructure for multi-scale materials character-ization of modern materials

- Interdisciplinary development and implementa-tion of ideas

- Linking of experiments and simulation on multiplescales

- Generation of comprehensive information to de-termine material properties and component be-havior

- Transfer of basic research into application-relevant developments and services in the field ofmaterial characterization

TEM: elementmappingacross a grainboundary

Linescan:Cr ( )red

Fe ( )blueNi ( )green

Testing / Imaging / Characterization

� Microstructure characterization using optical andscanning electron microscopy, including quanti-tative evaluation with automated image analysistechniques

� Hardness testing

� Determination of the chemical composition ofsteels and aluminum alloys (spectral analysis)

� Imaging of surfaces and characterization of frac-ture surfaces and cracks using scanning electronmicroscopy (SEM)

� Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) forhigh-resolution microstructural imaging, analysisof crystallographic phases, and determination oflocal chemical composition on a nanometer-scale

� Thermodynamic simulation for determination ofphase diagrams and precipitation processes

� Characterization of material condition and mate-rial properties, including flaws, for metals andnon-metals

� Non-destructive testing of individual parts in smallor medium quantities in the lab and on site

� Independent third-party inspections and evalua-tions (inspection procedures/ execution of NDT /NDT results)

SEM image ofgamma-prime

phase in a castnickel alloy;etched with

10% oxalic acid

Gamma-primephase in a castnickel alloy(SEM image ofthe fracturesurface)