Equipment and Methods

In the Biobased Composites & Processes division, R&D projects from the lab- up to the pilot plant scale can be realised using own equipment. In addition, equipment of the JKU is available via various joint projects. 

Pilot plant scale equipment

Extrusion/Compounding

• WPC/NFC extrusion line Cincinnati Fiberex K38 (6-fold gravimetric dosing) 

• Co-extruder CE 42 

• Chemical foaming 

• Filament production for 3D-FLM printing (short and continuous fiber reinforced polymers) 

• Multifilament melt spinning line FET (0,8 – 3,0 kg/h, max. 2000 m/min) 

• Various extrusions tools, including slit die rheometry 

• Brabender DSE 20/40 (5-fold gravimetric dosing) 

• Brabender KDSE 32  

• Hot die face pelletizing system Erema KG 80 

• Under water granulation system Econ EUP 50 

• Strand granulation system RIETER Primo 50 

• Henschel heating/cooling mixer FML 10 / KM 23 (10 L) 

• Rhönrad mixer 

Injection molding

• Wittmann-Battenfeld SMARTPOWER 120/350 UNILOG B8 (equipped for thermoplastics and thermosets) 

• Dryer Wittmann-Battenfeld Drymax Aton2 F 120 kompakt (4 x 30 L, 1 x 50 L) 

• Various tools for specimens, plates, determination of flow distance, so

3D printing

• FLM printer German RepRap X400 PRO V3 (build area 390 x 400 x 330 mm) 

• FLM printer Original Prusa i3 MK3S incl. Multi Material 2S upgrade kit 

• 3D scanner Steinbichler COMET LƎD 5M (measuring fields: 45-500 mm, resolution: 5 megapixel, max. accuracy: 18 µm) 

High temperature equipment

•  High temperature chamber furnace (2,300 °C max., usable volume 6 L) 

• Chamber furnace (900 °C max., usable volume 150 L) 

• Rotary furnace (1,100 °C max.) 

• Tube for furnace for oxidation/stabilisation (300 °C max., 5 heating zones each 50 cm) 

• Tube for furnace for LT carbonisation (1,050 °C max., 5 heating zones each 50 cm) 

• Tube for furnace for HT carbonisation (1,700 °C max., 2 heating zones each 50 cm) 

Material testing / Lab equipment

• Laboratory press (320 x 320 x 200 mm)

• Thermal analysis (DSC: OIT, High pressure pan, Rapid Cooling; HDT-A/B/C) 

• Optical analysis (microscopy, REM, XPS) 

• Pore analysis (gas adsorption, Hg porosimeter) 

• Mechanical testing (tensile, flexural, compression, impact, falling ball test) 

• Spun yarn/multifilament-tensile testing 

• Fiber/filler characterisation (sieve analysis, bulk density, fiber length distribution by FASEP) 

• Soxhlet-Extraction 

• Rheology (dynamic rheometer Anton Paar MCR 102; MFR – melt mass-flow rate) 

• Chemistry lab, incl. fume cupboard 

• Fire testing (single-flame source test, UL 94, building materials following DIN 4102-1) 

• Dielectric analysis (curing analytics for thermosets) 

• Tensiometer for contact angle and surface energy determination (Krüss K100) 

• Ash content determination (rapid incinerator, muffle furnace) 

• Quantitative determination of inorganic fillers and reinforcing materials, respectively, by incineration in muffle furnace 

• Electro-acoustic spectrometer DT1200 for particle size distribution analysis 

• Artificial weathering (Xenon-weathering chambers) 

• Climate cabinets 

• High-voltage tester CEAST DIELECTRIC RIGIDITY 

• Several different saws and a CNC milling machine for sample preparation