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Central Materials Preparation Facility Contact person for lab facilities: NAME: Patricia Ann Metcalf PHONE: 765-494-5573 FAX: 765-496-1178 EMAIL: pam@physics.purdue.edu Purpose of lab: The purpose of the Central Materials Preparation Facility is to provide the equipment and expertise needed to synthesize solid-state materials. Examples of the materials prepared in the facility are polycrystalline and single crystal high-temperature superconductors, polycrystalline targets of metal-oxides to be used for PLD, and single crystal magnetic metal oxides. Description of lab: The lab has one full time supervisor who is responsible for the equipment and is available to provide expertise and assistance in sample preparation. The lab, located on the second floor of the Physics building, is divided into five rooms totaling about 2000 sq. ft. Facilities include numerous programmable tube furnaces with the capability for atmosphere control, and other conventional furnaces. The facility offers a 50 kW dual frequency rf-induction unit equipped with a (skull-melter) Bridgman crystal growth apparatus. In addition, facilities are available for the growth of crystals by the flux method, by chemical or physical vapor transport, or by the Czochralski technique. An arc furnace and a 2 kW rf-induction furnace are available for making alloys. Two vertical-quench furnaces are equipped with mass-flow meters and oxygen sensor cells for the annealing of oxide crystals and oxidation studies. There is also a Cahn 141 thermogravimetric analysis apparatus available for sample and phase characterization. Other facilities are a dry-box, sample cutting and polishing equipment, balances, microscopes, glass-working bench, a hydrogen reduction furnace, Schenk vacuum line, and small reference library. Usage of equipment: With proper coordination, the equipment is available for use by other Purdue University departments, other Universities, and/or external/outside company research. Policies and rules of use for available equipment: The equipment may be used by undergraduate students, graduate students, post docs, and visiting scientists. The lab supervisor will check out personnel on the use of equipment and review the safety of the proposed project. The user will provide all chemicals and expendables such as crucibles and gases. The cost of modification or upgrade of equipment for a project is the responsibility of the user. The user will also be responsible for repair of equipment damaged by negligence. List & type of equipment available: Annealing Furnaces - controlled oxygen atmosphere up to 1400 C, oxygen sensors, vertical quench - used to set oxygen stoichiometry in crystals and thin films (i.e.: 123 Films & Fe3O4, V2O3, La2NiO4 crystals)     Controlled Atmosphere Annealing Furnaces, Box Furnaces - used for prep of ceramic samples and growth of single crystals (i.e.: 123 ceramics and crystals, Fe2O3 crystals, metal-sulfide crystals, PLD targets, etc.) Centorr Furnaces - reducing (or oxidizing with ceramic tube) environments up to ~2000C -being used by material science grad students for infiltration experiments   Single Arc Furnace - reducing environment, to over 2500C - used to make small amounts of alloys Tri Arc Furnace - reducing environment, to over 2500C - used for Czochralski type crystal growth (i.e.: MoSi2, NbO, etc.) Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) - reducing or oxidizing environments up to 1200C Induction Furnace - controlled atmosphere, dual frequency (kHz or MHz), 50 kW -used for Bridgman type crystal growth of metal-oxides (i.e.: Fe3O4, V2O3, La2NiO4, etc.) with skull crucibles - also used for study of iron alloys by material science grad students Small Induction Furnace - controlled atmosphere, MHz, 2 kW - used to make small quantities of alloys and metal oxides Dry Box - used to work on water and oxygen sensitive samples Ball mill, acid saw and acid / electrolytic polisher - used for sample prep Diamond wafer saws, wire saw, and polisher - used for sample prep Vacuum Line Site related questions or comments? becky@physics.purdue.edu last modified: Tuesday, 13-Feb-01 16:23:52 EST