Fire Resistance Laboratory - FIRERESLAB
The units comprising “FIRERESLAB” (Fire Resistance Laboratory) are located at the IMDEA Materials Institute and are organized into three fundamental units:
- Chemical characterization and synthesis Unit: Here takes place the design and preparation of high efficiency polymeric compounds and/or fire retardants. At the same time is divided into:
- Thermo-chemical/mechanical characterization.
- Chemical synthesis.
- Polymers and multifunctional additives manufacturing and processing Unit.
- Test and study of flame retardant mechanisms Unit.
The head of the laboratory is Jimena de la Vega (jimena.vega@imdea.org). Each of the units also has the scientific supervision of the researchers responsible for each of the research lines.
The Fire Resistance Laboratory (FIRERESLAB) is structured as follows:
- Services coordinator: Jimena de la Vega (jimena.vega@imdea.org)
The Fire Resistance Laboratory (FIRERESLAB) is organized into three main units with the following capabilities:
- Design, synthesis and functionalization of new nanomaterials.
- Multifunctional modification of nanoparticles by chemical and/or physical methods.
- Analysis of the thermal degradation of functional nanomaterials via solid and gaseous phase.
- Design and repair of: i) nano and micro/nano polymeric compounds by different processing routes, ii) bio-flame retardants, iii) environmentally friendly flame retardants.
- Manufacturing/processing of polymers and multifunctional additives.
- Fire resistance tests and study of flame retardant mechanisms in polymeric compounds.
This laboratory is, therefore, capable of supporting studies in the fields of: fine chemistry and fire behavior, multifunctional polymer nanocomposites, flame retardant mechanisms and polymer processing.
The activities of FIRERESLAB have been designed making use of the three units mentioned above:
- Design, synthesis and modification of nanomaterials used as flame retardants, prioritizing their multifunctionality and their bio nature.
- Design and preparation of bio-flame retardants and their use alone or in combination with other environmentally friendly flame retardants in bio-polymeric systems.
- Processing of nano and micro/nano polymeric compounds to use as flame retardants by solution or fusion, trying to prioritize the latter one. Within this point, the following external services are offered:
- Manufacturing of polymeric thermoplastics:
- Extrusion and injection/latter thermoforming.
- Extruder/microextruder/internal mixer
- Injector/hot plate press.
- Manufacturing of filaments/pellets/fibers for later analysis.
- Pelletizer
- High speed mixer
- Horizontal mill
- Electrospinning
- Extrusion of filaments for 3D printing.
- Filament maker
- 3D printer with and without included extruder
- Extrusion and injection/latter thermoforming.
- Manufacturing and processing of thermosettings (resins).
- Calender
- Convection stoves
- Vacuum oven with or without heating
- Manufacturing of polymeric thermoplastics:
- Polymers thermochemical/mechanical characterization. The following external services are offered:
- Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC).
- TGA-FTIR.
- Melt Flow Index.
- Densimeter.
- Viscometer.
- Durometer.
- Charpy and Izod tests.
- Study of the behavior against fire of the developed matrix. External services for fire behavior of polymeric compounds are offered:
- Cone calorimeter.
- Microcalorimeter.
- Vertical/horizontal tests (UL94).
- LOI (Limited Oxygen Index).
Current available equipment:
o Chemical characterization and synthesis Unit: Design and preparation unit for polymeric flame retardant compounds.
- Thermochemical/mechanical characterization:
- Thermogravimetric analysis equipment coupled to Fourier Transform spectrometer (TGA-FTIR, Nicolet iS50).
- Particle Size Analyzer (Bettersizer ST).
- Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC, Waters).
- Densimeters.
- Viscometer.
- Polymer Melt flow index equipment (MFI, Melt Flow Index).
- Durometer.
- Charpy and Izod tests.
- Chemical synthesis
- Freeze-dryer.
- Centrifugal machine.
- Vacuum oven.
- Vacuum evaporator system.
- Vacuum oven.
- High pressure autoclave.
- Chemical reactor.
- Refrigerated Circulator Thermostat (Frigiterm).
o Polymers and multifunctional additives manufacturing and processing Unit
- Twin Screw Extruder (L/D=20, Brabender).
- Microextruder (XPLORE MC15)
- Injector equipped with Heated Mold system (Arburg 320 C)
- Calender (Exakt 80 E, Exact Technologies)
- Internal Mixer (SU-70C)
- High Speed Additive Mixer (SHR-10A)
- Horizontal Bead Mill (ELE)
- Electrospinning (NANON-01A, MECC)
o Test and study of flame retardant mechanisms Unit
- Horizontal/Vertical Combustion Chamber (UL94, Fire Testing Technology).
- Limiting oxygen index analyzer (LOI, Fire Testing Technology).
- Dual Cone calorimeter (CCT, Fire Testing Technology).
- Combustion Microcalorimeter (Fire Testing Technology).
- Fire behavior simulation (Tests SBI-RCT)
- Real-time combustion temperature monitoring.
- Thermogravimetric analysis equipment (Q50, TA Instruments) coupled to FT-IR spectrometer (Nicolet iS50).
The rates of the services will vary depending on the work required (type of material, type of tests, number of samples, test standards, etc.).
In order to obtain a technical-economic offer of the R&D services, contact the FIRERESLAB laboratory services coordinator jimena.vega@imdea.org
Location
C/ Eric Kandel, 2
Tecnogetafe
28906, Getafe, Madrid (España)
Telephone: (+34) 91 549 34 22
email:
Highlighted equipment
