The research laboratories at Boise State University and Utah State University have an impressive list of capabilities.  Current equipment includes the items listed below as well as numerous others.

Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS): SPS sinters high ceramics, metals, and their composites in relatively short time periods.

Hot Isostatic Pressure (HIP) welding method: Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) is a forming process combining simultaneous heat and pressure to consolidate metal and/or ceramic powders.

Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM): TEMs allow their users to observe objects as small as 10^-10 meters. Chemical information is often available vie Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS).

Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM):  An SEM allows higher magnifications and greater depths of field than are possible with optical microscopy.  In addition, chemical information is often available via Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS).

 Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS):  An energy dispersive spectrometer attached to an electron microscope (SEM or TEM) makes possible the detection of individual chemical elements in a solid sample.  Such results can be quantified or, more usually, semiquantified to determine composition.

Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA): DTA measures heat flow to or from a sample as a function of temperature and time.

Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA): TGA measures weight changes in a material as a function of temperature or time under a controlled atmosphere.

Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC): DSC measures the temperatures and heat flow associated with transitions in materials as a function of time and temperature.

X-ray Diffraction (XRD): XRD is a process used in materials characterization to distinguish between single crystal and polycrystalline or powder samples, establish the phase composition and/or crystallographic texture of materials, and determine the molecular structure of novel compounds, either natural products or man made molecules. 

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS):  XPS is a quantitative spectroscopic technique that measures the elemental composition, empirical formula, chemical state, and electronic state of the elements that exist within a material.

DIFFRACplus TOPAS software: DIFFRACplus TOPAS is a graphics based, non-linear least squares profile analysis program which integrates all currently employed profile fitting methods operated with and without reference to a crystal structure model.  Applications include the determination of accurate profile parameters, lattice parameter refinement, standardless microstructure analysis and quantitative analysis as well as crystal structure solution and refinement.  For profile shape description both, the analytical profile fitting method as well as the fundamental parameters approach can be applied.

Gleeble: The Gleeble 1500D heats specimens by direct resistance to replicate the effects of non-equilibrium heating and cooling.  The maximum heating and cooling rates can be 10,000 degrees/second.  The maximum temperature is limited only by the specimen's melting and evaporation temperatures.  A maximum of 8 tons of load can be applied to the sample during heating with a maximum strain rate of 1 meter/second.  This heating is done in a controlled atmosphere chamber.

Laser flash thermal diffusivity (LFTD): LFTD is used in the study of microstructural factors affecting the thermal transport properties of materials.

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS): SLS is an additive rapid manufacturing technique that uses a high power laser to fuse small particles of plastic, metal, or ceramic powders into a functional structure.

Glovebox: A glovebox is a sealed container designed to allow one to manipulate objects in a controlled atmosphere.

Finite Element Analysis (FEA): Available FEA packages include ANSYS and ABACUS, Computer models for materials or design can be analyzed for specific thermal and structural results. It is used in new product design, and existing product refinement.

Focused Ion Beam (FIB): FIB is similar to a scanning electron microscope. It uses a focused beam of gallium ions.

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD): CFD (FLUENT) uses numerical methods and algorithms to solve and analyze problems that involve fluid flow.

2000° C Controlled Atmosphere Furnace: This furnace produces variable atmospheric pressures from 10-4 torr to positive pressures in inert environments. The temperature and atmospheric pressure are independently programmable. The workbox is 36"x24"x8". A sweeping gas flow removes any binders or other gaseous byproducts from the furnace during processing to maintain a low level of contaminants. The hot zone and elements are made of graphite.

Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) of materials: NDE detects material flaws and characterizes material properties without destroying the tested material.

Orientation Imaging Microscopy: OIM is a technique based on Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) in the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) used to determine the crystallographic orientation of materials.

Six-Axis Robots: Miller™ Robots designed for welding assembly or material handling applications that require 6-axis functionality for long reach tasks.

250 Ton Tensile Testing Capabilities: A tensile test is a fundamental mechanical test used to analyze a materials reaction to tensile loading, ductility, ultimate strength, and yield stress.

Solidica Ultrasonic Consolidation Machine: Direct rapid manufacturing of a functional metal part by combining multiple single layers of a material which are bonded together by using a rotating ultrasonic sonotrode connected to a transducer.  The additive ultrasonic seam welder is combined with a 3-axis machining center, which enables the fabrication of structures with internal geometries.  This method is also used to bond dissimilar materials.

Crystallography modeling: Crystallography is the application of high-powered beams of energy, often X-rays, to discern the shapes formed by a crystallized sample of molecules.

FACTSAGE - software:  This is one of the largest fully integrated database computing systems in chemical thermodynamics in the world.  Users have access to databases of thermodynamic data for thousands of compounds as well as to evaluated and optimized databases for hundreds of solutions of metals, liquid and solid oxide solutions, mattes, molten and solid salt solutions, aqueous solutions, etc. 

Excimer Laser Photo Resist Stripping: This is laser induced chemical etching of sidewalls and residues and enhanced combustion.

Metallography: This is the science and art of preparing a metal surface for analysis by grinding, polishing, and etching to reveal its microstructural constituents.  The Lab is equipped with a complete set of specimen mounting, polishing, etching equipment along with Zeiss microscopes and Olympus digital image system.

Tape Casting:  This is a form of ceramic processing.  In particular, tape casting is used to make substrates for integrated circuits and the multilayer structures used in both integrated-circuit packages and multilayer capacitors.

Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW): In GTAW welding an arc is formed between a non-consumable tungsten electrode and the metal being welded.  Gas is fed through the torch to shield the electrode and molten weld pool.  GTAW welding is used to produce high quality, precision welds.  A Lincoln™ Intelligent Arc system is available.

Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW): In GMAW the welding arc is formed between a consumable wire and the work piece.  The wire melts to become part of the weld bead.  GMAW welding is a commonly used high deposition rate welding process.  A Lincoln™ PowerWave 450 system is available.

Submerged Arc Welding (SAW):  Submerged Arc Welding (SAW) is an arc welding process that fuses together the parts to be welded by heating them with one or more electric arcs between one or more bare electrodes and the work piece.  The arc is submerged in a layer of fluxes for arc protection and metallurgical effects.  SAW is used to join thick plates.

Laser Engineered Net Shape (LENS) Manufacturing: LENS is a process in which near-net-shape metal structures are deposited from powdered metal in a layer by layer fashion from computer-generated designs. LENS also repairs small or thin components that could not be repaired by conventional welding techniques.

Reactive Milling: Reactive milling reduces the grain size of a material by mechanical milling in a controlled environment to produce novel materials.

Particle size analysis: The process used to determine the particle size distribution (PSD) of a powder, or granular material, or particles dispersed in fluid.  The PSD characterizes materials chemical and physical properties.

Indentation System: Indentation systems indent a test material to determine mechanical properties that cannot be directly measured.

Rapid Prototyping: Rapid Prototyping is a combination of techniques for manufacturing solid objects by the sequential delivery of energy and material to specified points in space to produce that three-dimensional solid object.

High Temperature and Controlled Aims: The state-of-the-art facilities and equipment at RAMP-C enable researchers to utilize high temperatures and control various parameters to produce predetermined novel materials.

nScrypt Direct Write: Direct Write techniques are processes which enable free form deposition of meso- and micro-scale components.  Direct Write enables production of electronics, sensors, coatings, and other devices on or within components as they are being manufactured.  This particular system is integrated with the Ultrasonic Consolidation Machine.