Equipments

GREEnMat operates over 35 scientific and semi-industrial instruments, organised into thematic categories spanning the full chain from raw material to functional component. Amongst these, flagship platforms provide capabilities rarely found together in a university setting. Additional characterisation techniques are available through the CESAM research unit and the CAREM microscopy platform.

Flagship Platforms

• Gas atomiser Indutherm AUG 1000
  Inert gas, ceramic crucible, Tmax 2100 °C, ~8 kg steel/batch, spherical powders 1–200 µm
  Capable of atomising refractory alloys (Fe, Co, Ni, Stainless steel…) and producing AM-grade spherical powders in-house (304L, 316L, S355MC, AlSi10Mg, Al7075…)
• Air classifier Indutherm AC 1000G
  Inert gas atmosphere, cut point 4–120 µm, up to 75 kg/h
  Precisely controlled powder classification under protective atmosphere, with 1 µm cut-point resolution for reactive and additive-manufacturing-grade powders.
  Completes the atomiser into a full powder production line.
• Spray-dryer Niro Mobile Minor ATEX
  Pilot-scale, up to 5 L/h, ATEX-rated for flammable/reactive solvents and powders
  ATEX-certified pilot spray-dryer able to safe drying for reactive electrode slurries, organic-solvent-based precursors and energetic materials
• Laminar Continuous Taylor Flow Reactor (LCTR®)
  Continuous high-purity synthesis, micro-scale mixing, particle uniformity span ~0.2
  Enables continuous-flow synthesis of battery precursors (NCM, NCA, LLZO) and nanoparticles with superior homogeneity vs. batch reactors

Powder Production & Classification

• Gas atomiser Indutherm AUG 1000 (see Flagship Platforms)
• Air classifier Indutherm AC 1000 G (see Flagship Platforms)
• Spray-dryer Niro Mobile Minor
• Spray-dryer Niro Mobile Minor ATEX (see Flagship Platforms)
• Freeze-dryer (max 4 L water/24 h, Tmin −60 °C)
• Ultrasonic processor (Hielscher UP400S)
• Ultrasonic processor VCX750 (Sonics & Materials)
• Planetary mill (Retsch PM400/2)
• Ultra Centrifugal Mill ZR 1000 (Retsch)
• Agitator bead mill (DYNO-mill ECM-AP 05)
• 3-roll mill (Exakt – 50 L)
• Hauschild SpeedMixer SMART DAC 600.3 FVZ LR

Chemical Synthesis & Reactors

• Laminar Continuous Taylor Flow Reactor (LCTR®) (see Flagship Platforms)
• Teflon-lined hydrothermal bombs (autogenous pressure)
• Hydrothermal reactor Parr 4580 (5.5 L, up to 200 bar, 500 °C)

Additive Manufacturing & 3D Printing

• Binder Jetting — Desktop Metal Production System™ P-1 (see Flagship Platforms)
• Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) — Aconity Micro (metals)
• Vat polymerisation SLA — Ceramaker C900 (3D Ceram, ceramics)
• Vat polymerisation MSLA — Formlabs Form 4 (resins, 50 µm pixel, up to 100 mm/h)
• FDM — Bambu Lab P2S (multi-filament, 256×256×256 mm, up to 600 mm/s)

Thin Film Deposition & Coatings

• Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis (Exactacoat, Sono-Tek)
• 2 Dip-coaters
• 2 Spin-coaters (Laurell WS-650MZ-23NPPB), one in a climate-controlled glove box
• Electrophoretic deposition (power source Apelex PS9009TX)
• Tape-caster (BYKO-Drive XL)

Battery Electrode Fabrication & Cell Assembly

Complete chain from slurry formulation to electrochemical cell testing:

• Planetary mill (Retsch PM400/2) for slurry preparation
• Hauschild SpeedMixer SMART DAC 600.3 FVZ LR
• Electrode spray-coating system
• Tape-caster for electrode films (BYKO-Drive XL)
• Coin cell crimping press (CR2032 / CR2025 format)
• Pouch cell assembly line
• Glove boxes (argon) — electrode and cell assembly under controlled atmosphere
• Multichannel potentiostat/galvanostat for cell cycling (BioLogic VMP3 ; BioLogic SP200/EIS)

Thermal & Atmospheric Processing

• Ovens and furnaces (up to 1700 °C)
• Three-zone horizontal tubular furnace (Carbolite, Tmax 1200 °C)
• Glove boxes (argon)
• Uniaxial press (Pmax ~2000 bar)
• Cold isostatic press (Pmax 2500 bar)

Structural, Elemental & Physical Characterisation

• X-ray diffractometer (Bruker Twin-Twin, Cu Kalpha)
• Organic elemental analyser Elementar Unicube (simultaneous CHNOS, 1 mg to 1 g sample range, Tcombustion up to 1,800 °C, TOC capability and ppm detection)
• ICP-OES Thermo Scientific iCAP PRO DUO, dual axial/radial view, multi-element stoichiometric and trace analysis (ppm level), inert HF-resistant sample introduction system
• CEM Mars 6 iWave microwave digestion system for ICP-OES sample preparation
• Thermal analysis (ATG-DSC, Setaram Labsys Evo, Tmax 1,100 °C)
• Moisture balance with halogen heating (Tmax 200 °C)
• Laser diffraction particle sizer Mastersizer (Malvern) — Hydro 2000S (liquid) & Scirocco 2000 (dry)
• Automated particle imaging system Malvern Morphologi 4 (static image analysis, particle size and shape characterisation, 0.5–1,300 µm)
• Dynamic light scattering (Viscotek 802 DLS)
• Dynamic light scattering analyser Nano-flex (Microtrac)
• BET surface area analyser — Micromeritics ASAP 2020
• Dynamic Powder flowability meter – GranuDrum (Granutools)
• Automated tapped density – GranuPack (GranuTools)
• Gravity-driven Flow rate analyser – GranuFlow (GranuTools)
• Test sieve shaker (Haver & Boecker)
• Zeta potential meter DT-1200 (Dispersion Technology)
• Turbidimeter (Malvern Turbiscan)
• Liquid and powder rheometer MCR 102 (Anton Paar)
• Indentation hardness tester Instron Wilson-Wolpert Tukon 2100 B (Vickers/Knoop, 0.05–30 kg)
• Compressive strength and three-point bending (Zwick/Roell Z050, 50 kN – 2.5 kN cell)

Spectroscopy, Electrochemistry & Functional Characterisation

• Mössbauer spectrometer ⁵⁷Fe
• UV/Vis/IR spectrometer Shimadzu UV3600
• Spectroscopic poro-ellipsometer Sopra GES-5E
• Solar simulator (Newport, Air Mass 1.5)
• Hall measurement system RH 2035 (PhysTech)
• Impedance meter Solartron SI1260
• Multichannel potentiostat/galvanostat (BioLogic VMP3 ; BioLogic SP200/EIS)
• Controlled intensity modulated photocurrent/photovoltage spectroscopy (Zahner)
• Optic profilometer (Contour GT-I de Bruker with VSI mode - Vertical Scanning Interferometry)