Overview
The Department of Materials Science and Engineering is affiliated with laboratories throughout the College of Science and the College of Engineering on Texas A&M University's 5,200-acre campus.
Some labs, such as the Materials Characterization Facility, are designated as user facilities and available for both internal research and commercial use on a fee basis. These facilities may require a training session before using specific equipment.
Please check with the laboratory manager to arrange for training or access. The labs associated with the Department of Materials Science and Engineering are listed below.
List of Research Centers, Facilities and Labs
The Texas A&M Materials Development and Characterization Center was established in 2008 as a part of the Materials Science and Engineering graduate program, now a stand-alone department. It is a user facility in the Engineering Innovation Center (EIC) serving materials researchers at Texas A&M's College Station campus, other Texas A&M system members, various universities and industry.
MDC2 houses the fabrication and characterization instrumentation required for fundamental science research and applications in new materials and devices. Available instruments include the Spark Plasma Sintering System (EIC No. 104/104A), BRUKER D8 X-ray, Vacuum Tube Furnace, Arc Melter System, Differential scanning calorimeter, MTS compression testing system, MR7 laser 3D printer and the Keyence VHX-2000 optical Microscope. The center interacts with multiple users for research and development, such as various Texas A&M community departments, the US National Labs, the US Army, the US Navy, the US Air Force and commercial companies.
National Corrosion & Materials Reliability Lab
The National Corrosion and Materials Reliability Lab (NCMRL) fosters innovation, collaborative research, education, and training in corrosion science. NCMRL develops the next generation of leaders in corrosion science and technology to work at various industries, including energy, national defense, auto, healthcare, infrastructure and multiple government agencies.
We serve as a world-class corrosion education and research center and work to bridge the gap between fundamental research (science) and technology (engineering).
Materials Characterization Facility
The Materials Characterization Facility (MCF) is a multiuser facility supporting the research efforts of the Texas A&M and commercial communities. The MCF houses both fabrication and characterization instrumentation for the rapid prototyping and characterization of lithographically based micro-chemical systems with critical lateral length dimensions on the order of 1 micron or greater.
Microscopy and Imaging Center
The Microscopy and Imaging Center (MIC) provides current and emerging technologies involving microscopy and imaging in life and physical sciences, as well as training and support services, sample preparation, in situ elemental/molecular analysis, and digital image processing.
AggieFab Nanofabrication Facility (AggieFab)
The AggieFab Nanofabrication Facility (AggieFab) has state-of-the-art equipment for a wide range of micro- and nanoscale fabrication of diverse materials that is housed inside our 6,500 sq. ft. class 100/1000 cleanroom. AggieFab recently acquired $5M of nanopatterning and deposition equipment.
Soft Matter Facility (SoMF)
The new Soft Matter Facility (SoMF) is a user facility focused on the characterization of multifunctional soft materials. The establishment of SoMF is funded through the Research Development Fund. It represents multiple colleges and centers across Texas A&M actively involved in soft materials-related research, including the Colleges of Engineering, Arts & Sciences, and Agriculture & Life Sciences.
Elemental Analysis Laboratory
The Elemental Analysis Laboratory is a component of the Department of Chemistry's Center for Chemical Characterization and Analysis. The laboratory provides research support for elemental and trace analysis to internal users and other universities, government agencies, and private industry. Instrumentation includes fast neutron activation analysis capabilities in addition to thermal instrumental neutron activation using Texas A&M's Nuclear Science Center's 1 MW TRIGA research reactor.
Equal Channel Angular Extrusion Laboratory
The Equal Channel Angular Extrusion (ECAE) process was invented in the former Soviet Union by Vladimir Segal in 1977. Dr. Segal worked as an associate in the Texas A&M ECAE lab from 1992 to 1995. Researchers in the Texas A&M Deformation Processing Laboratory have been researching the ECAE process since 1992. The process is innovative and capable of producing uniform plastic deformation in various materials without causing a significant change in geometric shape or cross-section.
High Bay Structural and Materials Testing Laboratory
The High-Bay Structural and Materials Testing Laboratory primarily serves the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering researchers, the Texas A&M University College of Engineering, and the Texas Transportation Institute. The testing equipment, instrumentation, and shop equipment contained within the High-Bay Structural and Materials Testing Laboratory represent an investment of several million dollars. The lab is one of the largest, most modern, and best-equipped facilities of its kind located in the south and southwest of the United States.
Mass Spectroscopy Application and Collaboration Facility
The Laboratory for Biological Mass Spectrometry provides mass spectrometry expertise, including analysis of organic compounds, DNA, RNA, and natural products. Research scientists are actively involved in developing new analysis methods and techniques and the development of next-generation instrumentation for analysis and sample handling.
Microstructural Engineering of Structural and Active Materials
The MESAM laboratory performs research in shape memory alloys (high-temperature, ferromagnetic), bulk nanocrystalline materials, grain boundary engineering, bulk metallic glasses, and severe plastic deformation of difficult-to-work alloys. MESAM also collaborates with the Equal Channel Angular Extrusion Lab. The lab also has extensive national and international collaboration with scientists from Ames and Los Alamos National Laboratories, California Institute of Technology, and universities in Germany and Russia.
Nuclear Engineering & Science Center
The Nuclear Engineering & Science Center is a multidisciplinary research and education center supporting basic and applied research in the nuclear-related field of science and technology. The reactor is designed for the irradiation of samples and is used to produce radioisotopes for industry, medical, and academic users. Working with the Center for Chemical Characterization and Analysis, the NSC uses neutron activation to identify trace metals in materials. Users include the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Horticultural Sciences, and Department of Soil & Crop Sciences. Commercial users include industrial tracer companies, oilfield services companies, private research companies testing the wear of metallic parts, and radioactive medical isotope users.
Polymer Technology Consortium
The Polymer Technology Consortium (PTC) serves faculty from the College of Engineering's Aerospace Engineering, Biological & Agricultural Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Engineering Technology & Industrial Distribution, Materials Science & Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering departments, as well as commercial clients. Three industrial consortia support operations of the PTC, sponsoring research projects both individually and jointly.
Thin Film Nano and Microelectronics Research Laboratory (needs authorization)
This laboratory's focus is to study thin film-related microelectronic and optoelectronic devices to correlate material properties to their process conditions and device characteristics. Materials used in this laboratory are Si-based semiconductors, dielectrics, low-k interlayer dielectrics, and metal oxides. Processes include deposition, sputtering, etching, lithography, thermal annealing, and doping.