SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 10, 2013 – Agilent Technologies has announced the installation of an Agilent T150 UTM at the world-renowned Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Australia. The T150 is a state-of-the-art universal testing machine that provides superior nanomechanical characterization via a unique actuating transducer that produces tensile force (load on sample) via electromagnetic actuation combined with a precise capacitive gauge.
Dr. Jian Fang, a member of the institute’s Fibers and Textiles Group, along with professor Xungai Wang, the institute’s deputy director, selected the Agilent T150 UTM for its exceptional nanomechanical testing capability and high sensitivity on very fine fibers. These attributes make the T150 ideal for performing the tensile and compression tests critical to the group’s key research projects.
The Fibers and Textiles Group conducts extensive research on electrospinning and electrospun nanofibers, fiber-to-fabric processing and quality, performance and functional textiles, and natural and manufactured fibers. Dr. Fang’s work focuses on electrospun nanofiber mats. Electrospun nanofibers are used in biomedicine, defense, water treatment and filtration, and other applications.
The T150 UTM from Agilent enables researchers to understand dynamic properties of compliant fibers via the largest dynamic range and best resolution on the market (five orders of magnitude of storage and loss modulus). It also helps researchers investigate the tension and compression properties of biological materials via a dynamic characterization mode that permits accurate measurement at each point during testing. The T150 is highly useful for studying polymer films and MEMS as well.
A new option for the instrument, DynamicView, makes it possible for users to calculate and map localized strain in a material by quantitative processing of recorded video images. Additional T150 UTM advantages include:
- Compliance with the ASTM standard.
- Fast, accurate generation of real-time test results.
- Improved understanding of strain-rate-sensitive materials and time-dependent response.
- Enhanced statistical sampling in biomaterials applications.
- Automated reporting of test results in both Microsoft Word and Excel.
The user-friendly design of the Agilent T150 UTM simplifies training requirements—standard tests can be run on the same day the instrument is installed.
For more information, visit www.agilent.com.
