The MRL Chemistry Laboratory has advanced instrumentation for the characterization of materials. This instrumentation is available to qualified users from UCSB and from off campus.

• Bruker D8 Theta-Theta XRD outfitted with an Anton Parr high temperature stage for the measurement of X-Ray Diffraction patterns of powders, thin films, and foils to 1600°C. Room temperature scans are very fast.
• Mettler 851e TG coupled to a Pfeiffer ThermoStar Mass Spectrometer TGA-MS for thermo gravimetric analysis with an option for evolved gas analysis.
• Cahn TherMax 400 TGA Temperature range up to 1500°C, and can measure thermal decomposition in very aggressive atmospheres.
• TJA IRIS Inductively Coupled Plasma ICP Spectrometer for elemental analysis.
• Shimadzu UV3600 UV-Nir-NIR Spectrometer with an Integrating Sphere for Diffuse Reflectance, Specular Reflectance, Transmission and Absorption measurements over a range of 220 to 2600 nm. These measurements can be used for Spectrum, Kinetic, or Photometric work. There are options for creative sample mounting. A larger range of 190 to 330 nm is available for liquid or translucent thin films in Transmission and Absorption.
• Perkin Elmer LS 55 Luminescence Spectrometer. This is a very versatile instrument that allows measurement of fluorescence, phosphorescence, chemiluminescence, or bioluminescence of a liquid, solid, powder, or thin film sample. The instrument is simple to operate and is controlled by easy-to-use software. The sample is illuminated in the wavelength range of 200 to 800 nm and the emission spectra recorded from 200 to 900 nm.
• Quantum Design MPMS 5XL SQUID Magnetometer with Evercool, the AC option and Reciprocating Sample Option: The magnetometer does not require users to bring liquid He. Data can be collected between H = O to +/- 50kOe and T = 1.7K to 400K. The sensitivity is in the range of 10^-9 emu.
• Two MicroMeritics BET Porosimiters for surface area, pore volume, and pore size distribution measurements.
• AccuPyc 1330 Pycnometer, for very precise density measurements of small solid samples.

Instruments at the MRL are available for responsible users to test their own samples. Training for most instruments is offered quarterly and is required before instrument access is approved. Email Joe Doyle at jdoyle@mrl.ucsb.edu to receive training announcements.

There is a small charge for the use of these instruments.  See MRL Recharge for current rates.

The MRL Chemistry Facility does not have the staff resources to test samples on a contract basis nor is it our intention to compete with private sector analytical services.

All people working in the chemistry lab are required to follow good practice and to have already attended the UCSB EH&S Laboratory Safety Training.

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