How can you test the material properties of new materials?

1 Mechanical testing

Mechanical testing involves applying different types of forces or stresses to a material and observing how it responds or deforms. Some of the most common mechanical tests are tensile, compression, bending, shear, fatigue, creep, and fracture tests. These tests can reveal the elastic and plastic behavior of a material, as well as its failure modes and mechanisms. Mechanical testing can be performed on different scales, from macroscopic to microscopic, depending on the size and shape of the material sample and the equipment used.

2 Thermal testing

Thermal testing measures how a material reacts to changes in temperature or heat transfer. Some of the most common thermal tests are thermal expansion, thermal conductivity, specific heat, melting point, glass transition, and thermal stability tests. These tests can reveal the thermal properties of a material, such as its coefficient of thermal expansion, thermal resistance, heat capacity, phase transitions, and degradation temperatures. Thermal testing can be performed using different methods, such as differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, laser flash analysis, and thermomechanical analysis.

4 Optical testing

Optical testing examines how a material interacts with light or electromagnetic radiation. Some of the most common optical tests are reflectance, transmittance, absorbance, refractive index, birefringence, and fluorescence tests. These tests can reveal the optical properties of a material, such as its reflectivity, transparency, absorptivity, refractivity, optical anisotropy, and luminescence. Optical testing can be performed using different devices, such as spectrophotometers, refractometers, polarimeters, and fluorometers.

5 Microstructural testing

Microstructural testing analyzes the internal structure and composition of a material at the microscopic or nanoscopic level. Some of the most common microstructural tests are microscopy, spectroscopy, diffraction, and scattering tests. These tests can reveal the microstructural properties of a material, such as its grain size, shape, orientation, phase distribution, defects, impurities, and chemical bonds. Microstructural testing can be performed using different techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, and Raman spectroscopy.