SwRI: Materials chemistry, new material development and specialized testing and characterization

	Microscopy capabilities at SwRI include scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM).

Materials chemistry at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) focuses on the rational synthesis of novel functional materials using a large array of existing and new synthetic methods. Materials are designed with specific useful properties by synthesizing and understanding how the composition and structure of the new materials influence or determine their physical properties in order to optimize the desired properties.

Materials Chemistry Technical Strengths

• Mechanical testing

• Microscopy

• Spectroscopy

• Modeling

• Applied materials synthesis

• Thermal analysis

• Biomaterials

• Polymer composites

• Biomechanics

• Medical device failure analysis

• Specialized testing

• Surface engineering and surface engineering facility

  	Computational modeling of materials at the molecular level allows for the development of insight into the relationship between the molecular structure and the material's end-use properties.

Other Materials Chemistry Strengths

• Materials physical and analytical chemistry

• Process and molecular modeling

• Polymer composite processing

• Intelligent polymer processing

• Sensors

• Electrochemistry

• Raman Imaging Spectroscopy

• Materials synthesis

• Catalysis

• Inorganic materials

• Organometallics

• Organic synthesis

• Polymer synthesis

• Polymer characterization

• Plastics fabrication

• Polymeric biomaterials

• Medical plastics

• Polymeric medical devices and components

• Microscopy

• Spectroscopy

• Microtomy

Biomaterials and Biomechanics

• Biomaterials

• Tissue engineering

• Polymer scaffolds

• Microtomy

• Specialized characterization

• Microscopy

• Spectroscopy

• Metallic biomaterials

• Device failure and analysis

• Materials characterization

• Porous materials

• Mechanical testing

• Biomechanics

• Finite element analysis

• Bone mechanics

• Tissue micromechanics

• Probabilistic biomechanics

• Specialized device and materials testing and test methodology

• Mechanical testing

• Coating technology

• Surface treatments

• Ion implantation

• Ion beam assisted deposition

• Tribology

• Coating characterization

Learn more about Materials Development.

Learn more about Surface Engineering.

A video with more information about the surface engineering lab can be viewed in Windows Media or QuickTime.

For more information about materials chemistry capabilities at SwRI or how you can contract with SwRI, please contact Michael A. Miller at mmiller@swri.org or (210)

522-2189.