The University of Rhode Island is trying to expand its relationships with local manufacturers by offering them the use of high-end microscopes, which are hard to come by and have to be operated by highly specialized technicians.
The URI College of Engineering has a lab full of millions of dollars of state-of-the-art imaging technology, which can be used for infrared spectroscopy, X-ray microscopy, chemical analysis and much more.
Local businesses are able to use them for a competitive price, an opportunity which hasn’t been well-advertised but is a unique resource for companies looking to do highly specific tasks, said Irene Andreu, director of the Rhode Island Consortium for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, which houses the microscopes in South Kingstown.
“I think it’s very useful for the companies to have access to all this equipment and the expertise at URI, but also beneficial for the university,” Andreu said. “It’s a win-win situation.”
The facility works with some companies that produce construction materials, composite materials and in the energy sector, but it’s always looking for more, she said.
The powerful machines at URI can help those using them come up with a huge array of information.
“Let’s say you are a company that produces a powder of some sort, a raw material. The powder particle size is very important. Say you want all your particles to be 100 millimeters in diameter, for example. Or sometimes you don’t want your particles to be spherical, you want them to be elongated.”
The microscopes can also facilitate failure analysis, looking at crack formations or layers of materials.
It’s a back-and-forth process that necessitates a real relationship between the businesses and the school, Andreu said. The experts at URI will take samples to test whether it’s a material they can work with, and then communicate with the company about what kind of data they’re looking for.
“It’s been kind of one of those hidden gems that not a lot of people knew about,” Andreu said.
