Polarized-light microscopes are available for crystallographic and morphological studies and phase identification of transparent materials. Heating and cooling stages and time-lapse cinemicrography can be combined to study phase changes, liquid-crystal transformations, equilibrium composition diagrams, and solidification processes in a temperature range from -60°C to 1,200°C. Principal instruments include:
Leitz Quantitative Interference Microscope
is available for surface roughness and/or thin film thickness.
Linkam Programmable Thermal Analysis System
is a digitally controlled system for controlled heating or cooling (-196ºC to 600°C) while simultaneously viewing the sample.
Nikon Labophot Polarizing & Olympus Vanox Universal Research Microscopes
are available for transmitted light techniques. Each of these instruments provides useful magnification of 40X to 1000X. Supplemental compensators are available for polarized light measurements; phase contrast, dispersion staining, refractive index determination, and micrometry.
Nikon Multiphot Microscopes
equipped with brightfield, darkfield and Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) optics with magnification ranges from 25X to 1000X.
Nikon Metaphot Optical Microscope
allows for the acquisition of low magnification images with magnification ranges of 1X to 40X and can be used in either transmitted or reflected mode.
Other Equipment
Complete facilities for cutting, mounting, grinding, and polishing of metallic and mineral materials and their electrolytic and chemical preparation for optical examinations are housed in these laboratories. Three research metallographs provide the capability to examine microstructures by bright and dark field. Nomarski, interference, and phase contrast, and by double- and multiple-beam interference methods. Extensive photomicrographic instrumentation is also available.
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University of Connecticut |