Sustainable Material Characterisation Laboratory

Who we are?

Welcome to the PolyU Sustainable Material Characterisation Laboratory, which is a part of Carbon Neutrality Material Teaching Laboratory[1]. Our lab addresses in teaching and research on carbon neutral materials, implementing the school's plan to build a sustainable campus. This laboratory covers the research, characterization and prototype of carbon neutral materials, achieving the integration of theory and practice from initial material development, mid-term material performance testing to final product display.

[1] Carbon Neutrality Material Teaching Laboratory is the teaching facilities funded by the Areas of Excellence Committee (AoEC) through the Large Equipment Fund for Teaching.

What we do?

We’ll support the research of sustainable materials and upcycling for construction waste (e.g. concrete/ timber), consumer waste (e.g. plastic), and food waste (e.g. coffee grounds) covering the following processes.

Recycle: Turn waste into low-carbon recycled materials through melting, granulation or hot pressing processes.

Characterise: Determine the carbon level, physical and mechanical properties of recycled materials in a laboratory environment using thermogravimetric analysis[2].

Prototype: Prototype recycled materials for upcycling purposes rapidly.

[2] A method of thermal analysis in which the mass of a sample is measured over time as the temperature changes.

What kind of material tests we run?

Sustainable Material Characterisation Laboratory concentrates on materials testing. At this stage, the performance and environmental sustainability of recycled materials are verified through multidimensional analysis:

the rheological properties of sustainable materials are analysed using a rheometer,
the composition and thermal effects are analysed using TGA and other techniques,
the mechanical stability of materials is analysed through mechanical testing, and
the life cycle analysis (LCA) is comprehensively completed to quantify the carbon footprint.

This process not only confirms the practicality of the materials, but also scientifically proves their ecological advantages, promoting the industrialization of resource recycling. We will arrange wide range of AoEC equipment for researchers (Compression Machine for ABCT, TGA for FSN, etc.) for different tests.

What resources we have?

Tests	Equipment	Applicability for Construction Concrete/Timber Waste	Applicability for Consumer Plastic Waste	Applicability for Food/Metal Waste
Carbon/Mineral content	Thermogravimetric Analyzer	Y/Y	N	Y/Y
Viscosity of suspension	Rheometer (RST CC)	Y/N	N	Y/N
Viscosity of suspension	Rheometer (CP-5000)	Y/N	N	Y/N
Buildability and setting of plastomer	Penetration Resistance Tester	Y/N	N	Y/N
Water content	Oven (normal)	Y/Y	N	Y/Y
Water content	Oven (vacuum drying)	Y/Y	Y	Y/Y
Weight of the samples	Balance (to 0.1 mg)	Y/Y	Y	Y/Y
Compression strength	Compression Machine for Mortar	Y/Y	Y	Y/Y

Specification

Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TGA) with Auto Sampler

Location: U104

Process: Testing

Material: Construction Materials and Wastes, Polymer

Specification:

Model: KEP SETARAM THEMYS ONE+

Major specification:

Measuring ranges: +/- 1000 mg or +/- 200 mg
Auto sampler with a 32-position carousel
Furnace configuration up to 1150 ℃
Temperature scanning rate: 0.01 to 100 ℃/min

Application:

Inorganically mineral qualitative and quantitative determination
Organic carbon content determination

Wance Compression Machine for Mortar

Location: U005

Process: Construction Materials

Material: Multiple Materials

Specification:

Maximum test force: 300kN (compressive strength); 10kN (flexural strength)
Net distance between two columns: 330mm
Loading speed: 2400 ± 200N/s (compressive strength); 50 ± 5N/s (flexural strength)

Rheometer (RST CC)

Location: U005

Process: Construction Materials

Material: Multiple Materials

Specification:

Speed ranging from 0.0001 to 80 rpm in both clockwise or counter-clockwise
Torque ranging from 0-10000 Nmm with a resolution of 0.05 Nmm and accuracy better than 0.02Nm
Specimen volume of 3L with inner diameter of 165 mm and height of 175 mm
Special proximity sensor with automatic stop function

Rheometer (CP-5000)

Location: U005

Process: Construction Materials

Material: Multiple Materials

Specification:

Measurement range: 0.6-540,000,000 mPa.s
Accuracy: ±1% (of current range)
Repeatability: 0.2%
Automatic temperature control: Optional temperature range of -60~300°C
Sample volume: 0.03~0.15ml (cone-plate system); 2.1~25ml (coaxial cylinder system)

Penetration Resistance Test

Location: U005

Process: Construction Materials

Material: Construction Materials

Specification:

In compliance with ASTM C403/C403M-16
Maximum penetration force of 1000 N
Indication error within -1% to 1%
Minimum graduation value of 0.1 N

Electronic Balance (ten thousandth)

Location: U104

Process: Construction Materials

Material: Multiple Materials

Specification:

Model: BSA120.4
120g range
±0.1mg
Tray size with a diameter of 90mm

Drying Oven (normal)

Location: U005

Process: Construction Materials

Material: Multiple Materials

Specification:

Provided for desiccation, torrefaction, wax-melting and sterilization in laboratory
Uniform distribution of air temperature and forced-air convention
Temperature range RT+10~200°C
Temperature stability ±1°C
Chamber volume: 136L
Interior dimension (W x D x H, mm): 550 x 450 x 550

Drying Oven (vacuum drying)

Location: U104

Process: Construction Materials

Material: Multiple Materials

Specification:

Model: BPZ-6033LCB
Temperature control range: RT+10-200 ℃
Inner container size: 320 × 320 × 320 mm
Program-controlled drying monitoring with automatic ventilation at end of process

Contact Us

Opening Hours: 08:30 to 17:20, Monday to Friday

Venue: U104

Contact Person: Dr LI Xiaosheng

Apart from the Carbon Neutrality Lab, IC also provides varies of equipment and support (Testing, Training, and Consultation) that meet your need. Kindly consult our IC staff for more details on collaboration.