The Particles and Grains Laboratory (PGL) has facilities designed to provide a unique research focus in the areas of granular physics and materials science as a whole, geomechanics and their interconnections.
PGL is equipped with the following facilities and equipment:
- three 3D printers
- 3D profilometer
- 3D scanner
- Hirox digital microscope
- nano-indentation
- morphological equipment for particle size and shape statistics
- optical microscopy
- stadium shear device (2D and 3D)
- loading frame with load cells of 5kN and 200N
- model testing of particle flow problems
- sample preparation for material testing
- wheel saw, grinder and polisher
- photographic and thermal imaging
- automated particle characterisation equipment by image analysis.
As well as being available for our research work, PGL is also available for consulting and teaching activities relating to material testing and characterisation, product development, proof engineering, forensic engineering, continuum and particle-based modelling of granular systems and modelling of breakage mechanics
