Materials Science & Engineering Facilities

Materials Science and Engineering students will benefit from the advanced research facilities available within the STEM College at Youngstown State. The research laboratories occupy approximately 40,000 square feet within Ward Beecher Hall and Moser Hall.

The STEM College houses approximately $10 million in research facilities, based on replacement value. General-purpose laboratories, which are accessible to all STEM faculty, staff and students, contain common instrumentation for materials characterization such as electron microscopy, mechanical testing, X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis and magentic resonance. The majority of these laboratories have direct assigned staff support. The laboratories are operated with strict safety guidelines working closely with the Youngstown State University's health and safety offices.

X-Ray Facility

  1. The Bruker AXS ApexII is a single crystal diffractometer, offering one of the most powerful techniques to determine material structures. It was installed in 2000 and has since been extensively upgraded.
  2. The Bruker AXS X8 Prospector was installed in 2014. We primarily use it to collect data from the smallest of molecule samples, like DNA, RNA and proteins.
  3. The Bruker AXS D8 Quest was also installed in 2014. Its advanced optics and shutterless leading allow it to collect data faster.
  4. The Bruker-Nonius D8 Advance Powder Diffractometer offers uses for experiments that require either simple diffraction or high-resolution analysis.
  5. The S2 Ranger fluorescence spectrometer is capable of detecting elements at least as heavy as sodium. It can be preloaded for overnight data collections to analyze polymers, food, water, plants and more.
     

Electron Microscopy Facility

  1. A JEOL JIB-4500 Multi Beam System uses both a Focused Ion Beam (FIB) and electrons to scan under 5 nanometers.
  2. The JEOL 2100 Scanning/Transmission Electron Microscope has a digital camera. It produces both data for diffraction patterns, and high-resolution photo images.
  3. The JEOL JSM-7600F Scanning Electron Microscope's resolution enables clear sample scans as low as 1 nanometer.
  4. The JEOL JSM-IT300LV Variable Pressure Scanning Electron Microscope's large analytical chamber supports samples as large as 300 millimeters.

 

3D Printing Facility

The lab features an ExOne M-Flex printer and an ExOne X1-Lab printer for graduate student research and education and workforce development in additive manufacturing.

YSU was only one of two universities in the world with this specific equipment fully installed and operating at the time of installation in 2014.

Recent research activities include partnerships with:

  • The University of Texas El Paso to develop multifunctional 3D printing for aerospace applications,
  • The Youngstown Business Incubator to advance the adoption of 3D printing technologies for the foundry industry,
  • The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber to produce life-sized presidential nominee heads for the Republican National Convention in Cleveland and a 2016 presidential debate in Ohio.

 

Electrical engineering technology lab

A modernization strategy was put in place for courses taught in room 4270 of Moser Hall. New equipment was brought in to help students learn with hands-on experience. Visit the EET Lab webpage for more information regarding the upgrade.