Resources
Students in WPI’s Materials Science & Engineering program benefit from the cutting-edge research and learning taking place every day in our classrooms and state-of-the-art laboratories. The department uses diverse facilities to create and convey knowledge at the forefront of materials science, processing, and engineering.
- Electrochemical Energy Laboratory focuses on new electrode materials and structures for next-generation lithium ion batteries and fundamental electrochemical processes.
- Integrative Materials Design Center defines, disseminates, and implements a new design paradigm and supporting methodologies for failure prevention and increased performance, reliability, and recyclability.
- Metal Processing Institute is dedicated to advancing the state of the art in near-net-shape manufacturing and materials recovery and recycling.
- NanoEnergy Laboratory Research in the Nanoenergy Lab includes scalable synthesis and characterization of thin films and nanostructured materials for applications in solar energy conversion. Current projects focus on novel, nanostructured metal oxide and metal sulfide semiconductor thin films composed of earth-abundant, non-toxic elements for photoelectrochemical and photovoltaic energy conversion. Please contact Professor Pratap Rao for details.
- Nanomaterials & Nanomanufacturing Laboratory focuses on nano and molecular sciences and technologies, interface phenomena at micro and nanoscales, and sustainable energy. Contact Professor Jianyu Liang with any questions about this lab.
- Surface Metrology Laboratory advances the understanding of the formation, behavior, measurement, and analysis of surface roughness.
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The Materials Characterization Laboratory (MCL) is an advanced analytical user facility that supports the materials research community at WPI. As part of the Materials Science & Engineering Program, MCL offers a wide range of analytical techniques and support services. Researchers using the lab have access to state-of-the-art instrumentation in areas such as electron microscopy (SEM, TEM), X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy (conventional and inverted), physical property analysis (including hardness and micro-indentation), and materials processing (specimen preparation, heat treatment, metal evaporation, and sputtering). All instruments are available for hands-on use by students and faculty. Licensed users are granted 24-hour access, and training is available by appointment year-round. The MCL is also open to researchers from other universities and local industry partners