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The Center operates twelve Shared Experimental Facilities: Molecular Weight Determination, X-Ray Scattering, Thermal Characterization, the Keck Nanostructures Laboratory, Optical Microscopy, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, the Keck Electron Microscopy Facility, Computing, Rheology, Spectroscopy, Surface Science, and Photovoltaics. All of these facilities are essential for conducting research in the Center. In 2009,the Keck Electron Microscope Facility acquired a new state-of-the-art FEI Magellan field-emission scanning electron microscope (SEM), with low voltage, STEM, and analytical capability (EBSD and EDS). Funding for this instrument was obtained through an NSF Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) grant. This new field emission SEM greatly enhances capabilities for imaging, and analyzing the composition of nanostructured materials in IRGs 1 and 2, and the Seed programs of the UMass MRSEC on Polymers. The UMass MRSEC on Polymers is integrated firmly into the Materials Research Facilities Network (MRFN), a cooperative effort among MRSECs. A recent National Research Council Report on MRSECs encouraged NSF to use MRSEC as the basis for a national instrumentation network as part of a strategy to increase America’s scientific competitiveness. The MRFN provides a tremendous opportunity for leveraging NSF-funded MRSEC instrument resources to educate students in advanced experimental methods and foster synergistic research initiatives between MRSECs.
The Center’s Shared Experimental Facilities are managed by Samuel Gido,the Associate Director for Facilities, who is responsible for instrument upkeep in coordination with Todd Emrick, MRSEC Director. Each Facility is supervised by an involved faculty member; seven have a technical support staff member (six at the Ph.D. level) provided by the University of Massachusetts, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts provides partial support for equipment maintenance. In 2010, the Electron Microscopy facility welcomed new facility director Dr. Alexander Ribbe, who oversees characterization activities of the facility, and coordinates electron microscopy consolidation on campus. The combined facility is located in the Conte Building (which formally houses the UMass MRSEC) in space currently occupied by the Electron Microscopy Facility, as well as additional renovated space. The combined Facility collects the best instruments on campus (two SEMs and three TEMs, with sample preparation equipment), and is retiring older instruments thus streamlining equipment use. |
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