Big news in Shippagan: opening of a state-of-the-art thermo-rheology laboratory

From Université de Moncton

Innovation takes on a new dimension at the Université de Moncton, Shippagan campus, with the opening of a state-of-the-art thermo-rheology laboratory! It is an advanced thermo-rheological platform (PTRA), a state-of-the-art infrastructure operated by the « Materials and Spectroscopy Research Laboratory Raman and FTIR » group. Equipped with state-of-the-art instruments from TA-Instruments, this laboratory is equipped with a rheometer, a DMA (Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer), a DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimeter) and a TGA (Thermogravimetric Analyzer) – essential tools for understanding how materials behave when their temperature is changed and forces are applied to them.

Imagine wanting to create a more heat-resistant plastic or a cream that retains its perfect texture even in the cold. That is where these instruments come in.

• The rheometer: It’s a bit like a very precise chef for liquid or pasty materials. It measures how they flow and deform under the effect of a force. This allows you to optimize the texture of an adhesive and determine how easy it is to apply paint or the consistency of a food product.

• DMA: Think of it as a strength tester for solid materials. It measures their stiffness and elasticity by subjecting them to small vibrations at different temperatures. This makes it possible to design more sustainable materials for automotive parts, building materials or high-performance polymers.
• DSC: This is a detector of hidden changes in materials when they are heated or cooled. It reveals the temperatures of melting, crystallization, or other important transformations. The DSN is crucial for developing stable drugs, safe food packaging or for studying the behavior of polymers.
• TGA: It’s a bit like an ultra-sensitive scale that follows the weight of a material while it is being heated. It is used to determine its composition, thermal stability and the amount of solvents or moisture it contains. This is essential for quality control of pharmaceuticals, composites, or organic materials.

Who can benefit from this exceptional laboratory?

This laboratory is a valuable resource for:

• Higher education institutions and research centres: for the training of students, the implementation of innovative research projects in various fields such as chemistry, materials engineering, physics, agri-food and pharmacy;
• Businesses and industries: for new product development, quality improvement, manufacturing process optimization, quality control, and material problem solving. The fisheries, food processing, polymers, adhesives, coatings and many other sectors can benefit from this.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to ACOA (BDP), the CSD and NSERC for the critical financial support that has made this state-of-the-art platform possible.

The opening of this modern thermo-rheology laboratory in Shippagan marks a significant step forward for research and innovation in the region, offering state-of-the-art tools to explore and control the behavior of materials. We look forward to the discoveries and applications that will emerge from this new infrastructure!