Infrastructure Department

Research Infrastructure

One of the Institute's primary strategic objectives is the continuous development of the IMT research infrastructure for metallic materials research at the highest international level. Through knowledge transfer and high-quality analytical and research services, this infrastructure supports the Slovenian steel, toolmaking, metal processing, electrical engineering, and vacuum optoelectronics industries, as well as research institutions throughout Slovenia and the broader European Research Area.

By providing state-of-the-art facilities, expertise, and scientific support, IMT contributes to the competitiveness, innovation, and technological excellence of Slovenian industry. The Institute offers companies the opportunity to collaborate in the development of high-value-added products, the optimization of existing manufacturing processes, and the creation of new technologies. This collaboration plays a key role in transferring fundamental scientific knowledge into industrial applications.

Scientific advances are only possible with the support of a modern research infrastructure that combines highly specialized expertise with advanced scientific instrumentation. IMT's research infrastructure encompasses both established characterization and testing methods as well as the development of novel experimental methodologies supported by cutting-edge research equipment, enabling the generation of new scientific knowledge and technological innovation.

Research Equipment

Microscopy and Microstructural Characterization

Thermo Fisher Scientific Talos F200i TEM/STEM with Super-X EDS system
ZEISS Crossbeam 550 FIB-SEM Gemini II equipped with EDAX Octane Elite EDS Super Detector, Hikari Super Plus EBSD camera, and coupled Hiden 700 quadrupole SIMS
PHI VersaProbe IIIAD scan.XPS Microprobe (in collaboration with the National Institute of Chemistry)
Thermo Fisher Scientific Apreo 2S LoVac SEM with Oxford Instruments EDS and Symmetry S3 EBSD detector
Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra 300 Cs-corrected TEM/STEM with Super-X EDS system, 60–300 keV GIF, STEM and 4D-STEM (in collaboration with the Jožef Stefan Institute)
JEOL JSM-6500F SEM with SEM/EDS/WDS/EBSD (HKL Nordlys II EBSD Channel 5)
Zeiss Axio Imager.Z2m optical microscope
KEYENCE VHX-X1F Series digital microscope
Nikon Microphot FXA optical microscope with Olympus DP73 digital camera and image analysis software
Alicona InfiniteFocus confocal optical microscope
JEOL Ion Slicer for TEM specimen preparation
JEOL Cross Section Polisher for SEM sample preparation
Gatan PECS II 685 ion milling, polishing, cross-section preparation and coating system
Gatan PECS 682 precision ion etching and coating system

Mechanical Testing and Materials Characterization

INSTRON servo-hydraulic testing machine (±250 kN) with high-temperature furnace and extensometer
INSTRON 1255 universal testing machine (500 kN)
ZwickRoell Kappa DS 50 kN creep testing system with fatigue capability up to 1200 °C
Creep resistance testing system
Reciprocating tribological testing system
Fracture toughness and impact toughness testing equipment
Gleeble thermo-mechanical simulation and testing system
MTS3000 Restan (SINT Technology) residual stress measurement system
INNOVATEST FALCON 800 G2 automatic hardness tester
Hardness testers: TUKON 2100B (Vickers) and Rockwell B2000
Computer-controlled operation of INSTRON 1255 and INSTRON 8802 testing systems

Melting, Heat Treatment and Nitriding

Vacuum induction melting furnace for steels and advanced alloys
IPSEN VTTC-324R vacuum heat-treatment furnace
METAPLAS IONON HZIW 600/1000 pulsed plasma ion nitriding furnace
High-pressure vacuum hardening furnace
EUP-K 650/1300 laboratory furnace
Hydrogen and protective atmosphere annealing furnace
Laser cladding and laser surface heat-treatment system
Open induction melting furnace with generator

Chemical and Phase Analysis

Agilent 5800 VDV ICP-OES optical emission spectrometer
PANalytical X'PERT Pro 3040 X-ray diffractometer (XRD)
Thermo Scientific Niton XL3t GOLDD+ portable XRF analyzer
Thermo Scientific NITON XL5 PLUS XRF spectrometer
BioLogic SP-300 potentiostat/galvanostat
ELTRA CS800 carbon and sulfur analyzer
ELEMENTRAC ONH oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen analyzer
PMI-MASTER Smart portable optical emission spectrometer

Vacuum Systems and Surface Analysis

Ultra-high vacuum system for getter material characterization
Vacuum calibration and metrology system for UHV and XHV applications
Thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) vacuum system for getter materials

Sample Preparation and Metallography

Struers Tegramin 30 grinding and polishing systems (2 units)
Struers Tenupol-5 electrochemical TEM sample preparation system
Struers LectroPol-5 electrochemical polishing and etching system
Well 3500 Premium Vertical precision diamond saw
Struers Accutom-100 precision cutting machine
Struers Accutom-50 precision cutting machine
Mitsubishi CNC wire EDM system
CNC system for metallic sample preparation

Computational Tools and Simulations

Thermo-Calc
DICTRA
TC-PRISMA
JMatPro Al
JMatPro Fe

Advanced Equipment and Specialized Systems

AMAZEMET rePowder 2.0 hybrid plasma/induction ultrasonic atomizer
Rolling mill for hot and cold metal forming
Horizontal continuous casting system
Computer-controlled system for comprehensive evaluation of tool steels
Netzsch DSC 204 F1 Phoenix (-180 °C to 700 °C) (in collaboration with the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering)
Netzsch DSC 404 F1 Pegasus (-150 °C to 2000 °C) (in collaboration with the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering)
Aconity3D MINI and Aconity3D MIDI+ Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) metal additive manufacturing systems
Water atomizer and melt-spinner for rapid solidification of amorphous and nanocrystalline powders

Personnel

Research Unit 1 (OE 1)

Aleksandra Kocijan
Matej Hočevar
Darja Feizpour
Miroslav Pečar
Nataša Lipovšek
Dejan Elikan
Laura Grebenc

Research Unit 2 (OE 2)

Borut Žužek
Boštjan Arh
Luka Snoj
Robert Lampe
Rok Rezar

Research Unit 3 (OE 3)

Janez Osredkar