Shimadzu Scientific Instruments and University of North Florida create Materials Science & Engineering Research Facility

Shimadzu Scientific Instruments (SSI, Columbia, MD, US) and the University of North Florida (UNF) announced May 2 they have joined forces to help establish the Materials Science and Engineering Research Facility (MSERF) on the campus of UNF in Jacksonville, FL, US. MSERF, which opened its doors in July 2017, is a facility designed to support education and research efforts across all materials science and engineering-related disciplines. It will also serve the private sector by providing analytical services related to R&D, process control, failure analysis and quality assurance. 

To support UNF in the establishment of MSERF, SSI awarded a grant as part of its SPARQ (Shimadzu Partnership for Academics, Research and Quality of Life) program. Equipped with an array of Shimadzu’s analytical and materials testing instruments, the facility is able to support diverse applications related to materials characterization and innovation, while providing its students and faculty a state-of-the-art teaching and research center. 

Alongside TESCAN electron microscopes, MSERF now houses a suite of Shimadzu instrumentation including an X-ray diffractometer, infrared microscope, UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer, universal mechanical tester, fully automated micro hardness tester and microfocus X-ray computed tomography system.

 “Partnering with Shimadzu has enabled us to establish a breadth of materials testing and characterization techniques to support the widest spectrum of users in the center,” says Dr. Paul Eason, University of North Florida. “We are fortunate to work with a company that provides so many state-of-the-art instruments.”

“The University of North Florida, backed by the State of Florida’s Advanced Manufacturing and Materials Innovation (AMMI) initiative, has made an amazing commitment to its current and future faculty, students and collaborators,” says Scott Kuzdzal, Ph.D., vice president of marketing, Shimadzu Scientific Instruments. “Their vision aligns well with Shimadzu’s goal of serving the academic community, and we are proud to support such an enterprising venture.”