about
Comprehensive Testing Solutions for Non-Metallic Materials, Composites and Advanced Ceramics
At CTL, we conduct property tests in virtually any environment. We test to customer and standard specifications for all types of mechanical properties including tensile, compressive, shear, fatigue, flexural, peel, impact, and other miscellaneous standards.
We are experts at testing non-metallic materials including CMC’s, PMC’s, adhesives and other polymeric materials.
We use servo-hydraulic and electro-mechanical test machines with load capability to 200,000 lb to provide load, stroke, and material strain control. A large assortment of grips and fixturing enables us to conduct tests from -320° F to 2800° F.
Static Testing
We conduct static property tests using mechanical, optical, or extensometry instrumentation – in any simulated environment. Typical tests, among others, include:
- Tension / Compression
- Flexure
- Shear
- Fracture Toughness (Mode I, Mode II, Mixed-Mode)
- Peel / Adhesive
- Bearing
- Buckling
- Stress rupture
- Impact damage using a drop tower
Dynamic Laboratory
Typical dynamic property tests, among others, include:
- Tension / Tension
- Tension / Compression
- 3 Point and 4 Point Bending
- Compression / Compression
- Low-cycle Fatigue
- High-cycle Fatigue
Advanced Ceramic Materials Testing
Over 10,000 CMC specimens are manufactured and tested at CTL annually through our variety of testing capabilities including: Static Testing, HCF/LCF, Creep, Dwell Fatigue and Strain Control Fatigue
Static
- Static tensile testing up to 3000ºF (1650ºC)
- Static testing up to 2700ºF (1480ºC) of:
- IPS (ASTM D3518)
- Flex (ASTM C1341/C1161/C1211)
- SBS (ASM D2344)
- Static testing up to 2400ºF (1340ºC) of:
- DNS (ASTM D3846/C1292)
- Compression (ASTM C1358/D695)
- Limited temperature capability testing of ILT (ASTM C1468/D7291)
- Component and Specialty Test Capabilities
Fatigue
- Load control fatigue up to 2700ºF (1480ºC)
- Strain control fatigue up to 2700ºF (1480ºC)
- High Temp Steam up to 2700ºF (1480ºC)
- Frequencies between 0.5 Hz and 50 Hz
- Strain measurement via extensometery for low frequency testing.
Creep
- Proprietary deadweight frames designed and built by CTL
- Creep frames currently in continuous operation all capable of testing up to 2700ºF (1480ºC)
- Capable of extended test durations with minimal interruptions or maintenance
- Significantly lower operating and test costs compared to servo-hydraulic frames
- Frames designed with hydraulic wedge grips to allow for same alignment precision as on servo-hydraulic test frames
