Advancements in space and security sectors rely on cutting-edge research in metals, alloys and advanced materials.
From aerospace components to high-performance structures for critical environments, success depends on precision engineering and rigorous quality standards. Our technologies support these industries with particle characterization, elemental analysis, thermal processing, mechanical testing and sample preparation - driving innovation and reliability in materials science for space and security applications.
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Modern rocket engines are now routinely manufactured using advanced 3D printing techniques, enabling optimal structural stability, reduced weight, and
integrated cooling channels that were previously impossible to produce with conventional methods. This breakthrough in additive manufacturing has transformed the production of complex components such as missile parts and aircraft engine elements, where performance and reliability are paramount.
In these applications, metal powders—especially titanium and steel—play a critical role. For processes like 3D printing or thermal spray coating, the powders must exhibit tightly controlled particle size distributions to ensure consistent and reliable processing. Generally,spherical particles within a narrow size range are preferred, as they flow more easily and can be deposited more uniformly. However, if the size range is too narrow, packing density decreases, potentially leading to voids and inhomogeneities in the final component.
Microtrac offers a comprehensive portfolio of technologies for analyzing particle size and shape, including both dry and wet dispersion methods. Their systems are designed to meet the stringent demands of aerospace and defense manufacturing. In this application note, Microtrac demonstrates how Dynamic Image Analysis (DIA) — as implemented in the CAMSIZER X2 - provides deep insight into powder quality. Unlike traditional sieving, DIA can detect even 0.005% of oversized particles, ensuring that only powders meeting the highest standards are used in production.
Quality control for Metal Powder and Powder Metallurgy process based on particle size and morphology with Laser diffraction
Advanced particle characterization of metal powders - especially for additive manufacturing and powder metallurgy - highlighting the need for spherical, broad size distribution powders to ensure optimal flowability, packing density, and final part integrity.
SYNC instrument uniquely integrates laser diffraction with dynamic image analysis to detect both size and shape - including agglomerates, satellites and oversize particles - in a single automated run.
Surface area analysis of metal powders is crucial in defense and security applications, where material performance under extreme conditions is paramount. The specific surface area influences properties such as reactivity, sintering behavior, and mechanical strength, which are vital for components like armor, propulsion systems, and additive manufacturing parts.
Microtrac's BELSORP series, including the BELSORP MAX X, MAX G, and MINI X, offers advanced capabilities for precise surface area and pore size distribution measurements. These instruments utilize gas adsorption techniques, adhering to standards like ASTM B922 and ISO 9277, ensuring reliable and reproducible results.
Have a look to the list of Standard compliance to Microtrac product:
The BELSORP MAX X stands out with its ability to analyze up to four samples simultaneously, covering a wide range of pressures and temperatures. It supports various adsorbates, enabling comprehensive characterization of materials. The BELSORP MAX G, with its ultra-low pressure measurement capability, is ideal for evaluating micro-, meso-, and macroporous materials.
Accurate density measurement of metal powder alloys is critical in defense and security applications, where material performance and structural integrity are paramount. The Microtrac BELPYCNO series offers precise determination of true and skeletal density using gas displacement methods, typically with helium.
These instruments are essential for evaluating metal powders used in additive manufacturing, sintering, and ballistic components. Understanding the true density helps detect porosity, assess powder quality, and ensure consistency in components such as armour plating, missile parts, and aerospace structures.
Microtrac's gas pycnometers comply with international standards, including ASTM B923 for skeletal density of metal powders and ISO 12154 for gas pycnometry . These standards ensure that measurements meet the stringent requirements of defence material specifications.
Or this one related to Density measurement of 3d printer additive molding materials by gas displacement method:
Defense equipment relies on high-grade metals – from steel armor plates and gun barrels to titanium airframe and engine parts. The mechanical properties (strength, hardness, toughness) of these metals are directly influenced by their carbon, sulfur, and other elemental content. For example, carbon and sulfur substantially influence the hardness and workability of steels and titanium.
ELEMENTRAC CS-i analyzer uses a powerful induction furnace (oxygen atmosphere >2000 °C) with infrared detection to accurately quantify carbon and sulfur in metal samples.
Precise oxygen and hydrogen testing on different alloys. Especially oxygen determination in titanium is one of the most common analysis for flight-critical components.
Likewise, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen content in metals are critical – excess oxygen or nitrogen can embrittle titanium and steel, and hydrogen can cause dangerous cracking (hydrogen embrittlement) in high-strength alloys.
Eltra’s inert-gas fusion analyzers (like the ONH series) measure these light elements at ppm levels. ELEMENTRAC ONH-p2 can determine O, N, H in metals or even ceramics with an impulse furnace up to 3000 °C. This capability is used, for instance, to certify aircraft-grade titanium or to ensure a batch of specialty steel for a submarine hull has no excessive hydrogen that could compromise integrity.
Materialographic analysis of metal powders is essential in defense and security sectors, ensuring the reliability and performance of components produced through powder metallurgy and additive manufacturing. QATM provides comprehensive solutions for metallographic preparation and analysis, facilitating detailed examination of microstructures critical for military applications.
ASTM: Metallographic and Materialographic Specimen Preparation, Light Microscopy, Image Analysis and Hardness Testing is one of the first reference document in this area.
The preparation process begins with precise sectioning, often using precision cutters equipped with thin CBN blades, to obtain representative specimens.
QATM's extensive application notes and preparation methods database offer detailed protocols tailored to specific materials and processes, supporting the development and quality assurance of defense-related components.
Subsequent hot mounting, utilizing presses like the Qpress series, encapsulates the specimen, providing ease of handling and protecting delicate features during grinding and polishing. This step is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the sample's microstructure.
Grinding and polishing are performed using semi-automatic machines ensure consistent surface finishes necessary for accurate microscopic analysis. These machines accommodate various materials, including steels and nickel superalloys, commonly used in defense components.
The final analysis may involve hardness testing and microscopic examination to assess properties like grain size and phase distribution, vital for predicting material behavior under operational stresses.
Military specifications for metals often include heat treatments (hardening, tempering, annealing) to achieve the required mechanical properties. Carbolite furnaces can be furnished to comply with aerospace heat-treatment standards like AMS2750 (NADCAP) and are used in defense production lines and R&D labs.
For example, a jet engine turbine blade made of a nickel superalloy must undergo precise high-temperature cycles in a controlled atmosphere to develop the proper crystal structure. Carbolite’s chamber and vacuum furnaces provide the uniform high temperatures and accurate control needed for these processes, with the assurance of standards compliance and calibration traceability.
With high-energy ball mills researchers can perform mechanical alloying, a process where powders of different metals are milled together to create novel alloys or nano-structured materials.
Defense researchers exploring new lightweight alloys or metastable phases (for armor or reactive materials) use such mills to produce small batches of material that cannot be made by melting.
In our application note: Solutions for sample preparation in the aerospace industry is possible to explore deeply the solutions provided from Retsch.
An example can be the development of a new aluminum alloy infused with ceramic nanoparticles for improved armor. Powders can be milled intensively to embed the ceramic into the metal matrix. This method has been important in creating superalloys and composite powders for defense applications (like hydrogen storage alloys for submarines or new magnetic materials for sensors).
High-performance ceramics (e.g. boron carbide for armor plates or oxide ceramics for engine components) and carbon/carbon composites rely on fine powders or precursors in their manufacturing. Carbon-carbon composites are advanced materials composed of carbon fibers embedded in a carbon matrix, known for their exceptional strength, thermal stability, and resistance to extreme environments.
Inconel 718 is a high-performance nickel-chromium alloy that has become a critical material in the aerospace and defense industries due to its exceptional mechanical properties and resistance to extreme environments. This alloy is known for its outstanding creep-rupture strength at temperatures up to 1300°F, making it ideal for high-stress applications such as jet engines, rocket motors, and gas turbines.
In aerospace, Inconel 718 is widely used in the manufacturing of high-speed airframe parts, including wheels, buckets, spacers, and high-temperature bolts and fasteners. Its ability to maintain structural integrity and resist oxidation and corrosion under high temperatures ensures the reliability and longevity of aerospace components.
Verder group can provide different solutions in the production and control of Inconel 718:
Carbolite's advanced furnaces- including tube furnaces and graphite element furnaces - play a vital role in the fabrication and testing of cutting-edge materials such as technical ceramics and carbon-carbon (C/C) composites, which are widely used in the defense sector. The production of C/C composites involves gradually heating polymer-impregnated carbon fiber components in an inert atmosphere to carbonize the resin - a process known as pyrolysis - often followed by graphitization at even higher temperatures to enhance material properties. Carbolite supplies specialized furnaces designed for carbon fiber and carbon composite research and development, including debinding furnaces (operating at around 800 °C to remove binders) and high-temperature furnaces for carbonization and graphitization, capable of reaching approximately 2500–3000°C.
These systems enable the manufacture of C/C components such as rocket nozzle inserts, missile nose cones, and aircraft brake discs, all of which must withstand extreme heat and stress.For example, at the University of Virginia, a high-temperature Carbolite furnace (model LHTG 200-300) is used to fabricate ceramics from preceramic polymer materials, facilitating the transformation of polymers into ceramic components under an inert atmosphere at temperatures up to 3000 °C.
Such capabilities are directly relevant to defense research, supporting the development of materials like silicon carbide ceramic matrices or other ultra-high-temperature composites for applications such as hypersonic vehicle surfaces.
Carbon determination and Thermogravimetric analysis are important for carbon-carbon composites and carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs), as it helps determine char yield and residual resin content - critical parameters for quality control and performance assessment.
Measuring the total oxygen in aluminum or ceramic powders provides an indirect indicator of how much surface oxidation has occurred: in powders where oxygen resides mainly in the surface film, a higher oxygen level generally corresponds to a thicker oxide layer, which in turn governs reactivity, sintering and final properties. Consequently, routine oxygen analysis—supplemented by surface-specific techniques—is standard practice for quality control in aerospace and defence powder processing.
Both types of analyses are standard practices in materials science for ensuring the desired properties and performance of advanced materials, particularly in aerospace and defense applications.
ELTRA’s versatility allows testing of powders, fibers, and finished parts. ELTRA analyzers (such as the ELEMENTRAC ONH and CS series) use resistance or induction furnaces that reach very high temperatures (up to 3000 °C), ensuring the complete decomposition even of highly stable materials like C/C composites or ceramics. This enables accurate determination of carbon, oxygen, and other light elements. Additionally ELTRA hardware is designed to minimize cross-contamination between analyses, thanks to automatic cleaning systems and easily washable combustion chambers.
Particle size and shape of ceramic powders or carbon composite is useful to predict sintering behavior and final microstructure.
There are specific challenges in performing particle size analysis on materials such as advanced ceramics and carbon-carbon composites, mainly due to their unique physical and structural properties. Ceramics and carbon-based composites tend to agglomerate due to van der Waals forces or surface charges.
This can make it difficult to obtain an accurate and representative particle size distribution without proper dispersionю With the use of dynamic image analysis/laser diffraction instruments like the Microtrac CAMSIZER X2 and Microtrac SYNC it is possible to differentiate primary particles from agglomerates.
These materials often have non-spherical particle shapes, which can affect results from instruments assuming spherical models. Use analyzers that provide both size and shape data, such as those based on image analysis.
For C/C composites (carbon fiber reinforced carbon, used in missile nose tips, rocket nozzles, aircraft brake discs due to their ability to withstand extreme heat), porosity is a critical parameter. These composites are made by infiltrating a carbon fiber preform with resin or pitch and carbonizing, often repeated to densify. The final material typically still contains some residual porosity. The size of those pores (micro-porosity within the carbon matrix vs larger voids) can affect the composite’s mechanical strength and ablation resistance.
Characterizing the pore size distribution in a C/C composite can be done via gas adsorption for micropores and mesopores, and mercury intrusion for larger pores.
For instance, activated carbon is used in gas mask filters and collective protection systems to adsorb chemical warfare agents. The efficacy of these carbons is directly related to their surface area and pore structure. A high surface area (1000+ m²/g) with appropriate pore sizes (micro- and mesopores) allows them to capture toxic molecules effectively.
BELSORP are commonly used to characterize such materials: they measure nitrogen adsorption isotherms at 77 K to calculate BET surface area and apply DFT methods to ascertain pore size distribution. An example is a study on activated carbon fibers intended for absorbing a mustard gas simulant (2-CEES).
READ THE ARTICLE FROM MDPI
Hardness is a fundamental property for military materials, as it directly correlates with strength, wear resistance, and, in the case of armor, can be a key indicator of ballistic performance. Material hardness is critical to military weapons’ performance, durability, and reliability.
QATM offers a comprehensive range of hardness testing solutions, covering all standard methods—Vickers, Brinell, Rockwell, and Knoop—from microhardness testing for thin coatings and fine microstructures to macrohardness testing of bulk metals. In a defense quality assurance laboratory, a QATM hardness tester may be routinely employed for Rockwell hardness checks on each batch of armor plate steel, ensuring it has been properly quenched and tempered.
These tests are essential for verifying that materials comply with stringent military specifications, which often reference standards such as ASTM E18 for Rockwell or ASTM E384 for Vickers hardness testing. QATM’s high-precision instruments often include automated sample stages and advanced imaging capabilities, enabling efficient and accurate testing at multiple points across a sample.
Ballistic impact Test is also done with Q10A+ Micro Hardness Tester.
The sample preparation process is really important to ensure good and reliable results. The use of the right milling system is essential to obtain the right results, and we can divide the needing:
In the space and security sector, maintaining the highest standards of quality and performance is essential. Research and development (R&D) teams, as well as quality control (QC) departments, rely on advanced analytical techniques to ensure that materials and components meet stringent specifications. The Verder Group offers a comprehensive suite of instruments that support these critical processes, including tools for elemental analysis, heat treatment, particle characterization, materialography & hardness testing and milling & sieving.
The Dumas method involves high-temperature combustion of a sample in an oxygen-rich environment, converting elements into their gaseous forms (e.g., C into CO2, N into N2). These gases are then passed through filters and thermal conductivity detector (TCD) for nitrogen and infrared cells for carbon dioxide determination. This provides total nitrogen and carbon content within minutes.
This determination is important in propellants to determine the composition of energetic materials like nitrocellulose, where nitrogen content directly relates to energy potential and stability. The study of Carbon and Nitrogen assures batch consistency in gunpowder and propellants by verifying expected carbon/nitrogen ratios. Also the C/N content is used to support forensic/military identification and aging analysis of materials.
In the defense sector, where high-performance alloys such as armor-grade steels, aerospace light alloys, and artillery materials are employed, metallography plays a crucial role both in the development of new materials and in the quality control of manufactured components.
The objective is to identify microstructural features that directly affect the mechanical properties and in-service behavior of the component.
The metallographic process involves extracting a specimen from the material of interest, mounting it in resin for ease of handling, and polishing it meticulously to a mirror finish. The polished surface is then chemically etched with a suitable reagent (acid or specific solution) to reveal grain boundaries and phase distinctions.
The prepared specimen is subsequently examined under an optical metallurgical microscope at various magnifications (typically 50x, 100x, 500x, or 1000x) using reflected light.
Microstructural evaluation can be qualitative (e.g., “tempered martensitic structure with dispersed carbides”) or quantitative, using image analysis software. Quantitative assessments may include:
Many materials used in the defense sector are found in the form of powders or porous solids (for example, granulated explosives, composite solid propellants, rocket catalysts, and adsorbents for gas masks).
A key property of these materials is their specific surface area. This property is commonly measured in m2/g using gas adsorption techniques at cryogenic temperatures, typically by applying the BET (Brunauer–Emmett–Teller) method. From the resulting adsorption isotherm, the BET model calculates the total surface area required to account for the observed amount of adsorbed gas.
The specific surface area of an explosive powder has a direct influence on its behavior. In general, a larger surface area (finer or more porous particles) leads to higher reactivity. For instance, in solid propellants, the burn rate is closely linked to the available surface area of the propellant grain exposed to combustion. Therefore, in ballistic design, both particle size distribution and surface area must be carefully optimized to ensure stable and safe combustion.
In a quality control context, measuring the specific surface area of a batch of gunpowder or explosive allows for verification that it falls within the desired range.
The long-term stability of such materials can also be monitored: powders may aggregate or form larger crystals during storage (reducing surface area), or conversely, break apart (increasing it). Gas adsorption is therefore valuable for detecting such changes over time.
In addition to calculating mean specific surface area (typically from the linear region of the BET isotherm), gas adsorption techniques also provide insights into material porosity. Using methods such as BJH (Barrett–Joyner–Halenda), the distribution of internal pore sizes can be determined.
In a defense R&D setting, for instance, one might develop a new explosive with a controlled crystalline microstructure containing nano-sized pores. The goal could be to reduce sensitivity to mechanical shock while maintaining sufficient surface area to ensure a high detonation velocity. BET analysis would be crucial in validating how crystallization processes affect the final product.
Besides fabrication, heat treatment equipment is used to test material behavior under heat. Carbolite’s ashing furnaces (e.g., used to burn off organic content at ~600–800 °C) can determine the ash content of composites or the purity of a propellant by incinerating samples and measuring residue.
For example, an armor manufacturer might ash a sample of a ceramic composite plate to verify the fiber vs. matrix ratio (burning away the polymer and weighing the ceramic ash). High-temperature furnaces can also simulate service conditions: a lab may heat a sample of armor steel or protective coating to see how it oxidizes or degrades at elevated battlefield temperatures.
Carbolite tube furnaces with controlled atmospheres could be used to perform oxidation resistance tests on coatings for naval engine components or to subject electronic components to prolonged high-temp exposure as a part of stress testing.
Particle characteristics directly affect material behavior such as combustion rate, flowability, and packing density. The more common applications that are required are:
The burn rate and stability of propellants (like nitramine gun propellants or rocket fuels) and high explosives are highly sensitive to particle size. In fact, U.S. military specifications mandate Microtrac analysis for certain propellants to verify that material is within required limits.
The particle size distribution shall be as shown below:
| Distribution (percentile-weight %) | Microns | ||||
| 10% | 1.4+/-0.1 | ||||
| 50% | 4.2+/-0.3 | ||||
| 90% | 10.5+/-0.5 | ||||
| Mean | 5.2+/-0.5 | ||||
In propellants (such as composite solid rocket propellants or gun propellants), the particle size of ingredients like oxidizers (e.g. ammonium perchlorate) and metal fuels (e.g. aluminum powder) must be carefully optimized. Fine particles contribute to higher burn rates, whereas coarse particles can slow the burn; a bimodal distribution is often used to pack density and tailor the burn profile. Studies have shown that increasing oxidizer or fuel particle size (thereby lowering surface area) can reduce the burn rate of a propellant because less surface is available for the combustion reaction.
Microtrac laser diffraction and image analysis systems provide rapid, precise measurements of granular explosives and oxidizer powders to ensure they meet design specifications.
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| HMX Type | Size Range (µm) | Key Use | ||||
| Type A | 45–150 | Castable explosives | ||||
| Type B | 10-44 | Pressed compositions | ||||
| Ultrafine | <10 | Propellants, boosters | ||||
High Melting Explosive (HMX) demands strict particle size and morphology control to optimize burn rates, packing density, and polymorphic stability. Crystallization methods—like ultrasound-assisted transformation and CO2-supercritical precipitation—can yield HMX particles from sub-5 µm to over 300 µm. Typical standards (e.g., MIL-DTL-45444A) require narrow particle size distributions and minimal agglomeration.
The Microtrac SYNC combines laser diffraction and dynamic image analysis in one system, uniquely identifying fines, oversize particles, satellites, and shape anomalies—all crucial for HMX quality and safety.
For pyrotechnics and propellants, knowing the BET surface area is useful for predicting how quickly a material might ignite or how much binder may be needed to coat particles. In one defense-related study, ultrafine RDX (Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine) explosives were synthesized and characterized by BET surface area along with other techniques, confirming that the ultrafine particles had increased surface area and different sensitivity compared to standard-grade material.
For instance, the BELSORP-Max can measure multiple samples simultaneously across a range of pressures to determine not only surface area via multi-point BET but also mesopore volume via the BJH method, which could be applied to quantify pore volume in propellant powders or catalyst particles used in propellant formulations.
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TGA is a valuable technique in defense materials research. With this technique is possible to determine the thermal stability of energetic compounds (ensuring an explosive or propellant will not decompose or lose mass below its intended operating temperature), measure the content of binders or volatiles in composites, or quantify moisture content in powders (critical for powders that must stay dry to remain stable).
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Although Microtrac’s laser and optical analyzers offer advanced particle sizing, sieve analysis remains a straightforward and standard-compliant way to measure particle size distributions, especially for quality control. Plant producing of aluminum powder for rocket propellant will sieve the powder to ensure, for example, 90% passes 150 µm and is retained on 50 µm (a specification that ensures proper burn characteristics).
Retsch shaker can accomplish this measurement in a repeatable way. Sieve analysis is also useful for evaluating sand and soil particle sizes for military fortifications or testing if dust in a desert environment falls within certain size ranges that might affect vehicle filters.
Retsch is providing different solutions to guarantee bet performance. Read the Application report:
How fine is the very first Moon soil we ever held? McKay and colleagues fire a Microtrac laser-diffraction analyzer at Apollo 11 sample 10084, capturing sub-micron grains that old-school sieves missed entirely.
Cooper et al. turn Microtrac laser diffractometer on Apollo 11 soil to count grains small enough to reach an astronaut’s alveoli.
Suspecting that decades of Earth-humidity might grind Apollo 17 “orange” soil 74220 into ever-smaller grains, Taylor’s team re-measures it—after repeated wet-dry cycles—using laser-diffractometry (Microtrac).
Robens and co-authors combine adsorption experiments with grain-size spectra from a Microtrac Bluewave laser diffractometer to link nanoscopic roughness to water and hydrocarbon uptake in Apollo 11, 12 & 16 soils.
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