A heating system for use in mechanical testing at scales of microns or less includes a stage heater. The stage heater having a stage plane, and a stage heating element distributed across the stage plane. Two or more support mounts are on opposed sides of the stage plane. A first bridge extends from the stage plane to a first mount of the two or more support mounts, and a second bridge extends from the stage plane to a second mount of the two or more support mounts. The first and second bridges provide a plurality of supports between the stage plane and two or more support mounts to accordingly support the stage plane. In another example, the heating system includes a probe heater configured to heat a probe as part of mechanical testing.

A heating system for use in mechanical testing at scales of microns or less includes a stage heater. The stage heater having a stage plane, and a stage heating element distributed across the stage plane. Two or more support mounts are on opposed sides of the stage plane. A first bridge extends from the stage plane to a first mount of the two or more support mounts, and a second bridge extends from the stage plane to a second mount of the two or more support mounts. The first and second bridges provide a plurality of supports between the stage plane and two or more support mounts to accordingly support the stage plane. In another example, the heating system includes a probe heater configured to heat a probe as part of mechanical testing.

A method for evaluating the thermoplasticity of a coal or a caking additive with an apparatus including a container for coal and a stirrer located in the container. The method includes estimating a permeation distance of the coal or caking additive from a value indicating a shape of semicoke formed by rotating the stirrer while heating the coal or caking additive and from a correlation between the value indicating the shape of the semicoke and the permeation distance of the coal or caking additive.

A method for evaluating the thermoplasticity of a coal or a caking additive with an apparatus including a container for coal and a stirrer located in the container. The method includes estimating a permeation distance of the coal or caking additive from a value indicating a shape of semicoke formed by rotating the stirrer while heating the coal or caking additive and from a correlation between the value indicating the shape of the semicoke and the permeation distance of the coal or caking additive.

A method for testing an interfacial tribochemical reaction between a diamond wafer and active metal abrasive or metal oxide abrasive is provided. A surface of a diamond indenter used in a nano scratch tester is coated with a layer of the active metal abrasive or the metal oxide abrasive with uniform and controllable thickness by magnetron sputtering, and an interface interaction between the layer of the active metal abrasive or the metal oxide abrasive and the diamond wafer is controlled by a scratch test of the diamond wafer. Chemical components of an interaction section on a surface of the diamond wafer are analyzed by the scanning probe micro Raman spectrometer.

A method for testing an interfacial tribochemical reaction between a diamond wafer and active metal abrasive or metal oxide abrasive is provided. A surface of a diamond indenter used in a nano scratch tester is coated with a layer of the active metal abrasive or the metal oxide abrasive with uniform and controllable thickness by magnetron sputtering, and an interface interaction between the layer of the active metal abrasive or the metal oxide abrasive and the diamond wafer is controlled by a scratch test of the diamond wafer. Chemical components of an interaction section on a surface of the diamond wafer are analyzed by the scanning probe micro Raman spectrometer.

A portable testing device and method for measuring physical characteristics of a polymeric or elastomeric material is provided. The testing device includes an indenter probe; a drive system for controlling movement of said probe, said drive system comprising a motorized linear slide operatively associated with the probe to advance said probe from a first position to a second position to deform said polymeric or elastomeric material and to facilitate instant or fast retraction of said probe to a predetermined intermediate position between said first and second positions; and a force/displacement measurement system including a first sensor for measuring force at the tip of said probe during contact with said polymeric or elastomeric material and a second sensor for measuring displacement of the probe; and a controller configured to provide control to the force/displacement measurement system and the drive system.

A portable testing device and method for measuring physical characteristics of a polymeric or elastomeric material is provided. The testing device includes an indenter probe; a drive system for controlling movement of said probe, said drive system comprising a motorized linear slide operatively associated with the probe to advance said probe from a first position to a second position to deform said polymeric or elastomeric material and to facilitate instant or fast retraction of said probe to a predetermined intermediate position between said first and second positions; and a force/displacement measurement system including a first sensor for measuring force at the tip of said probe during contact with said polymeric or elastomeric material and a second sensor for measuring displacement of the probe; and a controller configured to provide control to the force/displacement measurement system and the drive system.

A method for acoustically measuring material properties of a test piece at high temperatures, includes the steps of: heating the test piece to within a testing temperature range; performing a background measurement within said testing temperature range by capturing a vibrational signal from the test piece within a calibration period, thereby obtaining a noise signal; performing an acoustic measurement on said test piece within said testing temperature range and within a testing period by: imparting a vibrational excitation onto the test piece; capturing a vibrational signal of the test piece within the testing period, thereby obtaining a vibrational response signal to said vibrational excitation, and obtaining the material properties of the test piece by analyzing the vibrational response signal, thereby taking into account the noise signal. A system is provided for acoustically measuring material properties of a test piece at high temperatures.

A method for acoustically measuring material properties of a test piece at high temperatures, includes the steps of: heating the test piece to within a testing temperature range; performing a background measurement within said testing temperature range by capturing a vibrational signal from the test piece within a calibration period, thereby obtaining a noise signal; performing an acoustic measurement on said test piece within said testing temperature range and within a testing period by: imparting a vibrational excitation onto the test piece; capturing a vibrational signal of the test piece within the testing period, thereby obtaining a vibrational response signal to said vibrational excitation, and obtaining the material properties of the test piece by analyzing the vibrational response signal, thereby taking into account the noise signal. A system is provided for acoustically measuring material properties of a test piece at high temperatures.