Market Leader in Temperature Controlled Microscopy, Expands Product Line with Tensile Stress Tester

Linkam Scientific Instruments Ltd are pleased to announce the latest addition to their range of material characterization systems the TST350 tensile stress stage for the visualisation and measurement of physical properties of samples.

The TST350 replaces the standard sample stage on most light microscopes including those with spectroscopy options enabling the user to view their sample using either reflected or transmitted light and have the ability to digitally capture images of the sample. Alternatively, it may be used in conjunction with Linkam's own versatile Imaging Station.

As with many techniques, users are now requesting more information from a single experiment and Linkam's TST350 stage delivers this for samples in the mm length range and thicknesses down to a few microns. Early evaluators (adopters) of the system have demonstrated its use to study polymer and adhesive films. It is expected to find applications in many other industries from pharmaceuticals and the life sciences to consumer products. Systems are in use in laboratories in the USA, Japan, Korea and the Netherlands ensuring the validity and performance of the new system as it is now commercially released.

The TST350 is built with two precision ground stainless steel lead screws to maintain perfect uniform vertical and horizontal sample alignment. Sample jaws move in opposite directions to maintain sample in both reflected and transmitted microscope fields of view. This also means other transmitted techniques such as x-ray, needed for internal observation of sample structure can be used. As is expected of Linkam equipment, temperature control and accuracy is second to none, with a range from -196 to 350°C with 0.1°C control and rates up to 30°C/ min. Most importantly, there is virtually no temperature feedback to the measurement of force. The sample chamber is gas sealed and can be controlled with various gases via the gas valves built onto sides of the stage. The intuitive Linksys 32 DV software enables full control of temperature, motor for jaw position, data and high resolution image capture.