MEAN Laboratory Capabilities
Prof. Wujcik occupies nearly 1000 sqft of laboratory and office space in the Tom Bevill Energy, Mineral, and Materials Science Research Building, housing capabilities for:
Nanomaterial and Polymer Sythesis, Handling, and Treatment
Electrospinning System (Innovenso Nanospinner 24 Multinozzle Electrospinning Machine) for producing precisely controlled electrospun nanofibers with co-axial, tri-axial, nonwoven, aligned, and a wide array of other controlled structure morphologies.
Electrospinning unit equipped with 5000 fps high speed camera (Dynamic Imaging, LLC) for real-time in-situ Taylor Cone and ejected jet monitoring. This allows for on-the-fly adjustments and overall greater control of the final fiber morphology. [Purchased with the help of a UA Alabama Water Institute Instrument Grant.]
3D (Bio)Printing (Allevi 3 Bioprinter)  with three extruders, temperature control, auto-calibrated heated bed, photocuring, for 3D printing or bio-printing.
Spin coating (Chemat Tech (KW-4A) Spin Coater)
Precise Handling (A&D (GH202) Analytical Balance)
Heat Treatment, Synthesis, and Drying
  1. Across International (AT19.110) 1.9 cu ft Vacuum oven
  2. VWR (89511-414) Forced Air Oven
  3. VWR (47747-226) Explosion-Proof and Flammable Material Storage Refrigerator
  4. MTI (OTF-1200X-S50-2F) Mini CVD Tube Furnace
Wet-laboratory capabilities (safety equipment, hoods, glassware, stirrers, hot plates, etc.)
In addition to a piped DI-H2O source, the MEAN Laboratory also has an ultrapure water source (Fisher Scientific (ZRQSVP3US)  EMD Millipore Direct-Q 3 UV Tap)
Nanomaterial and Polymer Characterization
Zeta Potential and Light Scattering (​Zetasizer Nano ZS) for Measuring Particle and molecule size, translational diffusion, electrophoretic mobility, zeta potential of particles at high and low concentrations, viscosity and viscoelasticity of protein and polymer solutions, concentration, MW, A2, kD.
Electronic/Electrochemical characterization (CH Instrument (CHI660E) Electrochemical workstation) for electronic characterization.
Surface Studies (USA Kino (SL150E) optical contact angle meter & interfacial tensiometer) for contact angle and surface energy studies.
UV-Vis Spectrometer (Thermo Scientific GENESYS™ 10S) for opto-electronic  characterization studies.
VWR (89231-696) Benchtop Multi-paramter Meter (pH, Conductivity, ISE)

Safety in the MEAN Lab

Safety Equipment
  • Safety shower
  • Impact-resistant Goggles/Glasses
  • Eyewash station
  • Fire extinguishers at exit
  • Flame-retardant laboratory coats
  • Assorted gloves (latex, nitrile, hot mill)
  • Waste collection containers 
  • Sharps containers

Other facilities available to MEAN Lab researchers across The University of Alabama's Tuscaloosa campus

Picture
Areal image of the UA Tuscaloosa campus. The engineering quad in the foreground (with the blue circular fountain). Bevill is below (North of) and outside the Engineering Quad; the large rectangular-ish building. Bryant-Denny Stadium can be seen to the southwest.

UA's Advanced Composite Materials Laboratory

UA's Advanced Material Testing Laboratory
MEAN Lab members also have access to The University of Alabama's Advanced Composite Materials Laboratory including facilities for manufacturing, characterization and modeling of advanced composites and nanostructured materials. Compression molding hot press, filament winder, pultrusion equipment, single and twin-screw extruders and resin infusion vacuum pumps are available for manufacturing thermoset, thermoplastic and nanocomposites film, plates and structural components as well as nanostructured aerogels for thermal insulation applications. Nanoparticle dispersion equipment such as ultrasonic bath, tip sonication and mechanical high shear mixer are also available for processing polymer nanocomposites. Fracture analysis and microstructural studies are carried out using available optical, scanning and transmission electron microscopes as well as x-ray diffraction in the Central Analytical Facility. An in-house FEA code (NOVA-3D) for predicting long term environmental durability of polymer and polymer composites is also available.
MEAN Lab members also have access to The University of Alabama's Advanced Material Testing Laboratory in the South Engineering Research Center featuring multiple servo-hydraulic testing frames ranging in load capacity from 50 lbs to 250,000 lbs.  The equipment is capable of fatigue testing materials and small structures in axial tension/compression, multiaxial tension-torsion, and combined bending and torsion.  Related equipment includes an induction coil heating unit for thermo-mechanical fatigue, a high temperature isothermal furnace and a moderate temperature isothermal test chamber for material testing. The Mechanical Testing Laboratory in the North Engineering Research Center contains a full suite of electromechanical and servohydraulic load frames capable of load capacities ranging from 100 to 10,000 kN at temperatures up 1600°C.  The lab also houses a Gleeble 1600 thermomechanical simulator, split Hopkinson bbar, and a full nano- and micro-mechanical test lab with indentation and wear test capabilities.​

UA's Alabama Analytical Research Center [AARC]

MEAN Lab members also have 24 hour access to The University of Alabama's fully-staffed Alabama Analytical Research Center [AARC]. The CAF capabilities include all listed on their webpage: https://aarc.ua.edu/

UA's Electromechanical Systems Laboratory

MEAN Lab members also have access to The University of Alabama's Electromechanical Systems Lab [EMSyL] focusing on high-power motion control and energy conversion system development and integration topics such as thrust vector control systems, flight surface control systems, renewable resource generation, and hybrid/electric vehicles. The facility houses state-of-the-art development, fabrication, prototyping, testing, and instrumentation equipment.  EMSyL research focuses on system integration and components of modern electromechanical devices and systems including power electronics, electric machinery, advanced energy storage, renewable resources, system-level control, and design optimization.

UA's Micro-fabrication/Clean Room Facility

MEAN Lab members also have access to The University of Alabama's Micro-fabrication/Clean Room Facility. The capabilities include all listed on their webpage: http://mff.ua.edu/

...including others that can be found at: 
https://eng.ua.edu/research/research-laboratories/