WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio (AFRL) – The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) recently renovated its materials characterization facility to meet the ever-advancing needs of materials research.
By renovating 3,700 square feet of existing laboratory space, the facility has been designed to keep pace with analytical research technology, thereby “future-proofing” it for the next generation of instrumentation, said Program Manager Dr. Todd Butler. A May 26 ribbon-cutting ceremony officially opened the new facility.
“Advanced instrumentation is growing increasingly sensitive to the local environment,” said Butler, “and this requires a strict level of environmental control to ensure the acquisition of high-quality data and resolution. This renovation increases our existing capabilities but also serves to future-proof us as technology exponentially advances.”
Butler went on to describe the challenges of renovating an older building like this. He explained that a lot of the buildings were built many years ago and weren’t necessarily designed for the strict environmental requirements associated with high-resolution electron microscopy.
While the newly renovated lab is housed at the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, it also serves other technical directorates at Wright-Patterson, as well as university and industrial members who collaborate with the Air Force through a variety of research partnerships.