Laboratory “Mechanical tests”, possesses capabilities to carry out the complete volume of standard and special mechanical tests of metals, alloys, welded joints and products of them. By certified methods the Laboratory tests also non-metal and sintered materials, plastics, etc.
The Laboratory is in the structure of the accredited complex Institute’s “Laboratory for materials analysis & testing and calibration of measuring facilities” (LMTC).
The accreditation range of Laboratory “Mechanical tests”, covers 27 standardized test methods for application to determine mechanical characteristics such as: tensile, compressive and bending strengths at normal and higher temperatures, fracture toughness and fracture energy under dynamic loading, at higher and lower temperatures; determination of embrittlement critical temperature; low-cycle fatigue testing under constant amplitude uni-axial loading and fatigue under operational loadings, measurement of Brinell, Vickers and Rockwell hardness; determination of rupture, tensile and compressive strength of sintered materials, hardness measurement, elasticity modulus in tension, compression and bending of plastics and products and welded joints of them, etc.
In addition to researches, Laboratory “Mechanical tests” fulfills orders by external clients for determination of the mechanical properties. Standard official protocol is issued for the results obtained, if required in English language, too.
Laboratory “Mechanical tests” participates also in the most important complex programs which Department 5 fulfils for decades in connection with providing reliable accredited exploitation and preservation of the resource of the basic installations in NPP “Kozloduy”, including of the reactor pressure vessels as well as for the heat-electric and hydroelectric plants. It carries out the mechanical tests for the tasks of all the departments in the Institute.
Versatile testing machine MTS for tension-compression
in the temperature range from -120оС to +500oС
The Laboratory takes part also in fulfillment of the international research and applied projects of the Institute.
In connection with the planned long-term research problems, on the basis of the Department potential, the young scientists and post-graduates take part adequately in the carried out in the Laboratory “Mechanical tests” studies for stressed-strained state and analyses of the fracture processes under different loading conditions of structure steels, etc.
In the applied fields, with the activities of the Department 5 as a part of the Institute strategy, complex developments of modern technologies and application of new materials are elaborated at a long term with the purpose of effective use and control of the resource of the basic installations in the operating and being built in the country powerful electrical plants (NPP “Kozloduy”, NPP “Belene”, heat-electric generating plant “Maritza Iztok 1”, etc.), as well as the development of qualitatively new solutions and products for the defense industry and in the other branches.