Characterization Services
LightCoce offers a wide variety of analysis and test methods addressed towards materials, components and products. Thanks to the network of partners with different expertise and specializations, the characterization activities cover different fields of application: concrete, ceramics and nano-materials.
Measurements and testing focus on four main areas of characterization:
- Structural and morphological properties concern the assessment of dimensions and surface quality, flatness of faces, density and porosity as well as chemical composition and mineralogy-crystalline content, size distribution analysis, microscopy, volume and percentage of voids.
- Mechanical testing evaluates the performance of differently sized and shaped samples under the application of various loads. This includes compressive, bending, tensile, shear, flexural and breaking strength as well as dynamic loads. Furthermore, the evaluation of creep properties, dimensional stability, freeze-thaw resistance and impact resistance as well as Impulse Excitation Technique and Microindentation are available. It is also possible to perform microhardness testing, wear tests, block on ring friction tests and tension tests at high temperature.
- Thermal and hygrothermal analysis included the evaluation of various applications of thermal conductivity, fire behaviour resistance, indoor emission by VOCs, water absorption, durability of performance and advanced thermal properties such as specific heat capacity and maximum service temperature.
- Nano-enabled functionalities assess the performance of components with additional nano-powders and nano-structures in terms of mechanical and hygrothermal performance as well as electrical conductivity, easy to clean and self-sensing properties.
Most of the partners cooperating with LightCoce have accredited labs for a large number of tests that guarantee high quality and a constant level of excellence to fulfil needs and services. The accreditation of the different partners covers several materials and products (insulation materials, concrete, ceramic, clay, natural stone, masonry, construction elements, etc.) and properties (thermal and hygrothermal performance, sound and vibration, fire performance, etc.). The regular validation and round-robin tests carried out within the network ensure reliable and high standard tests for the non-accredited labs as well. High-quality performance in the products and results is also guaranteed by the establishment of a quality management system for the characterization infrastructures.
Although the majority of test methods for the characterization of materials and structures are performed according to international standard procedure guidelines (ASTM, EN ISO standard), LightCoce deals with the development and improvement of non-standardized tests as well.
Accredited testing services available to include:
- Chloride content (EN 196-2) for concrete
- Chloride migration coefficient (EN 12390-11) for concrete
- Decarburization depth – metallographic method and the Vickers and Knoop method (PN-EN ISO 3887:2018-03 without point 5.4)
- Density and porosity (EN 1602; EN 1936) for insulation materials and natural stone
- Dimensional stability (EN 1603; EN 1604) for insulation materials
- Dimensions (UNE-EN ISO 10545-2:2019; CSTB Cahier 3778_V4:2020. Annex 9) for ceramic tiles
- Discontinuities in steel forgings – Ultrasonic method (PN-EN ISO 16810:2014-06, PN-EN 10228-3:2016-07, PN-EN 10228-4:2016-07)
- Geometrical properties, strength (EN 10080; SS 923514) for reinforcing steel
- Microstructure, quantitative and qualitative analysis of structure components – optical microscopy method (PN-H-04504:1963, PN-H-04517:1992, PN-H-04661:1975, PN-EN ISO 945-1:2019-09 without point 6.4, PN-H-04505:1966, research instruction Z-IB/3-05, ed. VIII of 17/03/2020)
- Microstructure, surface morphology, characteristic of fracture – scanning electron microscopy method (research instruction Z-IB/3-08, ed. IV of 17/03/2020)
- Radon transmission (SP-method 3873)
- Settling Time (EN 196-3) for concrete
- Surface quality (UNE-EN ISO 10545-2:2019) for ceramic tiles
- Water absorption, apparent porosity, apparent relative density and bulk density (ASTM C373-18; UNE-EN ISO 10545-3:2018) for ceramic tiles
- Bending behaviour (EN 12089, PN-EN ISO 7438:2016-03, PN-EN ISO 8491:2005)
- Behaviour under point load (EN 12430) for insulation materials
- Charpy impact test (PN-EN ISO 148-1:2017-02)
- Compressive behaviour (EN 1015-11; EN 826; EN 196-1; EN 12390-3, research instruction Z-IB/3-09, ed. IV of 17/03/2020, PN-57/H-04320)
- Compressive creep (EN 1606) for insulation materials
- Content of C, Mn, Si, P, S, Cr, Ni, Mo, V, W, Cu, Al in steel low, medium and high alloy – atomic emission spectrometry method with excitation fluorescent (research instruction Z-IB/3-06, ed. V of 17/03/2020)
- Deformation under specified compressive load and temperature conditions (EN 1605) for insulation materials
- Flexural strength, first-crack deflection, fracture toughness indexes and residual strength (ASTM C 1018-97; EN 14488-3; EN 1015-11; EN 772-6; EN 196-1; EN 12372 (only for stone)) for fibre-reinforced concrete, natural stone and masonry
- Freeze-thaw resistance (ISO 12091; SS 137245) for insulation materials and concrete
- Hardness HRC, HRA – Rockwell method (PN-EN ISO 6508-1:2016-10)
- Hardness, microhardness HV – Vickers method (PN-EN ISO 6507-1:2018-05)
- Heavy impact resistance (CSTB Cahier 3778_V4:2020. Annex 6) for unglazed ceramic tiles
- Impact resistance. Measurement of coefficient of restitution. (UNE-EN ISO 10545-5:1998) for ceramic tiles
- Light impact resistance (CSTB Cahier 3778_V4:2020. Annex 7) for glazed ceramic tiles
- Mazaud wear method (CSTB Cahier 3778_V4:2020. Annex 10) for ceramic tiles
- Microhardness HK – Knoop method (PN-EN ISO 4545-1:2018-04)
- Modulus of elasticity (ISO 15630-3; EN 12390-13; EN 14580) for reinforcing and prestressing steel and concrete
- Modulus of rupture, breaking load and breaking strength (CSTB Cahier 3778_V4:2020. Annex 4; CSTB Cahier 3778_V4:2020. Annex 12; UNE-EN ISO 10545-4:2019) for ceramic tiles and ceramic tiles installed on plots
- Repeated impact resistance (CSTB Cahier 3778_V4:2020. Annex 11) for ceramic tiles installed on plots
- Resistance to deep abrasion, abrasion and surface abrasion (CSTB Cahier 3778_V4:2020. Annex 2; UNE-EN ISO 10545-6:2012; CSTB Cahier 3778_V4:2020. Annex 1; UNE-EN ISO 10545-7:1999) for unglazed ceramic tiles, glazed ceramic tiles
- Resistance to heavy rolling (CSTB Cahier 3778_V4:2020. Annex 5) for unglazed ceramic tiles
- Resistance to wear by pedestrian traffic (UNE 138001:2008 IN) for ceramic tiles
- Scratch hardness of surface according to Mohs (UNE 67-101:1985 UNE 67-101/1M:1992 EN 101:1991) for ceramic tiles
- Shear behaviour (EN 12090) for insulation materials
- Shrinkage (SS 137215) for concrete
- Static tensile test at ambient temperature (PN-EN ISO 6892-1:2020-05 method B)
- Tensile strength (EN 1607; EN 12390-6; ISO 15630-1; ISO 15630-2:2010, research instruction Z-IB/3-09, ed. IV of 17/03/2020)
- Verification of the decoration conservation (CSTB Cahier 3778_V4:2020. Annex 3) for ceramic tiles
- Crazing resistance (UNE-EN ISO 10545-11:1997) for glazed ceramic tiles
- Frost resistance (UNE-EN ISO 10545-12:1997) for ceramic tiles
- Hygrothermal performance of building materials (ISO 12571)
- Lineal thermal expansion (UNE-EN ISO 10545-8:2014) for ceramic tiles
- Maximum service temperature (EN 14706, EN 14707)
- Moisture expansion (UNE-EN ISO 10545-10:1997) for ceramic tiles
- Thermal conductivity (EN 12664; EN 12667; ISO 8301; ISO 8302; ASTM C 177; ASTM C 518; ISO 8497; DIN 52613; EN 12939; ISO 22007-2)
- Resistance to driving rain for external walls and roofs (EN 12865; SP-method 0257)
- Resistance to thermal shock (UNE-EN ISO 10545-9:2013) for ceramic tiles
- Thermal transmission (ISO 8990; EN ISO 12567-1; EN ISO 12567-2)
- Water absorption (EN 12087; EN 12088; EN 1609) for insulation materials
- Water vapour transmission properties (ISO 12572; EN 12086; EN 13469) for insulation materials
- VOC testing according to AgBB scheme (SO 16000-9) for insulation materials, building materials, underlays, construction units
- Fire resistance (EN 1363)
- Fire spread, falling part, heat flux (SP Fire 105)
- Heat release, smoke production, mass loss rate, oxygen consumption, optical thickness and mass loss rate (ISO 5660-1; ISO 5660-2)
- Ignitability of products subjected to direct impingement of flame (ISO 11925-2) for thermal insulation
- Reaction to fire tests (EN 13823)
- Temperature, spalling depth (SP Fire 119) for concrete
- Airborne sound insulation (ISO 10140-2)
- Airflow resistance and permeability (ISO 9053; SS 021550; EN 12114)
- Acoustic performance of traffic noise reducing devices (EN 1793)
- Chemical resistance (CSTB Cahier 3778_V4:2020. Annex 8) for ceramic tiles
- Critical angle of slip. Ramp test. Floorings. Wet-loaded barefoot areas (DIN 51130:2014 Apdo. 5; DIN 51097:1992) for ceramic tiles
- Dynamic coefficient of friction for wet surface DCOF. Hard surface flooring. (ANSI A326.3:2017) for ceramic tiles.
- Lead and cadmium given off (UNE-EN ISO 10545-15:1998) for glazed ceramic tiles
- Resistance to acids and alkalis (high concentrations and low concentrations) (UNE-EN ISO 10545-13:2017; UNE-EN ISO 10545-13:2017) for ceramic tiles
- Resistance to household chemicals and swimming pools salts (UNE-EN ISO 10545-13:2017) for ceramic tiles
- Resistance to stains (CSTB Cahier 3778_V4:2020. Annex 8; UNE-EN ISO 10545-14:2015) for ceramic tiles
- Reverberation time in rooms and buildings (ISO 3382-2)
- Sound absorption in a reverberation room (ISO 354)
- Sound absorption coefficient (ISO 10534-2)
- Slip resistance. Pendulum test method. Floorings and floors in service (UNE 41901:2017 EX; CEN/TS 16165:2016 Annex C; UNE 41901:2017 EX // CEN/TS 16165:2016 Annex C; UNE 41902:2017 EX) for ceramic tiles
