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Material Measurement Laboratory /Materials Measurement Science Division

Security Technologies Group

The Security Technologies Group conducts research and develops and disseminates the measurement science to support the development of performance-based standards for and promote the advancement of the technologies used in trauma-mitigating materials and material systems, the sensing of concealed threats and contraband, advanced composites, high-performance materials, safety, security, and forensics.

Our group supports the development of performance-based standards for technologies used by law enforcement, corrections, emergency response, and the military; and advances these technologies to support the needs of these stakeholders by leading standards development organizations to develop standards and conformity assessment programs and establishing reference measurement facilities. We perform basic phenomenology and measurement science research to support the advancement and application of ballistic-resistant and trauma-mitigating materials, concealed object sensing and imaging, high-strength polymeric materials, and advanced composites.

Projects and Programs

Hierarchical Materials

Ongoing
The STG develops the methods and metrology that will lead to the understanding of the structure-property relationships of hierarchical composites in real medical PPE or protective applications, which heretofore has been lacking. This work establishes in situ monitoring of advanced manufacturing

Metrologies for Non-linear Materials in Impact Mitigation

Ongoing
Overview This project develops fundamental structure-property measurements on model materials and novel material chemistries from quasi-static to dynamic rates. The goal is to foster a materials by design approach for novel energy dissipation and force re-direction mechanisms. Processing-Structure
Multifunctional AM Project Page

Multifunctional 3D Printable Polymer-Metal Composites

Ongoing
Recent advances in additive manufacturing (AM) have positioned metals and polymers as two key materials. Typically, AM of these two materials involves incompatible methods and conditions. The novel multifunctional polymer-metal composites in this project incorporate low-melting alloys with
STG

Safety and Security Technologies

Ongoing
The safety and security of citizens is enhanced when law enforcement and criminal justice agencies and the military use the appropriate and properly performing equipment and technologies. To ensure these entities have the necessary equipment, the STG conducts and performs research to advance these

News and Updates

Publications

Tools and Instruments

Rubber Process Analyzer

Rubber Process Analyzer

The TA Instruments RPA elite rubber process analyzer (RPA) is a strain-controlled rotational shear rheometer for the characterization of polymers, composites
Large Aperture Scanner

Large Aperture Scanner

The Large Aperture Scanner (LAS) scans a radar transceiver over a 5 meter by 20 meter aperture. Image reconstruction techniques enable a three-dimensional
Smiths Detection_6046si

Cabinet x-ray system

The Smiths Detection 6046si cabinet x-ray system was designed for security screening of bags, parcels and other objects of similar size. The system runs at 160

Awards

Contacts

Group Leader

Office Manager

Group Safety Representative