Orientation and Tours
New faculty and candidate faculty sponsors are encouraged to arrange an orientation tour to see if capabilities match faculty focus areas.
ACMAL also welcomes researchers from industry and other academic institutions. Please complete the tour request form below and our director will follow up with you.
Faculty can also request proposal preparation assistance, including budgeting, when research directly involves ACMAL.
User Focus Areas
Selecting an ACMAL Instrument
Do a preliminary investigation of your specimens to decide whether the EOF can suit your research needs.
Other Facilities
ACMAL instruments have extensive capabilities for structural and chemical characterization of materials.
If you do not find the tools in ACMAL suitable for your research, please review other shared facilities at Michigan Tech. The University is committed to providing critical support for research activity.
To avoid duplication of space, equipment, and staff services, and to avoid unnecessary costs, as much space and equipment as possible should be shared by departments.
Researchers and industry partners may also be interested in Equipment Finder. Find the tools you need for your next project. Michigan Technological University has a wide variety of available equipment and services. The searchable database below provides information on these university resources that are shareable with researchers and others.
For more information on technology licensing or research facility availability, contact the Office of Innovation and Commercialization.
Proposal Preparation
Users are encouraged to budget for equipment enhancements that will further their research, as well as use time. Discuss your ideas with the director.
Here are language samples you may wish to use in your proposal, adapting to suit the requirements of the granting agency.
Applied Chemical and Morphological Analysis Laboratory
Overview
The Applied Chemical and Morphological Analysis Laboratory (ACMAL) is a University Shared Facility. ACMAL houses an extensive array of electron microanalytical, X-ray, scanning probe, and surface science instruments.
Growth Commitment Statement
ACMAL is committed to the continued growth of faculty research and to the performance and reputation of Michigan Tech as a global technological university.
To achieve this, we provide:
Current Services
- Superior training through course work, group, and one-on-one training by skilled lab personnel to ensure efficient equipment use that minimizes wasted funds and time
- A safe and friendly working environment
- Non-profit operation, with use fees covering facility maintenance and operations
- A core inventory of sample preparation and mounting supplies covered by use fees
- A lean use-fee structure that minimizes costs to researchers for equipment
use - Maintenance of instrumentation and sample preparation equipment to ensure minimal down time
- Best standards and practices adopted to help researchers achieve reproducible results and journal quality images.
Future Directions
- Continue core systems expansion to meet requirements of current and future users
- Promote the facility to help attract research faculty who are leaders in their field
Capabilities
See each instrumentation page for statements on capabilities and location. ACMAL facilities are confined to the Minerals and Materials Building, the Advanced Technology Development Complex, and the Chemical Sciences and Engineering Building on the main campus of Michigan Technological University.
- Confocal Imaging
- Electron Microscopy
- Scanning Probe Microscopy
- Surface Analysis
- X-Ray Facility
Personnel
See the contact or networking pages for faculty and staff expertise in support of research and outreach.
Budget
Equipment use rates and operator labor fees are provided for on campus researchers and commercial clients.
Citations
Citing ACMAL in Publications
Please acknowledge the Applied Chemical and Morphological Analysis Laboratory in all resulting publications, including articles, posters, and news releases.
Publications citing ACMAL use are essential to help us prepare proposals for replacement instruments and other equipment. Please supply the director with reprints of any publication that contains data recorded from ACMAL.
Suggested wording:
Parts of this study were completed using Michigan Technological University's Applied Chemical and Morphological Analysis Laboratory.
For the electron microscopy on the FEI Titan Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope:
The electron microscopy research was performed at the Applied Chemical and Morphological Analysis Laboratory at Michigan Technological University. Electron Microscopy facility is supported by NSF MRI 1429232
Staff as Co-authors
When ACMAL staff have simply shown users how to use the system, co-authorship is not expected.
If any staff helps you design a series of experiments, prepare specimens, and/or perform a significant amount of the experimentation with analysis, it is common courtesy to add their name(s) as co-authors on publications.
Connections
ACMAL welcomes research outcome donations—research images, presentations, notification of awards, and recognition.
These signs of success can be used in posters, outreach, proposals, news, orientation, and other publicity opportunities that help to support our mission and expand awareness of our work.
Experienced principal investigators may request to have their names added to the ACMAL knowledge base contact list.
Help us to build a community of materials characterization scientists and engineers.