Equipment rates

The equipment rate for internal users is $6,440 per week and $10,210 for external users.

The rate includes access to the entire lab, help from IPML staff in planning and supporting the experiments, as well as all consumables needed for the experiments. Users are responsible for bringing and taking away all chemicals and materials.

The rate is equivalent to less than $40 per hour for all processing and four different characterization methods: extrusion testing, rheology, frontal polymerization and differential scanning calorimetry.

IPML access

The entire IPML lab will be booked by users one week at a time. New users will start at 9 a.m. Wednesday and their time will end at 8:59 a.m. the following Wednesday.

Gaining access to the lab is a multi-step process:

1. Submit a proposal to IPML staff. The proposal consists of submission of the IPML User Application document, the IPML Experiment Planning Workbook and the Safety Data Sheets for the chemicals that will be used.

   1. IPML User Application — Includes user information, funding information, and the Technical proposal. The technical proposal provides an overview of the objectives, chemicals, and experimental plan for the IPML tests.  

   2. IPML Experiment Planning Workbook — Provides detailed information on the chemicals used, classes of formulations, and testing plans.

   3. Safety Data Sheets — Provide the SDS for each chemical that will be brought to IPML.

2. Proposals are reviewed by IPML staff for safety and feasibility (not scientific merit).

3. Once a proposal has been successfully reviewed, a meeting will be scheduled between the potential users and IPML staff to further discuss the proposed plan.

   1. The meeting will make sure that the users are fully aware of the capabilities and any potential limitations.

   2. IPML staff will work with the users to identify how many experiments can be run and how much of each chemical that the users will need to bring to the facility.

   3. IPML staff will help identify what experiments will need to be performed before the users testing week, including select thermogravimetric analysis and rheology experiments.

4. Once the materials have been acquired, a week will be booked for the experiments.

5. i-card access will be provided to the lab from Wednesday through Wednesday of the experiment week.

6. Training requirements will be provided to the users prior to the testing week. Online safety training will be performed prior to the testing week. System training will be provided on the first day of the testing week.

   1. Required online training can be found on the Division of Research Safety website: 1) Read the DRS Laboratory Safety Guide and 2) complete the DRS General Laboratory Safety Training.

   2. Recommended online training: Complete the DRS Chemical Safety: An Introduction training.

7. Experiments will begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday and will continue until 8:59 a.m. the following Wednesday. Users must fully clean the system and reset the modules for the next users prior to the end of their week. Failure to complete these tasks by 9 a.m. will result in charges for an extra day of testing.

IPML User Application

Includes user information, funding information and the technical proposal. The latter provides an overview of the objectives, chemicals and experimental plan for the IPML tests. 

Please download the IPML User Application (Word Document), complete and submit it to IPML staff.

IPML Experiment Planning Workbook

Provides detailed information on the chemicals used, classes of formulations and testing plans. Download the Excel file, complete and submit it to IPML staff.