Skip to main content
Industry & Innovation / Capabilities

Materials Characterization Capabilities

Explore ICMAB analytical and characterization expertise by the material property or behaviour you need to understand.

Find an Expert
Explore characterization needs

Choose how to explore ICMAB capabilities

Use the route that best reflects where your organisation is starting: a measurement need, an industry challenge or a specific problem.

By characterization need

Current route · Measure and understand

Start from the property, behaviour or material question you need to investigate.

Explore this route

By industry

Explore by sector

Discover expertise and technologies aligned with sector-specific innovation needs.

Explore this route

Looking for a specific solution?

Start with your challenge

Ask the Knowledge Transfer Unit to identify experts, technologies and collaboration routes.

Explore this route

From a material question to actionable evidence

ICMAB-CSIC brings together internationally recognised expertise in advanced materials, state-of-the-art research infrastructures and a strong track record of industry collaboration.

Our researchers work with companies, public organisations and technology developers to solve scientific and technological challenges through consultancy, contract research, technical services and collaborative R&D projects.

ICMAB can combine technical services with expert interpretation of the results.

Replace with an ICMAB image showing materials characterization or analytical instrumentation

Find capabilities by characterization need

Start with the property or behaviour you need to measure. Each family opens a detailed list of available analytical capabilities.

Structural and Compositional Characterization

6 capabilities

Explore Crystal structure and phase identification — XRD, Thin-film structure — XRD and related techniques and Elemental composition — XRF, EDS and related techniques, plus related capabilities.

View capabilities

Surface and Morphological Characterization

8 capabilities

Explore Surface morphology — SEM, Nanoscale topography — AFM and Particle morphology — SEM and AFM, plus related capabilities.

View capabilities

Thermal Characterization

9 capabilities

Explore Thermal stability and degradation — TGA, Composition by thermal decomposition — TGA and Decomposition kinetics — TGA, plus related capabilities.

View capabilities

Porosity and Surface Area

7 capabilities

Explore Specific surface area — BET, Pore-size distribution — gas adsorption and Pore volume, plus related capabilities.

View capabilities

Electrical and Electronic Characterization

10 capabilities

Explore Electrical conductivity and resistivity, Current–voltage behaviour — I–V and Conductivity versus temperature, plus related capabilities.

View capabilities

Magnetic Characterization

9 capabilities

Explore Magnetic hysteresis — magnetometry, Magnetic transitions and Magnetic susceptibility, plus related capabilities.

View capabilities

Optical and Photonic Characterization

11 capabilities

Explore Optical absorption — UV–Vis–NIR, Photoluminescence — PL and Raman spectroscopy, plus related capabilities.

View capabilities

Electrochemical and Energy-Storage Services

13 capabilities

Explore Battery capacity and energy, Charge–discharge cycling and Electrode performance, plus related capabilities.

View capabilities

Mechanical and Functional Characterization

8 capabilities

Explore Hardness and elastic modulus, Adhesion and Friction and wear, plus related capabilities.

View capabilities

In-Situ and Operando Characterization

7 capabilities

Explore Structural evolution during operation, Battery degradation during cycling and Thermal degradation in real time, plus related capabilities.

View capabilities

Quantum and Superconducting Characterization

7 capabilities

Explore Superconducting properties, Low-temperature transport and Quantum-material properties, plus related capabilities.

View capabilities

Characterization capabilities

Open each capability to review the type of evidence, property or performance information that can be investigated.

Structural and Compositional Characterization

6 capabilities

Crystal structure and phase identification — XRD
identification of crystalline phases, crystallinity, lattice parameters, preferred orientation, strain and structural changes.
Thin-film structure — XRD and related techniques
assessment of crystallinity, orientation, thickness-related structural effects and film uniformity.
Elemental composition — XRF, EDS and related techniques
identification and semi-quantitative or quantitative analysis of the elements present in a material.
Chemical composition and bonding — XPS and related techniques
surface composition, oxidation states, chemical bonds and elemental chemical environments.
Impurities and secondary phases
detection of contaminants, residues, degradation products and unwanted crystalline or amorphous phases.
Composition depth profiles
distribution of elements or chemical species through the thickness of films and multilayer structures.

Surface and Morphological Characterization

8 capabilities

Surface morphology — SEM
imaging of particles, films, coatings, fibres, cracks, pores, defects and other microstructural features.
Nanoscale topography — AFM
surface roughness, height profiles, grain structure, domains, defects and three-dimensional surface morphology.
Particle morphology — SEM and AFM
particle size, shape, agglomeration, dispersion and surface characteristics.
Nanostructure analysis
dimensions, organisation, aggregation and distribution of nanoparticles, nanowires, nanotubes or other nanostructures.
Film and coating quality
continuity, homogeneity, coverage, surface defects, cracks and layer uniformity.
Interface morphology
structure and quality of interfaces between layers, coatings, electrodes, substrates or composite materials.
Surface wettability — contact-angle measurements
hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity, surface energy and changes after functionalisation or treatment.
Local mechanical properties — AFM and related techniques
nanoscale adhesion, stiffness, friction and mechanical contrast.

Thermal Characterization

9 capabilities

Thermal stability and degradation — TGA
mass loss, decomposition, oxidation, thermal stability and degradation behaviour.
Composition by thermal decomposition — TGA
estimation of volatile content, organic/inorganic fractions, residual material and loading of components in composites.
Decomposition kinetics — TGA
degradation temperatures, mass-loss stages and comparative evaluation of formulations.
Thermal transitions — DSC
melting, crystallisation, glass transition, curing and other heat-related transitions.
Heat-flow behaviour — DSC
enthalpy changes, phase transitions and thermal effects associated with processing or operation.
Thermal expansion — TMA or related techniques
dimensional changes and coefficient of thermal expansion.
Thermal conductivity and diffusivity
heat transport, anisotropy and thermal-management performance.
Thermal cycling
property evolution after repeated heating and cooling cycles.
Thermal stability in controlled atmospheres
degradation and oxidation under inert, oxidising or other defined environments.

Porosity and Surface Area

7 capabilities

Specific surface area — BET
accessible surface area of powders, porous solids, electrodes, catalysts and adsorbent materials.
Pore-size distribution — gas adsorption
micropore, mesopore and macropore contributions and their distribution.
Pore volume
total pore volume and relationship with material density and structure.
Adsorption behaviour
interaction with gases or vapours, adsorption capacity and surface affinity.
Porous-material comparison
comparison of porosity after synthesis, activation, functionalisation, cycling or thermal treatment.
Electrode porosity
surface area, pore accessibility and structural changes relevant to batteries, supercapacitors and fuel cells.
Catalyst characterisation
accessible surface area, pore structure and potential relationship with catalytic activity.

Electrical and Electronic Characterization

10 capabilities

Electrical conductivity and resistivity
charge transport through bulk materials, films, coatings or devices.
Current–voltage behaviour — I–V
electrical response, leakage current, rectification, switching and device reproducibility.
Conductivity versus temperature
thermal activation, metallic or semiconducting behaviour and transport mechanisms.
Dielectric properties
permittivity, dielectric loss, capacitance and frequency-dependent response.
Impedance response — EIS or impedance analysis
resistive, capacitive, inductive and interfacial contributions.
Semiconductor properties
carrier concentration, carrier type, mobility and electronic transport.
Thin-film electronic performance
uniformity, contact quality, charge injection and device-to-device variation.
Ferroelectric properties
polarisation, coercive field, hysteresis, retention and switching behaviour.
Sensor performance
sensitivity, selectivity, detection limit, response time, recovery time and stability.
Radiation detection
response to X-rays, visible light or near-infrared radiation, dark current and detectivity.

Magnetic Characterization

9 capabilities

Magnetic hysteresis — magnetometry
magnetisation, coercivity, remanence, saturation and magnetic anisotropy.
Magnetic transitions
Curie or Néel temperatures, magnetic phase transitions and temperature-dependent behaviour.
Magnetic susceptibility
response to applied magnetic fields and identification of magnetic interactions.
Magnetoresistance
variation of electrical resistance with magnetic field.
Magnetic switching
switching fields, reversibility, relaxation and stability.
Magnetic domains — magnetic microscopy
domain structure, domain walls and local magnetic behaviour.
Magnetic nanoparticles
magnetic moment, relaxation, size-dependent behaviour and heating response.
Spintronic properties
spin transport, spin polarisation, spin–orbit effects and charge–spin conversion.
Magnetic sensor validation
sensitivity, hysteresis, linearity, noise and operating stability.

Optical and Photonic Characterization

11 capabilities

Optical absorption — UV–Vis–NIR
absorption spectra, optical bandgap, transparency and wavelength-dependent response.
Photoluminescence — PL
emission wavelength, intensity, lifetime, defects, recombination and quantum yield.
Raman spectroscopy
vibrational modes, phase identification, crystallinity, strain, disorder and chemical changes.
Reflectance and transmittance
optical transmission, reflection, transparency and spectral selectivity.
Refractive index and optical constants
refractive index, extinction coefficient, dispersion and anisotropy.
Ellipsometry
film thickness, optical constants, layer structure and microstructural evolution.
Photovoltaic performance
efficiency, open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, fill factor, hysteresis and stability.
Photodetector performance
responsivity, detectivity, spectral response, dark current, response time and recovery.
Light-emitting performance
emission spectrum, intensity, colour, efficiency, lifetime and polarisation.
Photonic structures
resonances, optical confinement, propagation, coupling, defects and light distribution.
Chiral and polarisation response
optical activity, circular dichroism and polarisation-dependent behaviour.

Electrochemical and Energy-Storage Services

13 capabilities

Battery capacity and energy
capacity, energy density, voltage profiles, coulombic efficiency and rate capability.
Charge–discharge cycling
capacity retention, degradation rate, lifetime and reproducibility.
Electrode performance
electrochemical activity, reversibility, stability, utilisation and polarisation.
Electrolyte properties
ionic conductivity, electrochemical stability, viscosity and electrode compatibility.
Electrode–electrolyte interfaces
charge-transfer processes, interphase formation and interfacial resistance.
Electrochemical kinetics
reaction rates, diffusion, charge transfer and ion transport.
Supercapacitor performance
capacitance, energy density, power density, leakage current and cycle life.
Cyclic voltammetry
redox processes, reversibility, electrochemical activity and reaction mechanisms.
Impedance spectroscopy
internal resistance, charge-transfer resistance, diffusion and interfacial processes.
Photovoltaic devices
current–voltage response, external quantum efficiency, efficiency and operational stability.
Thermoelectric materials
Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and power factor.
Electrocatalysts
overpotential, current density, catalytic activity, selectivity and operational stability.
Hydrogen-related systems
hydrogen evolution, oxygen evolution, gas-production rate and energy efficiency.

Mechanical and Functional Characterization

8 capabilities

Hardness and elastic modulus
mechanical resistance and elastic response of bulk materials, films and coatings.
Adhesion
adhesion strength and failure behaviour of films, coatings and multilayer systems.
Friction and wear
coefficient of friction, wear rate, surface damage and tribological stability.
Flexibility and bending
performance under repeated bending, stretching or mechanical deformation.
Mechanical fatigue
property retention after repeated loading and operational cycling.
Actuation
displacement, force, response time and cycling stability of active materials and devices.
Functional response
changes in properties under temperature, pressure, light, magnetic field, electrical bias or chemical exposure.
Mechanical–electrical coupling
electromechanical response, piezoelectricity, ferroelectric actuation and strain-dependent conductivity.

In-Situ and Operando Characterization

7 capabilities

Structural evolution during operation
changes in phases, crystallinity, strain, orientation and interfaces.
Battery degradation during cycling
structural and chemical evolution during charge and discharge.
Thermal degradation in real time
decomposition, oxidation and phase transitions under controlled conditions.
Device monitoring
electrical, optical, magnetic or mechanical properties while a device is operating.
Environmental stability
response to humidity, oxygen, gases, temperature, pressure or illumination.
Ageing studies
performance loss, degradation mechanisms and failure modes over time.
Process monitoring
material evolution during deposition, printing, annealing, crystallisation or other manufacturing stages.

Quantum and Superconducting Characterization

7 capabilities

Superconducting properties
transition temperature, critical field, critical current and magnetic response.
Low-temperature transport
electrical, magnetic and thermodynamic properties under cryogenic conditions.
Quantum-material properties
electronic, magnetic, optical and structural behaviour associated with quantum phenomena.
Spin properties
spin relaxation, spin transport, spin–orbit coupling and magnetic anisotropy.
Qubit-related properties
energy levels, spin response, coherence-related parameters and stability of quantum states.
Single-photon detection
detection efficiency, dark-count rate, timing response and spectral sensitivity.
Quantum-device performance
response, reproducibility, stability and behaviour under controlled temperature, magnetic field or radiation.

Need help selecting the right characterization route?

The Knowledge Transfer Unit can help identify relevant experts, techniques and collaboration opportunities. The capabilities listed here are not exhaustive, and ICMAB can also connect organisations with the wider PRUAB and CSIC innovation ecosystems.

Find an Expert
Explore by industry
Talk to Our Innovation Team