The Materials Testing and Diagnostics Department (formerly the Department of Material Science) conducts materials and strength research and diagnostics of  the following devices:

• main steam pipelines,
• water supply pipelines,
• pipelines used for transportation and other pipelines,
• heating surface of boilers,
• chambers of superheaters,
• pipeline suspension systems,
• boiler drums.

Pipelines research is associated by inspections, repairs and modernization of the fastening system.

The scope of the work, conducted in the Department includes:

• structural research by light microscopy - non-destructive testing by the method of metallographic replicas, conducted ​​directly at devices using the methodology developed in the Department as well as metallographic tests of the collected samples,
• hardness tests, performed directly at the object,
• measurements of external diameters and wall thickness of power equipment and calculation of plastic deformation,
• establishing of corrosive and erosive wear,
• testing of mechanical properties of materials: creeping resistance, static tensile tests in normal and in higher temperature, resilience testing, hardness and microhardness testing with the  Vickers test method,   hardness distribution tests, determining the work-hardening area depth,
• resistance strain gauge measurements – strain (stress) testing in loaded elements, testing of the technological and assembling residual stresses  in device elements before or after installation,
• diagnosis of fastening systems - tests of all types of suspensions and fixed-strength, spring and rigid shoring, evaluation of fastening systems of  the energy pipelines, superheaters, etc., developing regulatory and overhaul guidelines to improve the operation of the fastening systems
• measurements of pipelines displacement between hot and cold stages, measurements of pipelines slope, superheater header deflection measurements,
• measurements of Barkhausen effect.

Apart from listed above, the Department provides also the following works:

• strength calculation with the use of the professional software, according to the newest European or American standards;
• estimation of power equipment operational durability wear and determining the period of further safe operations;
• development of diagnostic programs for power equipment, in particular for long operated energy pipelines,
• supervising  the construction and maintenance of high-pressure energy equipment.

The Department is equipped in research and measurement instruments enabling the research in the field of material science and strength analysis. All of the Department’s equipment has the certificates of the Office of Technical Inspection:  Approval Certification of the Laboratory No. LBU-064/27 and the Subcontractor  No. LB-064/27.

The Department’s  highly qualified staff has many years of professional experience and qualifications to perform exploitational, maintenance, overhaul, assembling and control-measuring works of power equipment, installations and networks.

The head of the Department is Marcin Maternicki, MSc.