About the CAPE Laboratory
Founded in 2004, the Composites and Polymer Engineering (CAPE) Laboratory is a Center at South Dakota Mines with roots in a long history of multi-disciplinary polymer and composites research at South Dakota Mines. CAPE partners with government agencies, industrial clients, faculty and students to explore the next innovations in polymers and polymer-matrix composite materials, from research in materials science and process engineering through to prototype demonstration and testing.
Areas of expertise include:
- Synthesis
- Process-Structure-Property Relationships
- Advanced Processing Techniques
- Compounding
- Surface Treatment
- Characterization
CAPE's 9000 sq-ft facility houses a variety of equipment for advanced polymer and composite processing, rapid tooling, test specimen fabrication, characterization, testing, and precision measurement and inspection. A detailed list of equipment can be found in the Facilities & Equipment section.