Applied Chemicals and Materials Division

Welcome to the Applied Chemicals and Materials Division (ACMD)

The Applied Chemicals and Materials Division, located at the NIST Campus in Boulder, Colorado, focuses on metrology and standards needs in the fields of science and engineering for materials and fluids. Our materials efforts include development of fundamental techniques, measurements, and models for the analysis of materials structure and the reliability of materials.  Our fluids work in organic and inorganic systems emphasizes the characterization of complex mixtures and the thermophysical properties of important fluids.  We develop state-of-the-art tools to capture and interpret property data and evaluate data uncertainty using our deep understanding of experimental and modeling methods. Our work serves a broad stakeholder community of industrial, governmental, and academic partners.

Through world class publications and new measurement methods, we serve our customers in fields ranging from fatigue and fracture to electron and atomic force microscopy, to fluid analysis, density, and viscosity.  We manufacture important NIST Standard Reference Materials and maintain heavily-used NIST Standard Reference Databases—with significance ranging from the assessment of the strength of steel girders to the design and operation of chemical plants.  STEM education opportunities are made available for students at high school levels and above, as well as research opportunities for post-graduate scientists and guest researchers from around the world.  Our expertise in materials and fluid characterization is used to provide measurements and consultation to other government agencies, supporting their efforts to investigate accidents, maintain and repair our infrastructure, and provide reliable forensic data to the judicial system.