Guanajuato, Gto., April 28, 2016.- Dr. Javier Corona Fernández, Rector of Campus Guanajuato, inaugurated in the facilities of the Department of Mine Engineering, Metallurgy and Geology from the Division of Engineering (DI), the laboratories of Research and Characterization of Minerals and Materials (LICAMM), a space for research made possible thanks to the management, work and good will from professors, researchers and authorities.

Dr. Corona remarked that LICAMM is composed by highly qualified personnel, with specialist in different areas of geology, metallurgy, materials and mining, interested in the solution of problems in the different levels during the development within the project and couldn't be any other way.

The Division of Engineering, he said, with the institutional support, has promoted and negotiated successfully, the development in infrastructure: creation of new cubicles for professors –in addition of refurnishing-- the construction of Laboratories of Science and Technology of Water, and the equipment of the computing center; in such form that the inauguration of these laboratories patents the route traced to continue with the continuous improvement of our University.

In his opportunity, Dr. Luis Enrique Mendoza Puga, Director of the Division of Engineering, made public the recognition to all professors who were involved in the negotiations and contests of resources and thanked Dr. Javier Corona and the Academic Secretary, Dr. Claudia Gutiérrez Padilla, for the given support.

He informed that LICAMM had its origin in a summon for equipment of CONACyT for the strengthening and development of the Scientific and Technological Infrastructure in 2014, in which Dr. María Jesús Puy Alquiza and Dr. Raúl Miranda participated and obtained 3.31 million pesos to buy a Scanning Electron Microscope and an X-ray spectrometer.

However, being able to have this sophisticated equipment, you need adequate facilities, which were built with the remaining funds for 514,000 pesos, donated by Campus Guanajuato. Afterwards, authorized by General Rectory, a laboratory technician to handle the equipment and hired the Chemist Cristina Daniela Moncada Sánchez.

Dr. Mendoza Puga explained that in May 2015 UG signed an agreement with CINVESTAV to create a project to which he denominated "National Laboratory of Research and Technological Development of Advanced Coatings," with funds from CONACyT.

This agreement was particularly promoted by Dr. Joel Moreno Palmerín and for CINVESTAV itself; a total of 2,850,000 pesos entered for the University of Guanajuato and UG committed to add 1,100,000 pesos, so at the moment, they are adapting spaces to receive the equipment acquired by this agreement –metallographic microscope, software for an x-ray diffractometer, fluorescence spectrometer, durometer, mounter and data base—which will be part of LICAMM.

After the messages, the Rector of Campus Guanajuato. Dr. Luis Enrique Mendoza Puga, Director of the Division of Engineering; Dr. Claudia Gutiérrez Padilla, Academic Secretary of Campus Guanajuato; M. Víctor Guillermo Flores Rodríguez, Academic Secretary of the Division of Engineering and M. Federico Vogel González, cut the ribbon and made a tour through the facilities of the new laboratories.

TECHNICAL SPECS.

The Laboratory of Research and Characterization of Mineral and materials (LICAMM for its acronym in Spanish) of the University of Guanajuato, initially was formed with resources from CONACyT and the University of Guanajuato in 2015. Established collaboration projects with the National Laboratory of Research and Technological Development of Advanced Coatings (LIDTRA) from CINVESTAV-Queretaro to increase its analytic capacities, and with which they obtained the support from CONACyT to reinforce national laboratories.

LICAMM is capable to provide service to the different areas of knowledge, such as a great variety of industries within the branches of mining, metallurgy, chemistry, metal mechanics, etc. LICAMM has equipment for the chemical qualitative and quantitative analysis of minerals and materials: Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) with variable pressure equipped with an EDS (Energy Dispersive System) make JEOL Model JSM-6010PLUS, X-Ray diffractometer X RIGAKU-Ulma IV, X-Ray fluorescence spectrometer, Mineral graphic microscope Olympus BX5, Metal graphic microscope Nikon MA200, equipped with software to measure the size of the grain, thickness, phase percentage, Micro durometer Vickers Emcotest model DS20; durometer Emcotest model N3.