The Advanced and Nanostructured Materials Laboratory addresses both scientific research directions (fundamental character) and technological and technical research directions (applicative character). The fundamental scientific research is focused on the theoretical understanding, prediction and also on modelling and optimization of non-ferrous metals based advanced materials characteristics and the obtaining technologies. The laboratory follows a systematic and integrated theoretical-experimental approach for studying the structure-property correlation for a wide range of materials, including nanostructured materials, with significant potential for various industrial applications. The applied research character of the team’s activity results from the achievements in the development of innovative technologies to obtain advanced ceramic, composite, hybrid, metallic materials. The experience of the research team is proved by their participation in complex national and international research projects in the approached field..
The specific strategic objective specific of this laboratory is the development of high value added advanced and nanostructured materials, based on non-ferrous metals, for medical applications, energy and extreme work conditions.
Scientific objectives involve focusing on the following main types of activities:
Synthesis and efficient fabrication of advanced and nanostructured materials through environment-friendly methods, intelligent integration of new and existing processes to ensure efficient transfer of knowledge to industrial innovation;
New fundamental products that provide sustainable solutions in the field of medicine, energy and extreme working conditions;
Advanced scientific knowledge on the potential impact of advanced and nanostructured materials on health or the environment and identifying the tools needed to assess the risk over the lifetime;
Developing the ability to measure / characterize the properties of advanced and nanostructured non-ferrous metal materials and the predictive modeling of their manufacturing processes to allow their rapid introduction to the market;
Design and production of structures based on materials containing non-ferrous metals, using additive manufacturing (3D printing technology).
Autoclave CORTEST: 2.2L stainless steel/teflon autoclave , PID programmer, max. temperature 304°C, max. pressure 250 atm., possibility to work under inert gas atmosphere, electrodes system (working electrode, counter-electrode and reference electrode) connected at potentiostat/galvanostat Radiometer PGZ100.
Autoclave SAM: 1L (1 piece) and 2L (2 pieces) stainless steel/teflon autoclave, PID programmer, max temperature 300°C, max. pressure 250 atm., possibility to work under inert gas atmosphere;
RAMAN spectrometer, may be coupled to laboratory autoclaves for nanoparticle synthesis, to monitor the hydrothermal/solvothermal process kinetics and its optimization
Consists of a 50 l glass cascade reactor complex, Bibi Stirling D4000 distiller, Direct Q3 UV Ultra Pure Water System, pH Meter / Computerized Conductivity Meter Jenway 4330, high-capacity electronic agitators, filtration systems, vacuum pumps.
3D Printer Bioplotter ENVISIOTEC; rapid prototyping from thermoplastic melts up to 250°C (PCL, PLLA, PGLA), from hydrogels (agar, gelatin, collagen, chitosan), from two component systems (alginate, fibrin), from ceramic pastes (hydroxyapatite, tricalcium phosphate), metal paste (titanium) or other materials (polyurethane, silicone, acrylate, graphene, etc.), 2 printheads, 0.001 mm resolution, pressure regulator, needle calibration device, 260x220x80 mm
3D Printer Bioscaffolder SYSENG; rapid prototyping of pastes at low temperature, 200x200x50 mm
3D Printer M200 ZORTRAX; 1.75 mm plastic wire extrusion, 200x200x100 mm
Planetary Centrifugal Mixer ARE 250 THINKY; mixing, dispersion and deaeration of various materials, 24-300 mL, 200-2000 rpm, 10 sec-30 min
Syringe Charger THINKY ARC-40H; simultaneously fill 4 syringes of 10 mL
Technology consultant development of nanostructured powder synthesis technologies:
synthesis of ceramic nanopowders and inorganic-organic hybrids by hydrothermal / solvotermal process (nanostructured powders based on: pure and doped TiO2, pure ZrO2 and doped with Y2O3 and rare earths, ZnO doped with Ag or Al, hydroxyapatite-based hybrid powders and synthetic or natural polymers);
synthesis of ceramic and composite powders by hydrolytic processes (precipitation and co-precipitation): pure ZrO2-doped and doped with Y2O3 and rare earth powders, composite metal-ceramic powders with core / shell structure, etc.
Technology consultancy for obtaining thin films
Technological consultancy for nanostructured powder processing
Thermal analysis of advanced materials by differential scanning calorimetry
Granulometric analysis and electro-kinetic potential of nanoparticles
Structural analysis of advanced and nanostructured materials by FT-IR and UV-VIS spectroscopy
Technology Transfer Services (Technological Assistance, Technological Audit) in the field of nanomaterial synthesis in collaboration with the Technology Transfer Center for Advanced Materials – CTT AVANMAT.
Technological consulting regarding metal matrix composite materials
Synthesis- in-situ elaboration of metal matrix composites reinforced with ceramic particles through novel and efficient methods.
Technological consulting regarding the obtaining of thin films based on metallic alloys:
advantages: films with low thickness and enhanced physical-chemical and structural properties are obtained; economical and eco-friendly processes, with reduced energy consumption and inexpensive raw materials (salts, oxides); regular experimental conditions, low temperature processes, common equipments.
thin films for various applications (corrosion and tribological protective coatings, solar energy harvesting) by electrochemical deposition from aqueous solutions.
optimization of electrochemical processes.
development of laboratory and pilot level electrochemical deposition installations.
The Advanced and Nanostructured Materials Laboratory addresses both scientific research directions (fundamental character) and technological and technical research directions (applicative character). The fundamental scientific research is focused on the theoretical understanding, prediction and also on modelling and optimization of non-ferrous metals based advanced materials characteristics and the obtaining technologies. The laboratory follows a systematic and integrated theoretical-experimental approach for studying the structure-property correlation for a wide range of materials, including nanostructured materials, with significant potential for various industrial applications. The applied research character of the team’s activity results from the achievements in the development of innovative technologies to obtain advanced ceramic, composite, hybrid, metallic materials. The experience of the research team is proved by their participation in complex national and international research projects in the approached field..
