HighPTMet Centre

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HighPTMet Centre

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HighPTMet Centre

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HighPTMet Centre

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HighPTMet Centre

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HighPTMet Centre

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HighPTMet Centre

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Research Centre for the Intensification of Metallurgical Processes at High Pressures and Temperatures, High PT MET, was established through the POS CCE Program, Priority Axis 2 “Competitiveness through research, technological development and innovation” (project no. POS CCE 898/14038).

The main aim of the Centre is to improve the research capacity in order to increase the Institute’s competitiveness based on innovative and environmentally efficient technologies in the field of science and engineering of non-ferrous materials.

Main technological goals:

  • implementation of emerging technologies for processing non-ferrous metal powders and their compounds in order to increase the value chain from resources to applications;
  • synthesis and micro-encapsulation of ceramic and hybrid nanopowders with predesign composition and morphology by hydrothermal/solvothermal/spray drying methods
  • reducing the consumption of materials, especially critical materials, by obtaining films and coatings with controlled properties;

Endowment

TORR Int. Inc., SUA, inox, 5 e-guns with 300 cm3 capacity each with 5 separate high voltage power supplies with 10KW each (10 KV, 1000 MA) switch mode DC high voltage power supplies; separate X-Y sweep controllers; deposition thickness control with a quartz crystal microbalance; maximum deposition surface: 350×350 mm2 or 350 mm in diameter. The installation allows deposition on rotating 3D plates or rods with a length of max. 350 mm; simultaneous or multilayer deposition of thin films; heating substrates during deposition; (W, Ni, Co, Cr, Al, Y), dielectric materials (Al2O3, SiO2, ZrO2, etc.) and compounds.

TORR THE5-750W, Torr Int. Inc., SUA, inox, 5 resistive evaporation systems of max. 100 A, deposition thickness control with a quartz crystal microbalance, rotation of parts during deposition up to 20 rpm, deposition on several small pieces or a single piece of 100 mm diameter, deposition of thin films of up to 5 elements (Al, Ni, Cr, Ag, Au), metal-organic, alloys and compounds.

AMAR EQUIPMENTS PVT Ltd. India, inox, volume 20L, temperature max. 250°C, pressure max. 30 atm, continuous and discontinuous operation, continuous feed and evacuation of gases under pressure (oxygen, air, nitrogen), continuous feed and evacuation of suspensions (liquid-solid) under pressure, sampling during operation, SCADA 3.0 software for parameter control.

BERGHOF, Germany, inox, volume 5.5L, temperature max. 300°C, pressure max. 150 atm, Controller PID, computer registration of parameters, sampling during operation, controlled cooling.

HP Systems, France, inox, volume 1L, temperature max. 180°C, pressure max. 4250 atm, Controller PID, compressor FIAC AB100/350MC with two pistons and pressure of max. 10 atm. The pressure is obtained in a hydraulic water system with a high-pressure pump (RESATO P200-625-1 Italy), pneumatically operated.

LabPLANT, UK, borosilicate glass, suspension flow rate 4-32 ml / min, air temperature 40-250°C, air flow 5-30 m3/h, air pressure 1-3.5 atm, touch screen controller, 0.5-2.0 mm nozzle, option to change the length of the drying path, filtering system for particles below 10 μm.

Agilent 725 Agilent Technology SUA, can perform a high number of analyses on a wide range of samples including metals, ceramics, plastic, glass, geological and environmental samples. The spectrometer is compact, fully computer controlled; the CCD type detector, with unique I-MAP image scanning technology, provides full coverage of the spectral range at 167-785 nm for the analysis of more than 70 chemical elements; LSX-266 Laser Ablation System for solid-state sampling with laser beam size ≥10 μm; energy per pulse >9 mJ laser energy, repeatability rate 1-20 Hz; SPS3 automatic sampling device with automatic dilution; generator of hydrides for determination of Hg, As, Se, Sb, Te, Bi and Sn levels at ng level.

Centre team

Services

ELECTRON BEAM INSTALLATION

  • manufacturing high temperature ceramic functionally graded materials;
  • manufacturing high entropy alloys and composite materials (including thin films depositions for the AlFeNiMnCrMe1Me2 B,C system, with high mechanical properties at elevated temperatures);
  • manufacturing biocompatible coatings based on HAP, beta-TCP;
  • manufacturing inter-metallic compounds based layers;
  • studies regarding the structure-properties correlation in micro and nanostructured materials based on non-ferrous metals, inter-metallic compounds and composites.

THERMAL EVAPORATION DEPOSITION INSTALLATION

  • deposition of thin films for solar cells of CIS (CuInSe, CuInSeTe, CuInGaSe) and CZTS (CuZnSnS, CuZnSnSSe) systems, including on flexible substrates;
  • deposition of thin films of high entropy alloys (HEA) from the CuFeNiAlCrTi system with anti-corrosion and wear-resistant properties for high temperature applications;
  • deposition of metallic conductive layers for sensors;
  • deposition of organic and hybrid structures on metallic, textile and paper substrates.

CONTINUOUS AND DISCONTINUOUS FLOW AUTOCLAVE

  • oxidation-reduction processes (oxidation of the non-ferrous metal sulphides from sulphide concentrates in aqueous medium, acidic or basic, at high temperatures and pressures in oxidative atmosphere);
  • reducing the concentration of Fe in Cu and Zn solutions by precipitation;
  • non-ferrous metals solubilisation from sub-products (fly dust, slags, red mud) which result in non-ferrous metals primary and secondary extractive metallurgy, and from electronic and electric scraps;
  • obtaining carbon from vegetal bio-mass.

SPRAY – DRYER

  • microencapsulation;
  • drying of hybrid organic-inorganic nanocomposites;
  • rapid drying and control of flow-ability of nanocrystalline powders obtained by wet chemical procedures.

HYDROTHERMAL SYNTHESIS AUTOCLAVE

  • synthesis of nanocrystalline powders: YTZP, YSZ, doped ZrO2 for high T coatings; doped TiO2 for photocatalytic films; Ag-ZnO antiseptic/antifungal; doped ZnO/TiO2 for superhydrophobic coatings; transition metal doped ZnO/TiO2 for magnetic films; doped-BST for gas sensors; doped PZT for piezoelectric materials; core-shell composite powders; other nanopowders on demand.

HIGH PRESSURE AUTOCLAVE

  • synthesis of nanocrystalline hybrid organic-inorganic powders for biosensors or contrast agents;
  • synthesis of nanocrystalline powders at high pressures and temperatures up to 180°C for other applications (on demand);
  • studies regarding the mechanism and kinetics of the reaction between inorganic and organic components in solution at high pressures and low temperatures;
  • isostatic press for nanopowders consolidation.

ICP-OES SYSTEM WITH LASER ABLATION FOR SOLIDS ANALYSIS

 

  • analysis of minor or toxic elements in nanobiomaterials, foods, pharmaceuticals, sediments;
  • analysis of heavy metals in soils, waters or wastes;
  • analysis of major elements and impurities in polymers, oxides, salts;
  • analysis of major, minor and trace elements in metals, alloys, geological samples, ores;
  • surface analysis with laser ablation.

 

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