Project APVV-19-0010 “Advanced materials with eutectic microstructure for high temperature and functional applications” has been approved

It is a pleasure for us to announce that the FunGlass Centre has been successful in APVV grant scheme for period 2020-2024. The project “Advanced materials with eutectic microstructure for high temperature and functional applications” (acronym EuMat) prepared under the leadership of Professor Dusan Galusek with a total budget of 247 580 Euro has been approved.

Annotation of the project:

Ceramic materials with eutectic microstructures have significant technological and commercial potential due to their outstanding technological properties, and according to the latest reports, also as optically active materials applicable in photonics and energy saving lighting. In most cases these materials are prepared by controlled solidification of melts, which requires expensive and technologically highly demanding experimental facilities, and high energy consumption. Our preliminary results indicate that these materials can be prepared by an alternative method, i.e. by controlled crystallization of glass frits of relevant composition accompanied by their simultaneous densification by pressure assisted sintering (hot pressing or spark plasma sintering). This project is aimed at preparation of such materials in the systems RE2O3-Al2O2-(ZrO2), where RE = Y, Yb, La, also doped with optically active rare earth elements (Er, Eu, Ce). The goal of the project is preparation of such materials with exceptional high temperature mechanical properties, and possibly also intensive luminescnece in a broad range of electromagnetic spectra, and identification of relations between preparation conditions, chemical composition, microstructure, and properties of these materials. Possibility for improvement of room temperature mechanical properties through transformation toughening related to controlled crystallization of submicron ZrO2 grains will be investigated, and compared to materials of identical composition prepared by melt solidification.

Cooperating organizations: