| Introduction |
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| Our laboratory adds competences in challenging materials production, structuring and machining, and improved rapid thermal processing of materials. It combines understanding of safe fabrication of dry nano-powders in the several grams per hour scale, its mixing with other materials and transformation into compact materials. Furthermore understanding and know-how of electromagnetic wave materials interactions for example microwave-heating of simple and complex multi-component systems. A third activity takes care of in depth studies and analysis of dynamics of processing such as classical and laser machining processes, plasma-dynamics for particle production and multi-component coatings for a variety of industrial applications. Optical materials will be added to our competences as growing activity. |
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| Research Activities |
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| Processing dynamics and optical materials |
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Machining of brittle materials at industrially interesting rates with high efficiency, as well as micro- and nano-structuring of hard materials, composites, and polymers are the foci of this research group. The main goal is to gain a fundamental understanding of wanted or unwanted (wear) removal processes such as: laser machining, crack initiation and propagation dependence on materials properties such as microstructure, impurity densities etc.. We are comparing different machining methods such as grinding, laser cutting, laser drilling, laser ablating.
The cost efficient production – shaping and machining of optically active materials is one of the specific challenges for IT applications (i.e. on chip, or chip to chip optical interconnects with amplification, modulation and routing functionality). For these applications, the needed micro- to nano- structuring range is covered by applying laser or electron beam induced processing for either new materials – device prototyping or for the important step towards showing feasibility of industrial fabrication or master mould production and repair.
Finally, for multilayered systems such as coatings or other types of assembly a fundamental challenge has to be faced, interfacial adhesion. We are trying to gain more insight by studying simple model systems and transferring this knowledge to industrially relevant systems. |
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| Nano-composites fabrication and coatings |
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Modern nano-composite materials are based on the production, surface modification, mixing and shaping of materials. The group focuses on the synthesis of the nanopowders and participates in the consecutive steps of producing nanocomposites. Optically functional nanocomposite materials will be a novel direction of this group, applying technologies and methodologies acquired from other materials fields. These fields are non oxide semiconductor or hard material nanoparticles production and its inclusion as components into novel materials. Depending on the composite type, i.e. cermet, or cerpolym, metpolym the putting in shape might be different and will be adapted. Another activity is the production of coatings e.g. by thermal spraying, inspiring more fundamental studies of the influence of multiple components on the interaction/interplay of properties of “composite” coatings. |
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| Electromagnetic processing of nanocomposite materials |
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| The successful use of electromagnetic radiation (microwave, IR, visible and UV light) in materials processing largely depends on the ability to control the way radiation is absorbed and energy is dissipated into a specific material, structure or device. In the field of rapid microwave thermal processing, we investigate the mechanisms of microwave absorption and their correlation with the instant structure, microstructure, chemical composition, dielectric and magnetic properties at the local and macro-scopic length scales. Advanced synchrotron radiation methods are used to reveal the kinetic evolution of structure-related material variables (in phase transformations, melting, diffusion) with sub-second resolution during the exposure to microwaves and to monitor the 3D distribution of matter in microwave sintered materials. This knowledge is used to control the uniform heating of heterogeneous composite materials or for selective heating purposes. |
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| Resume |
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The three groups will work in close collaboration and overlapping activities. Materials microstructure analysis is a binding and bridging activity in the laboratory. From the production of nano-particles through mixing to shaping, we cover the full range of research and development of novel composite materials. The focus lies in understanding of process dynamics, how to finalize the consolidation process, or how to cost and energy efficiently stabilize, or structure in a generative process the materials as final device or in devices.
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