Projects / Programmes
Contemporary inorganic materials and nanotechnologies
January 1, 2009
- December 31, 2014
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 2.04.00 |
Engineering sciences and technologies |
Materials science and technology |
|
| 1.04.00 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Chemistry |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| T153 |
Technological sciences |
Ceramic materials and powders |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 2.05 |
Engineering and Technology |
Materials engineering |
advanced materials, inorganic materials, phase equilibria, new compounds, crystal structures, processing, microstructur development, grain boundaries, intrinsic properties, amorphic materials, nucleation, crystallization, electric, mechanic and optic properties, nanoparticles, nanotechnologies, nanopowders, nanotubes, nanowires, thin films, coatings
Researchers (25)
Organisations (1)
| no. |
Code |
Research organisation |
City |
Registration number |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
0106 |
Jožef Stefan Institute |
Ljubljana |
5051606000 |
90,742 |
Abstract
The research program of this group is aimed at understanding the basic phenomena that determine properties and, as a consequence, also the applicability of advanced materials. The basic idea that underlies the research program is that the chemical reactions that occur during the processing of materials have a critical influence on phase formation, structural features and the resulting properties. Therefore, the fundamental part of the research program is based on determining multi-component phase diagrams, identifying new compounds, determining their composition and structure, and studying the transport phenomena, such as the mechanisms and kinetics of densification, microstructure development, structural defect formation and equilibrium, analysis of the grain-boundary characteristics, studies of glass formation, and the processes of de-mixing, nucleation and crystallization. The research program of the group for research on advanced materials for the period of the next 5 years is, in terms of the materials and expected results, divided into several basic research fields:
1. research of materials with special electrical properties
2. research of advanced processing methods
3. research of the synthesis and properties of nanostructured inorganic materials
4. research of glass materials
Significance for science
The scientific content of the proposed research programme has been prepared in such a way that it is original and internationally comparable, leading to new, original scientific findings based on the research of new materials. It deals with research themes that are internationally recognised as priority research areas, i.e., the research and development of new materials, and research on nanomaterials and nanotechnologies. It also considers the environmental component and research on human-friendly technologies, as the researched materials will not contain lead components and mainly water-based solutions will be used during the synthesis. We expect that the newly acquired findings will also contribute significantly to the development, understanding and exploitation of new materials important in the areas of telecommunications and information technology, and in the area of nanoscience. All these research areas are also recognised as research priorities in the policies of the European Union and other countries that have the most developed research and development programmes. In the past five-year period the results of the completed research were internationally recognised as original and significant for the development of science and new products. For this reason the programme group is now one of the world's leading groups in the area of the research on dielectric ceramics, mainly those that can be used in the GHz frequency range. With respect to applications, this research is important mainly for the development of the wireless transmission of sound and images. With respect to the achieved results, we are also one of the most recognised groups in the area of researching materials for LTCC technologies. For this reason it is realistic to expect that the proposed new research will also contribute significantly to the increased scientific recognition of the programme group. The acquired new findings will contribute to the development, understanding and exploitation of new materials, as, with respect to the programme and their implementation, this research has been designed in such a way that it will lead to new discoveries relating to the structure and properties of the materials, whereby special attention will be paid to research on composite materials and research on newly developed nanomaterials with specific electronic properties. The proposed research will also allow the broadening of the group’s international cooperation, which already involves international projects with the USA, Finland, Sweden, France and in current EU projects. The proposed research will allow the further international scientific recognition of the group. We expect that the very positive trend in the increasing number of scientific articles published will be continued. In the past five-year programme period we contributed a total of 61 original scientific articles. The citation rate has also been continually on the increase. In addition, in the past five years the members of the group presented more than 40 invited talks (8 as plenary talks) at the most prestigious international conferences. The significance of this research was also emphasized by the granting of eight international patents that cover the EU, USA, Japan and other countries. They are the result of an intense research cooperation with industrial partners. The proposed research programme is important for the education of new specialists, as the members of the programme group are regularly involved in lecturing at the University of Ljubljana and at the Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School. In the past five-year period the programme group was joined by seven young researchers completing their postgraduate courses on time. Each year members of the research group participate in the organization of various international scientific Conferences. In addition, they serve as a referees in most recognized international Journals from the field of ceramic materials and nanotechnologies.
Significance for the country
The research programme for the following period has been prepared in such a way that it will allow, by means of original scientific findings, the acquisition of knowledge important for the development of new materials and technologies, whose characteristic will be a high level of innovation, expertise and added value per product. In this way we will contribute towards the reduction of Slovenia’s technological and technical dependency on the more developed countries. The introduction of new products and technologies with a significant input of domestic knowledge in the area of new-materials research, which is a priority for all technologically developed countries, will increase the international competitiveness of domestic industry. The cooperation with foreign industrial partners allows the successful participation of Slovenian industrial partners in joint research projects, leading to a more intense integration and a joint operation in the international market. For each segment of the proposed research there is already a show of interest expressed by domestic and foreign industrial partners, which will be actively involved in the realisation of the programme. Such an interest has the potential for an expansion of the production that can introduce new products and new technologies, and, in this way, increase the number of employees. The realisation of the proposed research programme will allow the acquisition of the knowledge that will effectively contribute towards the planning of ecological production processes and human-friendly products. As Slovenian industrial partners come from different regions of Slovenia (Ljubljana; KEKOn, Varicon and KEKO-Oprema-Žužemberk; Gorenje-Velenje; Termo Knauf-Škofja Loka; ETA-Cerkno; Novoterm - Novo Mesto; Steklarna Hrastnik; Steklarna-Rogaška Slatina; Impol-Slovenska Bistrica; Trimo-Trebnje), the realisation of the proposed research programme is important also for the regional development of Slovenian industry. With respect to the content of the proposed research, the interest of industrial partners lies mainly in findings related to economic competitiveness and energy saving, and also in environment-friendly products and technologies. The realisation of the proposed research programme is important not only for individual industrial partners, but, with respect to the development of new electronic components, for the whole of Slovenian industry. Similarly, the research on mineral and glass fibres, and on glass, are important for the whole of Slovenian industry, as well as for all the Slovenian partners from this production area. In addition, the expected results are important because they will stimulate the interest for funding small, spin-off companies using highly demanding technologies and having a large fraction of added knowledge. As the proposed research programme is based on scientific foundations that are included, as priorities, in the research policies of all technologically developed countries, the transfer of acquired knowledge into the process of education will significantly contribute towards the acquisition of applied knowledge important for Slovenian and foreign industrial partners. In the previous programme period, four industrial specialists were successfully trained at the postgraduate level within the programme group – one of them from Steklarna Rogaška Slatina, two from Gorenje and one from Trimo Trebnje. In the previous five-year programme period, the research group carried out joint research projects with the following Slovenian and foreign industrial partners: KEKOn, Žužemberk; Varicon, Žužemberk; KEKO-Oprema – Žužemberk; Gorenje-Velenje; Termo Knauf-Škofja Loka; ETA-Cerkno; Novoterm Pfleidere-Novo Mesto; Steklarna Hrastnik; Steklarna-Rogaška Slatina; Impol-Slovenska Bistrica; Trimo, Trebnje; EPCOS, Deutsclandsberg, Austria (more than 10 years of cooperation); Heraklith, Fürnitz, Austria; Paroc, Finland; and Gamma Mecanica, Bibbiano, Italy.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2009,
2010,
2012,
2013,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2009,
2010,
2011,
2012,
2013,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
