The Institute of Materials Science was established on the 1st of January, 2007, joining former departments into a larger unit thereby achieving an improvement of scientific and research activities as well as of international cooperation.
The Institute is responsible for materials and physics oriented courses at FMST SUT. For the bachelor degree, the Institute guarantees the study program Materials Engineering; for the engineering and doctoral degrees it guarantees the study programs Materials Engineering, Processing and Application of Non-metals as well as Surface Engineering of Advanced Materials.
The research and expertise activities of the Institute are aimed at crystallization of metals and alloys, tool material and nickel-based alloys, powder metallurgy, bio-compatible materials, stainless steels, steels for power plants, weldability of steels, magnetic materials, thermal treatments and surface modification of materials, complex metallic alloys, grain boundary engineering as well as ceramic and polymer materials.
The Institute has a long term tradition of cooperation with regional industrial partners such as: INA Skalica, Ltd., Skalica, VUJE corp., Jaslovské Bohunice, ZF Sachs Slovakia, corp., Trnava, Zlievareň, corp., Trnava, HKS Forge Ltd. Trnava; MANZ, corp. Nové Mesto nad Váhom; SONY Slovakia, Nitra; Samsung Electronics Slovakia, Galanta, Voderady; Faurecia Trnava; PSA Peugeot Citroen, Trnava; Noble International, Ltd. Senica; TRW Steering System Slovakia Ltd., Nové Mesto nad Váhom; Hella Lighting Slovakia, Kočovce; Kinex-KLF, corp., Kysucké Nové Mesto; PSL, corp. Považská Bystrica; EMO, corp. Mochovce; Johns Manville, corp. Trnava; Sauer Danfoss, corp., Považská Bystrica; ŽOS corp., Trnava; PFS, corp., Brezová pod Bradlom; Kompozitum Topoľčany; Fremach, Trnava; Slovalco, corp. Žiar nad Hronom; IMS Kupa, corp. Nováky, VIPO Partizánske.
CENTRE OF
EXCELLENCE
Center for Development and Application of Advanced Diagnostic Methods in Processing of Metallic and Non-metallic Materials
The main focus of the project is the establishment of a centre of excellence with emphasis on the development and application of advanced diagnostic methods in processing the metal and non-metal material. This is within the framework of item number 2.1 of the operation program oriented on research and development entitled "Increasing the quality of the workplace and support of excellent research, with a focus on the strategic areas important for next developments of economy and society". Therefore the main aim of the project, which has been approved, is to build a research infrastructure in accordance with the Innovation policy of the second generation, meaning at the regional level and in accordance with priority No1 of the Innovation strategy of the Slovak Republic: „Infrastructure with a high quality and an effective system for innovation development". In this way the proposed centre of excellence will support realization of the strategy of competitiveness in the Slovak Republic into 2010, which is an important transfer into innovation policy of the third generation, with the task of integrating innovations into all policies.
We plan to create a modern dynamic centre of excellence. The centre will focus on analytical methods for applying the most contemporary knowledge on the interaction of electron and laser energies with masses of various types. It will also focus on advanced detection systems with high sensitivity, modern mechanical processes, and observation of electrical and non-electrical variables oriented to the evaluation of specific properties, especially progressive metal and non-metal materials prepared by the most modern technological processes. We expect that the project will help to improve the research infrastructure in the Trnava region, and provide a direct connection to the rest of Slovakia (the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology cooperates with dozens of production companies throughout all of Slovakia and with other education and research institutes). The project will also connect the Faculty to other European and Asian research bodies (we cooperate with POSTECH - Pohang University of Science and Technology, South Korea, IFW and FZD in Dresden, Germany, Bekaert in Zwevegem, Belgium). Finally, the project will improve the quality of education and popularise science and technology among unspecialized people.
The content of the project has the aim of supporting a concentration of the best faculty employees in a monothematic centre based on the application of the most modern experimental processes associated with specific material properties, consistent with the objectives of the Materials study program and the study field of Physical Metallurgy. Activities are focused on the attraction of secondary school students who will potentially study fields of technical materials. The project will also provide access for all interested specialists to modern technical equipment in the centre, as well as the organisation of seminars and summer schools and expansion of materials research and its successful representation in the media.
The centre will be equipped with the following modern technical equipment:
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A High Resolution Scanning Electron Microscope operating with a thermal FEG cathode and equipped with compatible detection systems EDS, WDS and EBSD along with particular equipment for preparation of samples by ion milling.
- Laser Confocal Microscope with two independent beams for wavelengths 400 and 600 nm.
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Universal Testing Machine for evaluation of mechanical properties of metal and non-metal materials
- Testing equipment for the observation of dynamic failure processes
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Equipment for measurement of direct and alternating conductivity of non-metal materials at high temperatures
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Spectral analyzer for measurement of direct and alternating impedance and modular spectra of non-metal materials and composites
- Rotation Viscosimeter
- Vulcanization Measurement Equipment
- Research characteristics year 2008
- Research characteristics year 2007
