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by Krzysztof J. Kurzyd©©owski
Materials have become one of the focal points of modern science and a pillar of contemporary technology. New materials, composites, nanometals and advanced ceramics, allow engineers to overcome previous construction barriers, pave the way for advances in space and medical technology and create innovative solutions to old problems.
One of the leading academic centres in Poland conducting research on new materials is the Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering at the Warsaw University of Technology which employs over 50 professors and is supported by qualified technicians and administration.
The Faculty which continues materials research traditions at WUT marked with such names as Professor Jan Czochralski (inventor of a method for growing monocrystals), is located in a new building on Wo©©oska Street.
The extensive research program carried out at the Faculty is financed by the State Committee for Scientific Research, EU and NATO funds and industrial partners. The main research fields are: nanocrystalline, ceramic and magnetic materials, biomaterials, polymers and composites. Research problems include material degradation, computer-aided image analysis of microstructures, modern methods of surface engineering and recycling of metals and polymers. They have been developed in line with the research conducted around the world (for many years, the Faculty has cooperated with many scientific centres abroad, in such countries as the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Spain, France, Russia, South Korea, China, Slovakia and Hungary). The focus now is on future-oriented materials and technologies, including nanomaterials and nanotechnologies.
Nanoscale world
Nanomaterials and nanotechnologies are among the key fields offering great challenges and possibilities. The world in the nano scale has dimensions in the range 0.1-100 nm i.e. below 10-7m. To illustrate such length scale it can be noted that the magnification required to visualize nano-particle would blow-up an apple into the object of the size of the Earth (Fig. 1). Such small, sub-micron dimensions were until recently unattainable for scientists from many fields. At present, it is accessible in chemistry, biology, biomedicine, physics as well as mechanical engineering. Nanoscale has become useful in the manufacturing of many substances and materials as well as structures and everyday products, from cosmetics to the most sophisticated devices used in the aerospace industry. The development of microscopical techniques, including atomic force and electron microscopy, has provided new information of both crystalline and amorphous structure.
Nanomaterials have been within the reach of men for centuries. Previously natural materials, today they are produced by men. In nanotchnologies, two trends are distinguishable: a ¡°top-down¡± method (refining to nano-size structure of macroscopic objects) or ¡°bottom-up¡± approach (agregating of nano-particles into macroscopic objects).
The properties of nanomaterials-mechanical, optical, electrical and magnetic-are unattainable for materials of larger sub-micron or micron structures. For example, carbon nanotubes offer many application possibilities, ranging from the electrical to mechanical, due to specific properties not found in other materials. Production of materials in the form of nanopowders permits their more effective use as a substrate for the composites characterized by, among others, increased resistance to abrasion (possible application - surface finishing and packaging). Use of nanopowders makes it also possible to tailor optical and thermal properties of textiles and paper.
One of the more interesting examples of nanomaterials are nano polymer-ceramic composites. They have potential for applications as biomaterials for implants and in particular as bone replacement. For example hydroxyapatite combined with polymer has high strength and improved bioactivation, biocompatibility and biodegradation as an implant in the human body.
Modern materials, including nanomaterials, may be used in building various kind of devices, also on a micrometric scale. These devices, such as servo-motors and sensors, are a great challenge for mechanical engineering.
European Union research priorities include nanomaterials in variety of programmes. This opens opportunity for building European Networks of Excellence. Industrial applications of nanometric technologies are developed in so called Inegrated Projects, which cover multitude of fields of engineering.
The Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering cooperates with leading scientific centres all over Poland, as part of research networks. The Faculty is the founder and coordinator of two networks.
Nanomaterials Network
Nanomaterials Network, coordinated by prof. Kurzyd©©owski, covers the following fields: nanomaterials, biomaterials, polymers, corrosion and degradation, characterization of materials. The main objective is to provide a critical mass of research groups, contribute to a wider use of knowledge-based materials in Polish industry and participate in the 6th European Framework Program. Network member expertise is especially relevant to such topics as:
¡á characterization and modeling of materials on a nanoscale
¡á phenomena on nano-defined surfaces (corrosion, catalysis, bio-corrosion)
¡á physical and mechanical properties of nanostructured elements
¡á interactions of nanomaterials with human and animal tissues
In addition to the expertise in broadly understood nanomaterials, network members have achieved significant achievements in bio-applications. They work closely with Warsaw Academy of Medicine and innovative Polish companies who produce implants and medical tools. Tissue engineering is defined as an interdisciplinary field that applies the principles of engineering and life science toward the development of biological substitutes that restore, maintain or improve tissue functions. This interdisciplinary field of life science is an excellent area for a network that groups specialists in materials science and engineering, biologists, chemists, physicists and medical doctors. Biomaterials obtained or modified by means of nanotechnologies can be used as scaffolds for implantation of cells grown in vitro. Network members are currently developing a number of technologies for the production of nanomaterials (Fig. 4).
These include:
¡á Mechanical Alloying,
¡á Physical and Chemical deposition,
¡á Severe Plastic Deformation (Bridgeman, ECAP),
¡á Sol-gel techniques, and many techniques for fabrication elements for variety of potential application
Magnetic Nanomaterials Network
The second Magnetic Nanomaterial Network was set up in 2003 at the initiative of the NanoCentre of Excellence as part of the 6th Framework Program of the European Commission. The network connects Polish scientific and research centers and production enterprises dealing with research on nanocrystalline magnetic materials and their practical application. It includes 22 participants from all over Poland. Cooperating with them are 14 Polish and approximately 50 foreign partners. The nature of the research suggested the creation of three thematic groups: soft magnetic materials, hard magnetic materials and thin layers. The network coordinator is Prof. Tadeusz Kulik from the Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering at the Warsaw University of Technology.
Currently, the network participants are implementing 24 research projects, including six concerning nanomaterials, financed by the European Commission. They include: ¡°Soft magnetic nanomaterials for high temperature and high frequency functional applications in power electronics¡± (HiT-Fcore), the NanoCentre of Excellence: ¡°Nanocrystalline Materials: Fabrication, Structure, Modeling, Properties and Applications,¡± CELDIS Centre of Excellence ¡°Physics and fabrication of low dimensional structures for technologies of future generations,¡± financed with funds from the 5th Framework Program; and the Network NENAMAT ¡°Network for Nanostructured Materials of Associated Candidate Countries,¡± Cooperation Network ¡°Combined study of nanostructured magnetic materials¡± and ¡°Dynamics in Nanoscale Materials Studied with Synchrotron Radiation¡± (DYNASYNC) financed by the 6th Framework Program. One project using the new instruments proposed by the 6th Framework Program is the NENAMAT Network, comprising 50 leading scientific and research centres from 10 Central and Eastern Europe countries. They have created a network of Centres of Excellence specializing in the production, research and application of advanced materials with nanocrystalline structure.
NanoCentre
The Centres of Competencies in Material Science have emerged in Poland in recently years, partly in response to a call by the European Commission. Some of them won contracts awarded by the EC, some are financed purely from national sources. NanoCentre (Nano-crystalline Materials - Fabrication, Structure, Modeling, Properties and Applications) at the Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering of Warsaw University of Technology is focused on nano-functional and constructional materials (magnets, intermetallics, Al-alloys and composites).
One of the important steps in the European integration process is a twinning agreement between Sheffield University and the NanoCentre. The agreement has already resulted in collaboration in the field of permanent magnet nanomaterials leading to the development of new grades of rare earth-transition metal magnets (RE-TM) with improved magnetic properties, joint publications, exchanges of materials and specimens as well as expert and study visits. The NanoCentre has also established cooperation with a number of other European research centres. Activities at the NanoCentre are aimed at disseminating knowledge and the latest results of scientific research in the field of nanomaterials.
In 2003, the Centre was one of the organizers of two scientific conferences. During the European Materials Research Society 2003 Fall Meeting, the Centre held a symposium on ¡°Bulk and graded nanomaterials¡± and a satellite event comprising a pre-school for PhD students as an introduction to specific symposia at the EMRS meeting. In October 2003, ¡°International Workshop on Processing and Characterization of Nanomaterials¡± was organized with the participation of the NanoCentre. In addition, the NanoCentre has already initiated efforts for the organization of ¡°The International Conference on Fabrication and Properties of Metallic Nanomaterials,¡± to be held in June 2004.
An important factor in the development of modern research in the field of materials engineering is wide-ranging cooperation in this area with other leading scientific centres in Europe and the world. With this in mind it should be natural that the Polish Materials Science Community performs well in European Projects. Prof. Nowacki from the Institute of Fundamental Technological Research has won a contract for European Network of Excellence on Knowledge Based Materials. Other groups participate in a range of Integrated Projects on advanced materials for a variety of applications. Integrated Project ¡°New Materials for Extreme Environments¡± EXTREMAT has been dedicated to materials in extreme environments that are out of reach through incremental materials development alone. The project aims at integrating the knowledge and capabilities of premier European research institutions and industrial enterprises. It will unite expertise in different application fields and form the critical mass needed to reach breakthroughs in the development and industrialization of new materials as well as subsequent innovative compounds, components and products. Application fields of the project are as follows:
¡á advanced energy conversion,
¡á space and aeronautic applications,
¡á electronic devices: (new compact 3-D microchip architectures),
¡á neutron-based systems
The materials developed in this project will be used for economic realization of nuclear fusion reactors as a new and sustainable energy source.
Research on new materials and technologies requires cooperation with industry. The Faculty has cooperated in the chemical and power sectors for years. The work conducted for customers from those sectors includes analysis of failure causes, assessment of the condition of structures, and implementation of optimum industrial operation programs. One exceptional industrial partner is Polski Koncern Naftowy Orlen SA which has become a European leader in the introduction of new technologies and recently has started to realize a programme of developing new types of bio-fuels. In this case the investigations are carried out on the effect of such fuels on materials used by automotive industry.
To summarize, the Faculty performs well domestically. A good moment has come for its performance on an European Stage.
Contact
Professor Krzysztof J. Kurzyd©©owski
Warsaw University of Technology, Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering
www.imat.pw.edu.pl
kjk@inmat.pw.edu.pl
Coordinator of NanoCentre
Professor Tadeusz Kulik
Warsaw University of Techology, Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering
Nanocentre@inmat.pw.edu.pl
www.nanocentre.inmat.pw.edu.pl
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