Centre for functional and surface-functionalized glasses (acronym FunGlass) is newly created centre of excellence in the framework of Horizon 2020 project - Spreading the excellence and widening participation (H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2; Topic WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017 Teaming Phase 2, project number 739566). Its establishment is based on upgrade of the existing Centre of excellence for ceramics, glass and silicate materials (CEKSiM, created in 2012). The Centre is created in cooperation with the project partners´ institutions and their leading experts in glass science and technology in Europe, namely (in alphabetical order) prof. Bernardo from the Universita degli Studi di Padova (Italy), prof. Boccaccini from the Friedrich – Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (Germany), prof. Durán from the Instituto de Ceramica y Vidrio Madrid (Spain), and prof. Wondraczek from the Friedrich-Schiller Universität Jena (Germany). The Centre is located at Alexander Dubček University of Trenčín, Slovakia… In the last 6 years the Centre was successful in obtaining a significant amount of funding from ERDF and other sources (including industrial cooperation).  As a result of these activities, today CEKSiM has at its hands an up-to-date research infrastructure:

Sample preparation

State of the art powder processing line, laboratory scale, including:

Planetary Mill, Fritsch Pulverisette 5,
Vibratory Micro, Mill Fritsch Pulversiette 0,

State of the art ceramographic facilities, laboratory scale, including:

Precision Saw, Buehler IsoMet® 5000,
Diamond Saw, Buehler AbrasiMatic® 300 Abrasive Cutter,
Lapping equipment/Grinder-Polisher, Buehler EcoMet 300Pro
Automatic polisher EcoMet/AutoMet 300 Grinder-Polisher,
Vibration polishing Buehler Vibromet,

Other:

JEOL JFC-1300 „AUTO Sputter Coater“,
JEOL JEC-520 „Carbon Coater“,
House built equipment for preparation of glass microspheres by flame synthesis,
Laboratory Tape Caster, DrBlade

Heat treatment and glass…. The industrial based research is related to the needs of local and regional glass production and technology problems. The actual services for industrial partners are DSC analysis, TGA analysis, SEM analysis, measurement of the mechanical and physical properties of the glasses. The Centre offers also the following services:

Determination of the chemical composition of inorganic non-metalic materials
Determination of the content of dissolved elements in water
Determination of the chemical resistance of silicate glasses
Corrosion testing and monitoring of chemical resistance of inorganic materials
Corrosion tests with advanced ceramic materials under hydrothermal conditions
Vicker hardness test
Microstructural analysis of inorganic non-metallic materials
UV-VIS-NIR (absorption) spectroscopy
Raman spectroscopy
Electrical and electrochemical properties of materials
Thermal properties of materials
Melting of glass-forming melts under laboratory conditions
Measurement of physical…. Yes. service.