The European Ceramic Society

Laboratory sheet

Belgium

Group of Research in Energy and Environment from Materials

Research and collaboration with industry on microstructured powders, bulks and coatings for applications in energy, environment, health and protective coatings

Director : Prof. Rudi CLOOTS

Email : b.vertruyen@uliege.be

Phone : +32 (0)4 366 3436

Address : Quartier Agora (B6a) Allée du 6 Août, 13 4000 LIEGE (Sart-Tilman)

Website : www.greenmat.uliege.be

Research topics :

  • Oxide coatings with controlled microstructure 

- Deposition by wet chemical methods (e.g. spin-coating, dip-coating, ultrasonic spray pyrolysis) of materials for applications in new generation solar cells, electrochromic coatings,… 

       

Contact information:

Prof. Rudi Cloots

Phone: +32 (0)4 366 3436

Email: rcloots@uliege.be

 

  • Powder synthesis and microstructure control 

- Spray-drying or hydrothermal synthesis of materials for applications related to energy, environment or health domains

- Top-down grinding and advanced blending technologies on a pilot scale

- Powder rheology & physico-chemical characterization

     

Contact information:

Dr Frédéric Boschini

Phone: +32 (0)4 366 3532

Email: frederic.boschini@uliege.be

 

  • Crystal chemistry and polymorphism

- Solution chemistry for the synthesis of low temperature polymorphs

- Powder X-ray diffraction and characterization of functional properties

    

Contact information:

Prof. Benedicte Vertruyen

Phone: +32 (0)4 366 3542

Email: b.vertruyen@uliege.be

 

 

  • Suspensions of powders: stabilization, granulation and coatings

- Spray-drying, slip casting, tape casting, electrophoretic deposition (EPD), etc.

- Liquid rheology & stability studies

     

Contact information:

Dr Frédéric Boschini

Phone: +32 (0)4 366 3532

Email: frederic.boschini@uliege.be

 

  • Additive manufacturing (SLA) of ceramics

- Slurry preparation

- 3D printing of ceramics

- Debinding and sintering expertise

     

Contact information:

Dr Frédéric Boschini

Phone: +32 (0)4 366 3532

Email: frederic.boschini@uliege.be

 

  • Li-/Na-/K-/Zn-/… ion batteries

- Synthesis of nano-/microsized powders (oxides, alloys,...) used as cathode or anode materials

- Development of formulations (suspensions and/or slurries) for the processing of layers (by spray or tape-casting) to be used as electrodes in batteries

- Battery assembly (from coin cells to pouch cells), including full solid state batteries

- Physico-chemical and electrochemical (also including in situ techniques such XRD, impedance and Raman spectroscopies) characterizations.

     

Contact information:

Dr Frédéric Boschini

Phone: +32 (0)4 366 3532

Email: frederic.boschini@uliege.be

 

For a complete list, see website : https://www.greenmat.uliege.be/cms/c_3730068/en/greenmat-research-topics

Exceptional facilities :

  • Coating deposition:                       

- Ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (Sonotek - Exactacoat)

 

  • Powder synthesis:         

- 2 pilot-scale spray-dryers (Niro Mobile Minor - for solutions and suspensions in aqueous or non-aqueous (ATEX) feed)

- Hydrothermal reactor (Parr 4580, 5.5 liters, up to 200 bar, 500°C)

- Top-down grinding and advanced blending technologies on a pilot scale (several liters)

 

  • Ceramics additive manufacturing :         

- CERAMAKER 900 (3D CERAM)

 

  • Heat treatment:

- Furnaces (up to 1500°C)

- Three-zone horizontal tubular furnace (Tmax 1200°C)

 

  • Battery assembly:

- Complete pouch Alkali-ion cell assembly line

 

  • Characterization:

- X-ray diffractometers (Bruker D8 Advance & D8 Discover Twin-Twin) with Bragg-Brentano or grazing incidence configurations, dedicated to polycrystalline powders & thin films. Options: High temperature chamber (max 1200°C) and operando battery characterization.

- Granular materials & suspensions characterization: particle size and morphology, flowability, cohesion, thixotropy, effect of relative humidity on powder behavior, carbon analyzer, ATG / DSC, BET, zeta potential, powder & liquid rheology, turbidimeter

- Coatings : Hall measurement system, solar simulator, contact angle measurement, abrasion testing

- Access to SEM (with EDX and EBSD), TEM (with tomography & EDX), AFM, Optical profilometry

- Electrochemical characterization : multichannel potentiostat/galvanostat, battery test benches (88 channels, from coin cells to pouch cells), impedance spectroscopy, Operando (in situ) XRD and Raman analysis,

- 57Fe Mossbauer spectrometer

 

Contact information:

Dr Frédéric Boschini

Phone: +32(4)366 3532

Email: frederic.boschini @uliege.be

 

For a complete list, see website : https://www.greenmat.uliege.be/cms/c_3596295/fr/greenmat-equipements

Financial support programmes :

  • European funding: H2020,Interreg, M-ERA.NET
  • National funding : FNRS, industrial collaborations
  • Regional funding: SPW (DG06)

Last news

May 16, 2024
New YCN Special Issue on Open Ceramics - Young Ceramists leading the Future

The special issue will accept hitherto unpublished original results submitted both in the form of full-length scientific papers and short communications, but also review papers on the topics in the list.

May 6, 2024
Results of the 1st Bioceramics Student Speech Contest

The ECerS Bioceramics Network is delighted to announce the winners of the 1st Bioceramics Student Speech Contest, which took place online from 17 to 18 April 2024!

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