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)
Latest news
Next Deadline to apply to the JECS Trust is 31st May 2025
Please note that the decisions of the JECS Trust board will not be known before end of July 2025. Activities submitted for the deadline of 31st May 2025 for support from the JECS Trust should then not begin before August 2025.
12th March - International Day of Ceramics!
Dear Ceramic Community,
We are pleased to announce that March 12, 2025, marks the first-ever International Day of Ceramics!
Information
Contact us for any information: info@ecers.org - We will respond to your inquiry as soon as possible.
ECerS office
Av. Gouverneur Cornez , 4
7000 Mons
Belgium