Department of Material Science
Material Science and Engineering Technologies were first taught
two years after the Technical University of Liberec was founded
in 1953. Since this time, the Department of Material Science has
provided tuition at a foundational and a departmental level for
both undergraduates and those taking a Master’s or Ph.D. in
Engineering. The department teaches subjects such as Physical
Metallurgy and Corrosion, and Surface Layers Technologies to
those specialising in engineering technologies. The department
provides tuitition for those specialising in Material Engineering.
The Department of Material Science teaches Material Science I
and II and similar materials subjects to students of the Faculty of
Mechanical Engineering as well as to those from other Technical
Faculties of the TUL during their undergraduate studies.
Research Focus
The research activity of the department focuses on these aspects
of material engineering: thermal treatment, surface testing of
materials, surface treatment, thin layers, intermetallics, polymer
materials, composites and technical ceramics.
Projects (selected)
• Project GA106/06/0019 – Fe-40 at.% Al based alloys as a basis
for high temperature applications (2006-2008, GA0/GA).
• AVČR No. 1Q S100 100508 – doc. Skrbek – internal No. 1707
– Non-destructive testing of structures of cast iron with
magnetic adaptive method.
• MPO No. 6359/07/03400/155 – FT-T O4/068 – Advanced
armed geopolymer composites for technical applications –
prof. Ing. Petr Louda, CSc.
• AVČR No. IAA 800020603 – Ing. Kubíček – internal No.
1602 Technics of knife manufacturing of the early Middle
Ages. Technology and quality variability of selected part of
archaeology sources from the viewpoint of metallography
research. Main investigator: Archaeology Institute – Academy
of Sciences of Czech Republic Prague Ing. Jiří Hošek, Ph.D.
• MŠMT No. 1M 0577 – NANOPIN – internal No. 1772, 1972 – Ing. Aleš
Kolouch, Ph.D. – Research Center for Nanosurface Engineering.
• GAČR No. 106/08/P0005 – Ing. Pavel Hanus, Ph.D. – Treatment
of high temperature creep properties of iron aluminide of
type Fe3Al by additives.
18
• GAČR No. 106/08/1665 – prof. RNDr. Špatenka, CSc. – Study
of plasma modified polyolefins and their properties from the
point of view of their applications as anticorrosion coatings.
• MŠMT research project – No. 4674788501 – internal No. 1452
– System interconnection of method of mathematical and
physical modeling of temperature, tension and structure
conditions in the confrontation with verification experiments
on real bodies, parts or machines.
• Project MPO – TANDEM ID: FT-TA4/012 – Integrity of surface
as an instrument for useful properties enhancement made
on machines from TOS Varnsdorf, a.s. – Ing. Václav Kubíček.
Services and Expertise on Offer
•
•
•
•
Mechanical static testing.
Hardness testing.
Impact toughness testing.
Procedures of heat treatments – heat treatments of metals:
annealing, quenching, age-hardening, heat treatment.
• Surface roughness testing – Ra measurement with graphic
record and statistic data evaluation.
• Spectral analysis of chemical composition – determination
of the composition of metal materials Light optical
microscopy.
• Macroscopic assessment of structures – metallography:
quality assessment of equilibrium and nonequilibrium heat
treatments and chemical-heat treatments of ferro-alloys and
non-ferrous metals and other materials. Image digitizing
and microstructure colour printing, image analysis LUCIA.
Microhardness measurement using Hanemann and Reichert
microhardness tester.
• Electron microscopy – scanning electron microscopy,
magnification accordace with sample nature 500x-10 000x.
Surface quality assessment of metal materials: surface
defects, fractography analysis, localisation of specific defects
(point corrosion, fretting, etc.).
• Advisory services and consulting in the field of technical and
scientific research:
Optimising heat treatment and chemical-heat treatment
processes.
Surface treatment (plasma technologies), choice of
materials.
Finding equivalent metal materials from abroad (and vice
versa).
Reliability of technological processes and systems.
• Expert activity in the field of research:
Faults in the technology of heat treatment and chemical-heat
treatment, vacuum heat treatment, replacing the materials
of machine components during mechanism failure.
• Nondestructive testing.
• Evaluating surface properties.
Laboratories, Instruments and Equipment
Research and collaboration on industrial projects are carried
out in following laboratories:
Metalography Laboratory
This laboratory houses modern equipment for preparing
metallography sections as well as instruments for evaluation
of structure. The machine equipment for preparing
metallographic sections is from BUEHLER comp. and includes a
DELTA abrasive cutter, an ISOMET 1000 high-precision diamond
saw; a SIMPLIMET 1000 automatic electro-hydraulic press and
a SIMPLIMET 2 manual press for mounting samples. It also has
a BETA grinder and polisher with a VECTOR automatic head.
Optical and Electron microscopes are available for investigating
structures. The optical microscopes are EPIPHOT 200 (NIKON)
with digital camera, DS-5M-U1 (NIKON), and NEOPHOT 32
equipped with digital camera COOLPIX 4500 (NIKON). The
structures photographed can be evaluated using Nis-elements
software version 3.0. For microfractographic analysis, a TESLA
BS 343 scanning electron microscope with PC image treatment
(modul SATELLITE) can be used. The laboratory is also equipped
with a MICROMET 2100 (BUEHLER) microhardness tester with
camera, and LUCIA G version 4.60 software with the module
HARDNESS.
Electron Microscopy Laboratory
The laboratory is equipped with a TESLA BS 343 scanning
electron microscope and has a modernised connection to
a Satellite module (Tescan) to make image analysis possible.
The microscope is used for fractographic analysis and surface
evaluation of metal materials.
Laboratory for NDT Methods
This laboratory contains a whole range of instruments which
enable defectoscopic and structuroscopic NDT of materials. It
contains all issues of standards and periodicals. Thanks a grant
(No. 1710) the laboratory is able to hold practical educational
classes as well as be an aid to industry.
RT – radiographic methods of testing – methodology
background only.
UT – ultrasound methods, PT – capillary methods, MT – magnetic
method: basic instrument equipment. ET – eddy currents
– instruments for thickness measurement on conductive
substrates.
VT – visual method – gauges for evaluation of welds and
surfaces, magnifying glasses.
IT – infrared defectoscopy – by laser-directed point
thermometer.
PoT – potentiometric tests – crack depth and conductivity
measurer.
Mechanical Testing Laboratory
Tensile testing machine for static loading
Hardness testers (Brinell, Vickers, Rockwell), dynamic hardness
testers
19
Impact toughness tester (Charpy PSW 5)
Tester for deep-drawing sheet (Erichsen)
Three box furnaces for heat treatment
Significant Research Results
and their Application
The study of composite systems preparation based on polymer
matrices reinforced with natural plant fibres was completed
and assessed. The process of the vibration damping study was
proposed. This procedure can be used for the complex analysis
of the reinforcement filler selection, the filler volume and the
material interface. The single-purpose apparatus for measuring
vibration-damping was designed and constructed.
The mathematical model was formulated which combines the
influence of temperature, thickness, wall curvature and cupper
content in the wall of ferromagnetic material assessed. The
study of combining acoustic and magnetic tests for evaluating
ferromagnetic material was awarded a certificate:
No. 17830 “The Apparatus for Nondestructive Assessment of
Material Quality”.
Laboratory and semindustrial tests of the corrosion resistance
of iron aluminium alloys in molten glass were carried out in
cooperation with the company Preciosa a.s. Materials suitable
for the production of semi-finished products created by hot
rolling were selected. Iron aluminium alloys creep tests at high
temperatures were completed. These tests were conducted
under conditions which reflect the final use of the materials.
Other tribologic tests were carried out on thin, hard and
nonabrasive wear layers based on titanium and carbon on
a steel base. Their surface wear was assessed and compared
with materials commonly used in the car industry. A new
series of biocompatible thin carbon layers on polymer and
metal substrates were developed by PA CVD technology in
cooperation with the Technical University of Lodž. These layers
were tested in vitro. The possibility of creating these thin layers
on nanofibre materials produced by the company Elmarco was
tested.
The study of the plasma modification of powder polymer
materials was continued. In addition, studies were carried out
into using the materials treated as polymer coatings on metal
substrates. Experiments were carried out using two methods
of modification – a low pressure microwave discharge, and a
20
barrier discharge under atmospheric pressure. The materials
modified by both methods show a significant increase in their
hydrophility, with long-time stability. Systems for industrial
modification of powder materials using a low pressure
microwave discharge were proposed. Experiences with the
plasma modification of powder materials were also used during
experiments on biological materials.
Expert Collaboration
Polytechnika Łódzka, Poland
Techno-Coat Oberflächentechnik GmbH Zittau, Germany
Internationales Hochschulinstitut Zittau, Germany
Université de Franche-Comte, Besanson, France
Université de technologie Belfort-Montbéliard, France
Fachhochschule Hannover, Germany
Dr. Holger Kersem, Greifsfeld,
(in the field of powder modification), Germany
Fraunhofer Institute for Applied, Golm, Germany
Institut Chemische technologie, Berghausen, Germany
Arplas GmbH, Thalheim, Germany
Patents, Inventions, Utility Designs
• ŠPATENKA PETR PROF. RNDR. CSC, ČESKÉ BUDĚJOVICE, CZ.
Device for low-pressure plasma modification of powder and
granulated materials. Author: Špatenka Petr Prof. RNDr. CSc,
České Budějovice, CZ. Int. Cl.7: H05H 1/42 B29B 9/16. Czech
Republic. Utility design 15563. 2005-06-20.
• ŠPATENKA PETR PROF. RNDR. CSC, ČESKÉ BUDĚJOVICE, CZ.
Device for atmospheric plasma modification of powder and
granulated materials. Authors: Špatenka Petr Prof. RNDr. CSc,
České Budějovice, CZ Hladík Jan Ing., Hořiněves, CZ Píchal
Jan Doc. RNDr. CSc, Praha, CZ. Int. CI.: B01J 19/08. Czech
Republic. Utility design 17564. 2006-06-26.
• SKS KRNOV, A. S., KRNOV, CZ. Device for non-destructive
control of the material qualities. Authors: Šajgál Jaroslav,
Krnov, CZ Jedinák Antonín, Vrbno pod Pradědem, CZ Marek
Jiří, Brno, CZ Jakub Jiří, Brno, CZ Ryšavý Richard, Brno, CZ
Skrbek Břetislav, Jablonec nad Nisou, CZ. Int. Cl.: G01N 27/27
G01N 27/80 G01N 29/04. C. Czech Republic. Utility design
18306. 2007-03-19.