Ceramics and glasses with social and industrial impact.
The line “Ceramics and glasses with a social and industrial impact” will develop at highest level, research on materials with traditional applications or wide implantation, but also with new and severe demands, in the industrial and cultural sectors of society. The scope of this line extends towards two research areas; “Archaeometry and Heritage of Ceramics and Glasses” and “Conventional Technologies for New and Eco-Friendly Products”.
Archaeometry deals with the scientific approach to the analysis of ceramic materials in historic artifacts with an eye in the conservation of our Cultural Heritage. The characterization of ceramics and glasses to identify their key features, raw materials and manufacturing process is a necessary starting point of knowledge for the authentication, suitable protection and restoration of the material elements of our Heritage. Even more, Archaeometry provide the essential elements to establish the origin, the evolution through time and the historical meaning of the goods which constitute our Cultural Heritage.
Research in conventional technologies responds to the social demands of new and eco friendly products capable of reducing energy consumption, increase the life cycle of products, as well as decrease pollution through the use of recycled materials.
This issue has been mainly carried out in vitreous materials with special characteristics developed for traditional (frits, enamels, floor tiles, etc.) and advanced applications (solar glasses, eco friendly pigments, etc.,) to obtain new coatings for decreasing energy consumption, surface cleaning, etc., and in composite materials in which use of recycled materials as well as waste decreasing were the main objectives.