Projects

National

NEOCAR – Ultra-vysokoteplotné karbidy so zvýšenou oxidačnou odolnosťou
Novel enhanced oxidation-resistant ultra-high temperature carbides
Program: SRDA
Project leader: Ing. Kovalčíková Alexandra, PhD.
Duration: 1.7.2023 – 30.6.2027
Vývoj keramických nanovlákien na báze kovov získaných z recyklácie odpadov technológiou elektrostatického zvlákňovania
Development of ceramic nanofibers based on metals obtained from the waste recycling and prepared by needle less electrospinning.
Program: VEGA
Project leader: Ing. Múdra Erika, PhD.
Duration: 1.1.2023 – 31.12.2025
HERO – Elektrokatalyzátory pre efektívnu produkciu vodíka pre budúce elektrolyzéry a palivové články
Hydrogen evolution electrocatalysts for future electrolyser and fuel cells
Program: SRDA
Project leader: RNDr. Strečková Magdaléna, PhD.
Annotation: The development of activities in the field of hydrogen technologies was also supported by the EuropeanCommission in the strategic document "Hydrogen Strategy for a Climate Neutral Europe". Today, Slovakia hassuggested own national hydrogen strategy. Already in 2015, the National Hydrogen Association has founded tosupport research, implementation and use of hydrogen technologies. The Hydrogen Technology Center is beingestablished in Košice with the main "Power-to-Gas" concept using renewable power energy sources with nonegative impact on human life and without dependence on fossil fuels. A significant source of hydrogen is waterand the electrolysis of water is the most promising technology for hydrogen production. However, before it can berecognized as an economically significant resource for large scale application with an exceptional energy potential,the simple, efficient, and secure methods of hydrogen retrieval have to be developed. For the time being, the mostefficient electrocatalysts in terms of overpotential for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are noble metals.Unfortunately the high cost and scarcity of noble metals motivate the scientists to find the rival low-costalternatives. Intrinsic structures of TMP meet the criteria of outstanding electrocatalysts that could further improve their HER performance in membrane electrode assembly. Excellent dispersity of electrocatalysts allows full use ofactive sites on catalysts to participate in electrode reaction to improve the electrocatalytic efficiency. Therefore, themain challenge in this project is to reduce the production cost of HER and at the same time to maintain the highefficiency of polymer electrode water electrolysis. Substantial aim of the project will be devoted to improve the PEM water electrolysis components mainly electrode materials based on modified carbon fibers electrocatalysts result in the technology which should be more approached to commercial markets.
Duration: 1.7.2021 – 30.6.2025
HaTo-Coat – Tvrdé a húževnaté vrstvy na báze boridov a nitridov pripravené progresívnymi PVD technikami
Hard and tough boride and nitride-based coatings prepared by advanced PVD techniques
Program: SRDA
Project leader: doc. RNDr. Lofaj František, DrSc.
Annotation: The project aims at the increase of fracture toughness of thin hard PVD boride- and nitride based coatings deposited using advance sputtering techniques including HiPPMS and HiTUS while keeping their high thermal and oxidation resistance by means of employment of the intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The main idea is based on a „new design“ of hard coatings including simultaneous contribution from the modification of chemical composition, morphology and structure of the coatings via exploitation of the potential of structure control provide by HiPPMS and HiTUS technologies with high level of sputtered material ionization and high density of working gas plasma, respectively. Both technologies result in the coatings with high densities and allow us to modify the nanostructures, size of the nanocrystallites, modify chemical composition etc. and subsequently, to obtain different physical properties of the coatings. The activities of the project are focused on the development of transition metals-based boride and nitride coatings with improved mechanical (hardness > 30 GPa) and tribological properties (coefficient of friction < 0.3) for extreme conditions (> 1000°C, aggressive oxidation environment, etc.). The main effort will be oriented toward the elimination of the main drawbacks of hard coatings, i.e. toward the increase of their inherently low fracture toughness and increase of their oxidation resistance without hampering their hardness via understanding of the mechanisms of nanostructure evolution, decomposition of the high entropy multicomponent solid solutions, formation of stable phases and their relationships to mechanical and tribological properties. The research activities include also the correlations of the experimental results with the ab initio predictions based on theoretical models related to atomic structure and electronic configuration of the studied systems.
Duration: 1.7.2022 – 30.6.2025
Štúdium vplyvu podmienok prípravy vzoriek mikrometrických rozmerov fokusovaným iónovým zväzkom na ich mechanické vlastnosti
Stufdy of the influence of sdamples preparation conditions of micrometric dimensions by focused ion beam on their mechanical properties
Program: VEGA
Project leader: Ing. Vojtko Marek, PhD.
Duration: 1.1.2022 – 31.12.2024
FotDekont – Progresívne fotokatalytické materiály pre biologickú a chemickú dekontamináciu
Program: Other projects
Project leader: Mgr. Shepa Ivan, PhD.
Duration: 7.2.2023 – 30.11.2023
CEDITEKII – Rozvoj a podpora výskumno – vývojových aktivít Centra pre testovanie kvality a diagnostiku materiálov v oblastiach špecializácie RIS3 SK
Advancement and support of R&D for "Centre for diagnostics and quality testing of materials" in the domains of the RIS3 SK specialization
Program: Štrukturálne fondy EÚ Výskum a inovácie
Project leader: prof. RNDr. Dusza Ján, DrSc.
Duration: 1.1.2019 – 30.6.2023
Vysokoteplotné vlastnosti boridových MeB2 (Me = Ti, Zr, Hf) keramických kompozitných materiálov
High-temperature properties of diboride MeB2 (Me = Ti, Zr, Hf) ceramic composite materials
Program: VEGA
Project leader: Ing. Kovalčíková Alexandra, PhD.
Duration: 1.1.2020 – 31.12.2022
VaTRsEDVFsOAM – Vývoj a testovanie respirátorov s efektívnou degradáciou vírusov filtrami s obsahom antivirotických materiálov
Development and Testing of Respirators with Efficient Degradation of Viruses by Filters Containing Antiviral Materials
Program: SRDA
Project leader: Ing. Ballóková Beáta, PhD.
Annotation: In response to the situation resulting from the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the research and development performed at workplaces of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Technical University of Kosice has been partially transformed into research and development of special respirators and filtration materials. The submitted project is focussed on the development and construction of respirators with separable filters without exhalation valves which provide efficient protection against SARS-CoV-2 virus. The aim of the project is the investigation, development and production of respirators with separable filters and the testing of novel filtration materials. Designing and production of the respirator will be carried out while applying biomimetic and ergonomic principles and modern additive manufacturing technologies, and the production of multicomponent filters will be carried out while applying a combination of powder metallurgy technology and electrospinning which will facilitate combining metal filters and polymer nanofibres. Also, ceramic components produced by 3D printing will be used as a protective packaging of the used nanofibres and nanoparticles. In order to achieve the project objectives, it will be necessary to carry out the fundamental investigation of filtration efficiencies of the suggested materials with virucidal effects based on copper and ions of silver of zinc. The purpose of the project is to develop and construct testing systems intended for identification of resistance coefficients of newly developed filtration materials, filter permeability using a suitable aerosol, as well as mask penetration through the facepiece contact line. Optimisation of the shape of the respirator facepiece will be based on the analysis of biological parameters of at least 20 human facial scans; this will facilitate elimination of potential infection by particles escaping through the space around the mask.
Duration: 16.9.2020 – 31.12.2021