Research center for pro-environmental and energy-saving materials and technologies (CeBMaT)

Project title: Research center for pro-environmental and energy-saving materials and technologies (CeBMaT)

Agreement number: POIR.04.02.00-00-D009/20

Action: 4.2 Development of Modern Research Infrastructure of the Science Sector

Priority axis: Increasing the research and development potential

Project implementation period: 01.02.2021 - 30.11.2023

Project value: 36 274 981,91 PLN

Principal Investigator: prof. dr hab. inż. Wojciech Franus

Abstract: The aim of the project is to create a research infrastructure called the "Research Center for Pro-Environmental and Energy-Saving Materials and Technologies." Its research scope will encompass areas of expertise focused on energy, environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science, civil engineering, and opto- and mechatronic systems necessary for process control. In the mechanical engineering discipline, the infrastructure planned for purchase will enable theoretical and experimental research, enabling the acquisition of new knowledge in the design and manufacture of materials with precisely defined structural parameters that enable the achievement of desired operational properties (e.g., implants, composites, laminates, sorbents). A significant part of the research will also be understanding the essence of phenomena related to processes such as energy harvesting, shaping material properties, recycling products and waste materials, and analyzing their course using advanced computer systems and algorithms utilizing deep learning. In the environmental, mining, and energy engineering disciplines, the purchase of the planned equipment will enable advanced research, on a laboratory and technical scale, aimed at, among other things, Expanding the raw material base used in bioenergy and increasing the methanogenic potential of biomass by combining unconventional pretreatment methods with co-fermentation. Furthermore, expanding the research infrastructure with devices capable of determining a wide range of complex organic compounds in various matrices at very low concentrations will enable tracking the migration of substances such as pharmaceuticals and persistent organic pollutants in the environment, understanding the mechanisms of their transformations occurring both in technological processes and under environmental conditions, and assessing their impact on natural processes in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The automation, electronics, and electrical engineering disciplines will conduct work on the design and manufacture of intelligent optoelectronic sensors. The research infrastructure planned for purchase will enable the development of nanoscale technological processes using advanced automation control methods. It will also enable the development of methods for depositing photosensitive polymers using printers with interchangeable heads for applying masks to substrates. This, in turn, will enable the creation of structures that will enable research on the effects of electromagnetic fields on in vitro cultured cells. The planned optimization of data processing from distributed intelligent sensor systems and optimization of processes in the areas of electrical engineering and eco-energy (e.g., gasification process optimization), as well as optoelectronics (sensor manufacturing technology), will require processing a very large amount of data, often without a specific structure. This will be possible thanks to the use of research infrastructure purchased as part of the project, enabling the implementation and testing of mathematical models of the developed optoelectronic sensors and energy processes. The Center's unique instrumentation will enable the conduct of advanced, highly innovative research, focused specifically on the development of regional industry. This will also positively impact the increased collaboration between Lublin University of Technology research teams and entrepreneurs from Poland and abroad. The project also fits perfectly within the scientific field of civil engineering and transportation. It involves research on the properties of building materials with the aim of obtaining masonry elements with improved energy efficiency. Importantly, these materials will be obtained from various types of industrial waste, such as fly ash, which aligns with the principles of a circular economy and the promotion of modern energy-efficient construction technologies. A significant added value of the Center's operation at Lublin University of Technology will also be the development of local human capital through the training of high-class experts in new materials and technologies in the field of R&D. This will provide them with access to state-of-the-art equipment and advancements in materials science. The purchased equipment will be an important element supporting the first research teams led by young Lublin University of Technology employees in the early stages of their scientific careers.