Research Activities
Fractography
- development and preparation of methodological procedures for fractographic analyses
- fractographic analysis of in-service failures and accidents
- study of the failure mechanisms of complex mechanical systems and estimation of structural service life
The fractography laboratory holds the status of a unique scientific workplace of CTU.
Mathematical modelling
- modelling of failure processes in materials and structures
- calculation of stress and strain fields using the finite element method
Instrumented indentation
- determination of the mechanical properties of metallic materials, ceramics, polymers and composites by instrumented indentation, from the macro- through micro- to nano-scale
- characterization of advanced new materials, intermetallics, thin films and others, in both basic research and industrial practice
- description of the processes occurring at the contact between the indenter and the measured object (size effect, pile-up, etc.)
- statistical processing of results from grid (matrix) indentation
Physical metallurgy
- phase transformations in metals and alloys
- mechanical properties of materials as a function of their microstructure
- research and development of advanced materials – intermetallics, shape-memory alloys, thin films, high-entropy alloys, …
- characterization of materials by electron microscopy
Fatigue and fracture mechanics
- determination of fatigue curves using resonance and conventional tests
- study of crack propagation in conventional and miniature specimens
- use of experimental findings in addressing in-service failures
Implant development
- search for and preparation of new materials for implants with long-term guaranteed biocompatibility
- study of degradation processes and the loss of mechanical properties of bioresorbable materials
- development of new methodologies for the dynamic testing of implants
Image analysis
- textural fractography
- recognition and measurement of objects on metallographic sections