CEPID 2013-2024
Website: www.vidro.ufscar.br
Principal investigator: Edgar Dutra Zanotto
Education and knowledge diffusion coordinator: Ana Candida Martins Rodrigues
Technology transfer coordinator: Eduardo Bellini Ferreira
HOST INSTITUTION
Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar)
Departamento de Engenharia de Materiais
Rod. Washington Luis, km 235
13565-905 - São Carlos, SP - Brasil
BV-FAPESP: research projects supported in this Center
CeRTEV in the Media: news about the Center
The Center for Research, Teaching, and Innovation in Glass (CeRTEV) seeks to map the glass “genome” and develop new active glass and glass-ceramics with promising applications through fundamental research on structure-property relations using complementary simulation, spectroscopic and functional characterization methods.
The core group of the Center consists of researchers at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCAR) and the University of São Paulo (USP), São Carlos campus – experts in engineering, chemistry and the physics of vitreous materials, glass crystallization, and a wide range of structural and functional characterization techniques.
The CEPIV research and develops new glass and glass-ceramics, presenting new or improved functionality, such as high mechanical strength and electrical conductivity, biological, optical or catalytic activity, and/or combinations of these properties. It will seek to obtain a fundamental understanding of these properties based on the structural organization of the materials on varying length scales.
The center uses state-of-the-art NMR, EPR, EXAFS, and vibrational spectroscopy to characterize local and medium-range order, as well as the full resolution range of optical and electron microscopes, XRD, and microanalyses for elucidating nano and microstructures. Molecular dynamics simulation complement this comprehensive experimental approach. Using this experimental modeling strategy, the CEPIV further seeks a fundamental understanding of glass sintering and crystallization in terms of mechanisms, thermodynamics, and kinetics of viscous flow, as well as crystal nucleation and growth, enabling it to control these processes by developing an appropriate forming process and thermal treatment protocols.
In a concerted effort, the participating laboratories jointly investigate a number of important benchmark systems, which are deemed particularly promising for applications either as structural reinforcement materials (dental and bioglass-ceramics), optical materials (laser glass), materials for electrochemical energy storage devices (high-temperature electrolyte seals), and catalytically active systems.
This research agenda will be complemented by continuing education and outreach activities at various levels, as well as by technology development and transfer.
2024-05-08
Edgar Dutra Zanotto, coordinator of the Center for Teaching, Research and Innovation in Glass, was invited by the American Ceramic Society to give the Varshneya Frontiers of Glass Science Lecture.
2023-09-06
Applications of specialty glass range from astronomy to medicine, as well as data and power transmission. The study combined spectroscopy and computational modeling to show how the structure of the material is affected by addition of niobium oxide.
2021-04-28
A simple and affordable solution developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo and a Nigerian collaborator eliminates even multi-resistant bacteria. Clay, papaya seeds and banana peel are among the raw materials used by the group.
