Research at the Department of Metals and Corrosion Engineering can be divided in three groups according to their specialisation:
Physical Metallurgy
The Physical Metallurgy group studies relations among production, structure and final properties of metallic materials. It looks for ways of attaining high mechanical properties of metals (strength, hardness). It develop new materials – e.g. new superficial layers on light alloys for automotive or aircraft industry, light intermetallic compounds for high-temperature applications, smart materials for surgical implants, e.g. stents. The physical metallurgy group also develops new metallic materials for production of biodegradable implants, materials for storing hydrogen and light high-strength nano-crystalline materials.
Chemical Metallurgy
The Chemical Metallurgy group studies hydrometallurgy processes that might be employed in recovering metals from waste materials that are currently not being processed in the Czech Republic, as they are rather dumped or exported. The proposed waste-processing technologies are experimentally verified and frequently implemented in an industrial practice.
Corrosion Engineering
Corrosion Engineering focuses on protection of materials from damage caused by corrosion mechanisms. Corrosion-related losses can be approximated to 3 to 5 percent of a gross domestic product of industrially developed countries. The Corrosion Engineering group deals with the latest issues confronted by the corrosion science. For instance, it studies mechanisms of corrosion of metallic containers used for permanent storage of nuclear waste in deep final repositories or biomaterials used for surgical implants. Last but not least, the Corrosion Engineering groups focuses on protection of metallic historical artefacts.