Institute of science and technology for ceramics
Description
The Institute of Science and Technology for Ceramics(ISTEC) is the only CNR structure in Italy with a long term activity programmes on the whole range of ceramic materials.
ISTEC is located in Faenza, which, on account of its cultural tradition, has long been called the Town of Ceramics. Faenza lies 50 km to the East of Bologna and, despite its considerable agricolture and industry, is known chiefly for its ceramics.
As everyone knows, Faenza has played an important role in the world of ceramics: its name, which in French is Faïence, has over the centuries defined a particularly prestigious type of ceramic ware.
ISTEC was founded in 1965 as a Research Group, in 1970 it became a Research Center, in 1975 a Laboratory, in 1980 an Institute, and, on the basis of the requirements of the time, it concentrated on research into conventional ceramics. In the course of its growth, alert to the shifting focus of scientific interest at international level and receptive to the domestic situation, ISTEC has earmarked ever greater resources to advanced ceramics. At present time, some 70% of the resources are addressed to advanced ceramics and the remainder to traditional ceramics and cultural heritage.
In 2002 the ILM (Institute for Materials Machnining) in Torino was joined to ISTEC.
From the Acadenmic Year 2001 ISTEC hosts in its bulding the Courses for the Degree in " Materials Chemistry and Ceramics Technology" of the Faculty of Industrial Chemistry of the University of Bologna.
Besides ISTEC, Faenza is also home to many other cultural institutions involved with ceramics: -Schools and Institutes of various levels specializing in particular artistic and technological aspects of ceramic materials; -the International Ceramic Museum, which has the most extensive collection of ceramics from all periods and countries in Europe; and -highly acclaimed Exhibitions and Competitions, some artistic, historical and didactic in character, while others lean towards the retrospective and to design. In 1988 the Agenzia Polo Ceramico was established to furnish services for those business involved in promoting technological innovations as well as cultural and economic enhancement in the artistic, artisan, industrial and advanced ceramics sectors operating in Italy.
In 1994, the Research Centre on New Materials of ENEA was transferred to Faenza: with this Centre, ISTEC has established relationships of cooperation.
Objectives and the activity sectors of ISTEC
The Institute of Science and Technology Ceramic Materials (ISTEC) is regarded as the sole research structure of CNR (National Research Council) operating in Italy that undertakes multi-annual programmes of work specifically addressed to the study of ceramic materials in every aspect.
The activities of ISTEC, in line with CNR’s mission, deal with all initiatives that foster professional specialised education, research and contribute to the enhancement and dissemination of this type of information. With reference to the governmental decree mentioned above, which foresees the re-organization of CNR’s apparatus, the activities of the Institute can be grouped into three main projects:
1) Research Project: based on four principal theme:
· Innovative Ceramic Materials (production processes, structural ceramics, bio-ceramics, electro-ceramics)
· Innovation for Traditional Ceramic Materials (raw materials, product and process innovation) · Materials for the restoration and preservation of masterpieces (ceramics and clays, mosaics and stoneware, multimedia technologies)
· Materials processing (innovation of technologies and methodologies designed for the mechanical processing of materials)
2) Technology Transfer Project
- valuation of the results obtained by research
- technology transfer
- set up of new enterprises
3) Educational Project - at University level, post-degree programmes - High School level (non-university)
- Specialised education
The research activities carried out at ISTEC are aimed at innovating materials and processes in response to the industrial, scientific and national cultural needs for the different application sectors.
Our competences are dedicated to basic studies and that which is related to the characterization of raw and dense materials. We also have a wide expertise in setting up and optimising innovative processes for the synthesis of powders and in the shaping and sintering of materials. Our intent is to develop competences and skills regarding the production of materials and components, whether simple or complex in shape, characterized by a microstructure and controlled properties. These materials have specific applications in the sectors of both advanced and traditional ceramics, and all are related to the preservation of their cultural heritages (ancient ceramics and mosaics).
Along with the principal themes mentioned above, the structure of ISTEC is organized into Research Groups; each of them conducting specific research projects.
Taking into account the scientific-technological competencies of ISTEC, these principal themes create work for specific Research Projects once the external demand has been taken into account and verified. These projects also depend on whether there is the possibility to participate in national and/or international funding programmes.
Due to its high specialization, the Research Groups organize, participate and schedule their experimental activity through an articulated structure. These instrumental laboratories are divided in the following sections:
-Scientific Laboratories that are specifically designed for the study of the properties of materials
-Technological Laboratories utilised for the study of the process of material production
The ISTEC unit located in Turin The ex-Institute for the Processing of Metals (ILM) was founded in the 60s under an agreement between CNR and ASVILMET (The Italian Association for the development and the experimental study of the processing of metals) and later (in 1968) it was independently included among the research institutes of CNR operating in the area of Turin.
Since December 14. 2001, in the frame of the Reformation of the National Research Council’s network, the Institute for the Processing of Metals has become a unit of the Institute of Science and Technology of Ceramic Materials, ISTEC-CNR.
The Institute carries out innovative researches of mechanical production and it represents a point of reference for the manufacturing industry.
Nationally, our objective consists of finding and matching the best solutions to the quality production of the industry. We innovatively respond to the market’s requests while taking action to develop norms and certifications.
In this field the Institute cooperates with the Italian Service Centre for Calibration (SIT) and, in particular, it contains the primary textural samples. The Institutes effect the accreditation of the SIT centres and the calibration of the reference-sample. They participate in the outlining revision and dissemination of the specific international norms at national level.
In addition, inside U.N.I. ILM co-ordinates the technical commission entitled Tools Testing Standardization (NPU) that executes the implementation of the related norms for the evaluation and efficiency of cutting tools.
The principal research activities incorporate to the following themes:
Governmental strategies for the resource and management of production activities.
- New materials and optimisation experiments.
- Techniques and monitoring devices, and diagnosis of the systems in real time.
- Certification and standardization cutting tools and the sector of surface study
In particular, we conduct theoretical and specific thematic research (optimisation of processes designed for the most difficult operating conditions, up-to-date technical files compiled of the evaluation of methods and processes), applied targeted research (surveys on new materials for tools, perfecting methods of processes, studies on production processes for the automatic management of processes) and research related to the establishment of evaluative parameters relating to surface roughness by means of a computer-system.