GRK 2802:  Refractory Recycling: A contribution for raw material-, energy- and climate-efficiency in high temperature processes

• Subject Area: Materials Engineering
• Term: since 2022
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 461482547

The focus of the Research Training Group 2802 is an interdisciplinary education of PhD students in order to be able to acquire the ability to explore the material property spectrum as well as the limitations of a new generation of high temperature materials on the basis of refractory recyclates with special thermo-mechanical, chemical and functional properties in high temperature processing in the metallurgy as well as to develop new ideas accompanied by new scientific fields. Thereby a material oriented CO2-reduction shall be achieved on the one way via refractory material recycling (CO2-free approaches due to the dispensable calcination of raw materials) on the other way by the development of new metal/ceramic composite materials, which enable with their special properties the development of CO2-poor metallurgical technologies. The PhD-students investigate the „symbiosis“ of different material classes such as carbon bonded materials (MgO-C/Al2O3-C) and metal/ceramic composites (MgO-steel-composites) and illustrate basic material and processing concepts in the material design of the micro structure as well as the macro structure development of composites for specific applications in the steel- and aluminum-metallurgy. These approaches will be supported by modelling tools in the thermodynamics as well as in the thermomechanics. Thereby exist three levels of material development as well as education levels, a) the manufacturing of materials based on recyclates, b) the identification of their properties in the laboratories and c) the focused selection of three basic concepts to be transferred to demonstrators. The industrial advisory board supports these activities with post mortem analysis as well as with life cycle assessments. This implicates basic studies from the powder up to the component as well as the understanding of the properties in a multiscale approach. The qualification and supporting concepts are based on several networked education blocks which include hard as well as soft skills in order to develop scientific, analytical as well as technical competences for the PhD-students. With these abilities the PhD-students will be able to work in networks covering several communication levels. This includes also the self-organisation, the scientific knowledge exchange between their colleagues and their professors as well practical experience via industrial internships as well as international exchange via internships in foreign universities. From this chain of knowledge-exchange all members of the Research Training Group shall get a profit for being stimulated to generate new ideas, networks and perspectives in the disciplines of materials science as well as in the metallurgy.

• DFG Programme: Research Training Groups
• Applicant Institution: Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr.-Ing. Christos G. Aneziris
• Participating Researchers: Professor Dr.-Ing. Horst Biermann; Professor Dr.-Ing. Alexandros Charitos; Professor Dr.-Ing. Tobias Fieback; Dr.-Ing. Patrick Gehre; Dr.-Ing. Jana Hubálková; Professor Björn Kiefer, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Jens Kortus; Professor Dr. David Rafaja; Professorin Dr.-Ing. Olena Volkova; Privatdozentin Dr.-Ing. Anja Weidner; Dr.-Ing. Rhena Wulf