About

The Center for Research, Technology and Education in Vitreous Materials (CeRTEV) is initiating its operation in 2013 with generous funding by FAPESP (The São Paulo State Research Foundation) for the next 11 years.

The CeRTEV core team has 14 faculty / researchers, 2 education experts and about 50 research students from 2 state universities (USP and UNESP) and the Federal University of São Carlos. This group includes some of the world experts in oxide glass research. For instance, a June 2013 search on the SCOPUS database for the number of published articles with relevant keywords indicates that some of CeRTEV´s faculty rank first in the world with the keywords glass* and NMR*, first with glass* and nucleation, second with glass and crystal growth, fourth with glass and crystallization, 26th with bio* and glass-ceramic*, 28th with glass* and sinter*, 31th with glass-ceramic*, 43th with glass* and EXAFS.

CeRTEV will research and develop or improve active glasses and glass-ceramics presenting application-relevant functionalities, such as high mechanical strength and electrical conductivity, biological, optical or catalytic activity, and/or combinations of these properties. A fundamental understanding of these properties will be sought on the basis of the structural organization of these materials on different length scales. We will apply state-of-the art NMR, EPR, EXAFS and vibrational spectroscopy to characterize the local and medium-range order, as well as the full resolution range of optical and electron microscopies, XRD and microanalyses for elucidating nano- and microstructures. This comprehensive experimental approach will be complemented by molecular dynamics simulations. Using this experimental modeling strategy, we will further seek a fundamental understanding of glass sintering and crystallization in terms of the mechanisms, thermodynamics and kinetics of viscous flow, as well as crystal nucleation and growth, enabling us to exercise control of these processes by developing appropriate formation and thermal treatment protocols. In a concerted effort, the participating laboratories will jointly investigate a number of important benchmark systems, which are deemed particularly promising for applications either as structural materials (e.g., dental and armor glass-ceramics), bio active glasses and glass-ceramics, glass-ceramics for architecture and construction, optical materials (e.g., laser glasses), materials for electrochemical energy storage devices (electrolytes, high-temperature seals), and catalytically active systems.

LaMaV UFSCar front yard with its signpost.

CeRTEV´s activities will focus on multidisciplinary, relevant glass science, useful technology and efficient education and outreach!