Ceramic Materials

Specific mission

The ceramic materials research line aims at investigating, designing and developing - till a pre-industrial scale, innovative ceramic materials and components as well ceramic-matrix composites for engineering applications, including both structural and functional fields. Moreover, it aim at investigating traditional ceramic materials, by both theoretical and applicative points of view, taking into account the clear evolution of the technologies and the industrials processes involved into architectural and building applications. Recently the research line has made use of 3D printing technologies (Digital Light Processing and Robocasting), specific for ceramic materials, for the manufacture of engineering ceramics with architectures designed specifically for specific applications.

Main research Topics

  • Development of advanced ceramic materials;
  • Development of ceramic-matrix composites;
  • Development of porous ceramics (in collaboration with the section Biomaterials);
  • Development of ceramics for biomedical applications (in collaboration with the section Biomaterials);
  • Development of functional ceramic materials;
  • Development of humidity and gas (e.g., NO2, CO2, O3, ammonia) sensors;
  • Development of traditional ceramic materials: innovative mortars and concretes;
  • Development of innovative geopolymer formulations;
  • Elaboration, microstructural characterization, mechanical characterization and “failure analysis” of ceramic materials.
  • Design and 3D printing (DLP and Robocasting) of engineering and traditional ceramics
  • Development of engineering and traditional ceramics for CO2 capture

Main partnerships

  • Departments of Architecture and Design (DAD), Politecnico di Torino
  • Environment, Land and Infrastructure Engineering (DIATI), Politecnico di Torino
  • Structural, Geotechnical and Building Engineering (DISEG) Politecnico of Torino;
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT (Massachusetts, USA);
  • Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) of Lione (France);
  • AGH University of Science and Technology of Cracovia (Poland);
  • Institute for Manufacturing Technologies of Ceramic Components and Composites University of Stuttgart (Germany);
  • Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Saint-Etienne (France);
  • Ecole Polytechnique de Grenoble (France);
  • University of Rome Tor Vergata;
  • University of Rome III;  
  • University of Rome La Sapienza;
  • Ce.Ri.Col.,
  • Colorobbia Research Centre;
  • Centro Ricerche Buzzi Unicem;
  • Thales Alenia Space (Italy);
  • Eni S.p.A.;
  • Aviospace;
  • NNEurope;
  • Ford;
  • FIAT;
  • Volvo;
  • Renault;
  • Magnettoweels. 
  • CRH – Innovation Centre for Sustainable Construction (The Netherland)
  • The Swatch Group (Switzerland)

Projects and publications

Reference laboratories