Thanks to the IDUB - Research University Excellence Initiative within the framework of Einsteinum call, this and next week we are hosting Prof. Marco Actis Grande from Politecnico di Torino, Italy. Prof. Grande is an expert in powder metallurgy and additive manufacturing of metal components. We are looking forward to extend our knowledge and cooperation with PoliTo within the area of porous alloys development.
Today, Prof. Grande gave a seminar to our group today, where also our PhD/PostDocs presented their work.
On Monday, 6th February at 12.00 in NE140 WETI B (building 42) , an open seminar "Stainless steels powders obtained through atomizing: modelling of the process and characterization of the final product" will take place.

In December 2022 we have been granted a project within the internal call for hydrogen related projects, funded by the Research University - Excellence Initiative subsidy. 
In collaboration between the Faculty of Chemistry (Dr. Łukasz Gaweł), Faculty of Applied Physics and Mathematics (Prof. Jacek Ryl) and Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics (PI - Sebastian Molin), we have submitted a proposal for development of a prototype anion exchange membrane electrolyser stack.

The project is a part of three connected projects within the H2Tech LAB initiative that aim at developing novel Gdańsk Tech hydrogen related activities and testing infrastructure.

You can read a press realease (EN version) from the Gdańsk Tech website:
​pg.edu.pl/en/news/2023-01/h2tech-lab-laboratory-hydrogen-technologies-interfaculty-laboratory-gdansk-tech

In case of any questions, please contact us. We are open for any research/scientific/commercial collaborations.

We finish the 2022 with another publication for the First TEAM project published. We have further studied the manganese-cobalt oxide spinels by partial substitution by iron. Great results including work from Solaris (XAS - M. Zając) and from collaboration with AGH (TEM - G. Cempura, FTIR - M. Bik, M. Sitarz).
The combination of the synchrotron XAS and laboratory FTIR spectroscopy methods are very promising for further studies. 

Slowly, we get to know the complex properties of the spinels more and more.

The link to the full version of the article (active for 50 days from 22nd Dec 2022):  
https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1gIDi1HxM4zR1J

Within the First-TEAM project, we have been working on (Mn,Co)3O4 based spinels for electrocatalytic applications. In one of the studies we have tested modified spinels for glucose sensing properties. We were able to achieve improved sensitivity by partial substitution of Co by Li in the spinel. 

Within the Sonata BIS project, the team members (Agnieszka Drewniak, Damian Koszelow, and Jakub Karczewski), went to SLS synchrotron at Paul Scherrer Institut to perfrom in-situ observation of high-temperature oxidation process - oxide scale growth. We have (again) successfully applied for beamtime at the Tomcat line. The measurements were carried out from 30th March to 2nd April 2022.
We have previously analyzed samples after an ex-situ oxidation experiments (Materials & Design paper - LINK), and this time we wanted to check whether it can be done in-situ. After 3 days of measurements, now is time for intensive data analysis!

In collaboration with Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland, we were able to carry out an interesting tomography study of porous alloys, including oxidized alloys.
The main achievement of this work is the possibility to distinguish the metallic and oxide phases, making detailed 3D analysis possible.
"Morphology changes in Fe-Cr porous alloys upon high-temperature oxidation quantified by X-ray tomographic microscopy" D. Koszelow, S. Molin, J. Karczewski, F. Marone, M. Makowska, Materials & Design, Volume 215, March 2022, 110492. ​LINK TO THE PUBLICATION

This work has been carried out within the Sonata BIS project.

Graphical abstract: