CSIC participates through its research group GlaSS of the Instituto de Cerámica y Vidrio (CSIC). The general objective of the research group GlaSS is the design, processing and characterisation of glasses, glass-ceramics and sol-gel materials, going from the structural features to properties (optical, mechanical, chemical, thermal, electrical, etc) and applications. The research lines are focused on topics related to glass, glass-ceramics and sol-gel materials from basic research up to applications in the industrial glass sector and other final users of glassy materials. Topics connected to energy and environment research are the aim of most projects developed in the last
10 years. Different materials and components for fuel cells (PEMFC membranes, sealing glasses and glass-ceramics for MCFC and SOFC), solid electrolytes and electrodes for Li-batteries, low temperature sealing of systems in solar energy devices and nuclear plants, come together with protective and environmentally friendly anticorrosive coatings, mesostructure coatings with photocatalytic activity for abatement of water or gas pollutants and solar cells, nano glass-ceramics with photonic applications, and energy saving, an important issue with different approaches, from industrial glass furnaces to solar and heat control glasses for buildings.
The research activities of CSIC, GlaSS research group:
The general objective of the GlaSS group is the design, processing and characterisation of glasses, glass-ceramics and sol-gel materials, going from the structural features to properties (optical, mechanical, chemical, thermal, electrical, etc) and applications. The research objectives are organised in two sub-lines:
1. Glasses and glass-ceramics produced by melting: including tight sealing for MCFC and SOFC, low temperature sealing with high chemical resistance, nitrided phosphate glasses for solid electrolytes of Li-batteries, controlled crystallisation processes, nanostructure glass-ceramics for photonic applications, modification of melting process for energy saving and lower emissions in glass furnaces.
2. Sol-gel materials for energy and environment: including protective antioxidant coatings of composites, anticorrosive and functional coatings on metals and alloys, nanostructure films with corrosion inhibitors, bioactivation of metallic alloys for prosthesis, mesostructure coatings with applications in photo- catalyst and solar cells, inorganic and hybrid membranes for PEMFC, electrodes and electrolytes for Li-batteries.
