Full-time study

4 years

prof. Ing. Ivo Dlouhý, CSc.

Chairman :
prof. Ing. Ivo Dlouhý, CSc.
Councillor internal :
prof. RNDr. Karel Maca, Dr.
prof. RNDr. Pavel Šandera, CSc.
Councillor external :
prof. RNDr. Antonín Dlouhý, CSc.
prof. Mgr. Tomáš Kruml, CSc.

The aim of the doctoral study is:
• To ensure the education of graduate creative workers in the field of physics of materials and materials sciences for their work in the academic sphere, institutes of basic and applied research and departments of research and development of industrial companies.
• To enable the doctoral student to develop talent for creative activities and further development of a scientific or engineering personality. To ensure the development of their ability to process scientific knowledge in the field of study and related fields, both literary and their own acquired theoretical or experimental work.
• To develop the habits necessary for creative activity in the field of materials sciences and related fields and for communication with the scientific community.
• The doctoral study is primarily focused on basic research into the relationship between the structure, behaviour and properties of materials in relation to the parameters of their preparation with a focus on materials based on metals, polymers, and ceramics and their composites.
• The purpose of research carried out by doctoral students is also the development of new materials, optimization of useful properties of materials and prediction of their service life on the basis of theoretical and computational methods based on experiments.

the graduate's profile, based on the current state of scientific knowledge and creative activities in the field of materials physics and materials science.
• The graduate of the study is a mature personality, creatively thinking, able to formulate and implement research projects of theoretical and experimental nature, or to develop and apply the knowledge of these projects in production practice.
• The doctoral student will gain broad theoretical and experimental knowledge in the field of modern materials and methods of their development, preparation, study of their behaviour under mechanical, thermal or corrosion stress and properties in relation to the structure.
• The graduate will be an expert capable of exact descriptions of processing processes, designs of very complex products from metals, ceramics and polymers and composites with these matrices, tools for their production, mathematical simulations of processing processes, modelling of mechanical behaviour of materials or predictions of its properties and durability.
• Graduates will be equipped with a broad knowledge of the properties and behaviour of structural ceramics, polymers, metallic materials and composites and processes in processing into final products and tools, both on a theoretical and practical level.
• Graduates are expected to be employed in leading positions associated with technical and technological preparation of production, where they will be able to develop production processes and their design on the basis of knowledge acquired through studies.
• Graduates will also be employed as research and development staff in applied research centres, and after subsequent scientific-pedagogical and foreign practice also as academic staff of universities and academic institutions.

• The doctoral programme "Materials Science" is built so that the graduate is a self-acting material specialist applicable in a number of areas, able to formulate and implement research, development and application projects.
• With regard to the role of materials in all design applications and technologies, creative workers in the field of materials science and engineering will always find appropriate applications at home and abroad, including in the following areas.
- Within the framework of postdoctoral projects at a number of foreign workplaces for graduates with the ambition to be active in the fields of scientific research.
- In the form of direct involvement in research teams of academic and applied research workplaces.
- In the departments of research and development of industrial enterprises, or interdisciplinary teams of these workplaces.
• In all these cases, full-fledged involvement can be expected not only in the Czech Republic, but also at foreign workplaces.

See applicable regulations, DEAN’S GUIDELINE Rules for the organization of studies at FME (supplement to BUT Study and Examination Rules)

The rules and conditions of study programmes are determined by:
BUT STUDY AND EXAMINATION RULES
BUT STUDY PROGRAMME STANDARDS,
STUDY AND EXAMINATION RULES of Brno University of Technology (USING "ECTS"),
DEAN’S GUIDELINE Rules for the organization of studies at FME (supplement to BUT Study and Examination Rules)
DEAN´S GUIDELINE Rules of Procedure of Doctoral Board of FME Study Programmes
Students in doctoral programmes do not follow the credit system. The grades “Passed” and “Failed” are used to grade examinations, doctoral state examination is graded “Passed” or “Failed”.

Brno University of Technology acknowledges the need for equal access to higher education. There is no direct or indirect discrimination during the admission procedure or the study period. Students with specific educational needs (learning disabilities, physical and sensory handicap, chronic somatic diseases, autism spectrum disorders, impaired communication abilities, mental illness) can find help and counselling at Lifelong Learning Institute of Brno University of Technology. This issue is dealt with in detail in Rector's Guideline No. 11/2017 "Applicants and Students with Specific Needs at BUT". Furthermore, in Rector's Guideline No 71/2017 "Accommodation and Social Scholarship“ students can find information on a system of social scholarships.

The doctoral study programme follows on the bachelor's and master's education in the specialization of Materials Engineering (B-MTI) and the master's program Materials Engineering (M-MTI). During the course, students are provided with a balanced basis of theoretical and engineering disciplines supplemented by laboratory teaching with the maximum possible use of the latest instrumentation and computer technology.
For other adepts with education at other universities, the completed master's degree must be permeable to the fields of Materials Science and Engineering, Materials Physics, Solid State Physics, Materials Chemistry, etc.
The doctoral programme in "Materials Science" replaces the existing doctoral study programme in "Physical and Materials Engineering". Both programmes are conceptually identical and after granting a favourable opinion with the accreditation of the "Materials Science" programme, doctoral students will complete their studies within the currently accredited programme.

2. round (applications submitted from 18.09.2023 to 31.10.2023)

1. Degradation mechanisms operating in additively manufactured materials for biomedical applications

   The dissertation will aim to characterize degradation mechanisms operating under cyclic loading in materials prepared by additive technologies. Materials used for biomedical applications will be selected, taking into account their microstructure, surface condition after production, and, since biomedical applications have their specifications in terms of surface condition, the effect of the selected surface treatments. The degradation mechanisms at work will be studied by microscopic methods using mainly scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The results of this work will increase the knowledge of microstructure, texture, and surface conditions in additively manufactured materials with their correlation to the fatigue properties of these materials. Based on them, recommendations for surface conditions will be proposed and the results obtained will be used for further research in the field, including in vitro testing.

   Tutor: Fintová Stanislava, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

2. Development of additive manufacturing methodology using Cold Spray deposition

   Cold Spray (CS) belongs to the family of thermal sprays, but thanks to its properties, it also enables the creation of a massive layer, and thus it is possible to use this technology as a tool for additive manufacturing. The issue of additive manufacturing using CS technology includes a large number of deposition parameters that need to be tuned in order to achieve an optimal result, as these affect the geometry and properties of the deposited layer. The resulting profile of the layer is significantly dependent on the crossing speed, the amount of powder fed, the temperature, the pressure of the gas, and especially the angle between the nozzle and the substrate. For this reason, Cold Spray technology is currently used only for the creation of geometrically simple components, especially rotary ones. The issue of additive manufacturing of more complex parts is not sufficiently described at this time and requires extensive basic research focused on the study of the influence of spray parameters on the geometric profile created by the passage of the nozzle over the substrate and the mathematical characterization of the profile. Based on the analysis of the influence of process parameters, during local and continuous spray formation, on the geometry of the applied layer and on the resulting material characteristics, a methodology for the creation of individual crossings (including their profile) will be proposed with the aid of real-time measurement of the actual geometry of the layer. A methodology will be proposed for adjusting process parameters of CS technology incl. the trajectory of further crossings in order to achieve the desired shape of the basic geometries (perpendicular wall, cylinder, ramp, etc.) with optimal material properties, also with regard to the minimization of subsequent machining.

   Tutor: Pantělejev Libor, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

3. Development of hybrid composites compensating shrinkage at pyrolysis

   The main goal of the doctoral thesis will be the design and characterization of hybrid composites using, for example, fillers to suppress and/or control matrix shrinkage during partial pyrolysis. The work will consist of analyses of microstructural changes of hybrid materials based on polysiloxane resins, optimization of the preparation of composites and their characterization. Furthermore, from the determination of the influence of the method of compensation of shrinkage during pyrolysis on the resulting properties of the matrix. The use of matrix precursors thus prepared for the preparation of fibre-reinforced composites will also be studied. The influence of shrinkage compensation on the micromechanisms of failure and other properties of the prepared hybrid composite materials will be also studied. Due to the complicated microstructure and the number of present interfaces, it will be necessary to develop a procedure to obtain local properties describing the interfaces for numerical simulations. Simulations will result in the prediction of stress distribution formed during the material preparation. Within the work, it will be necessary to elaborate the issues related to the influence of the surrounding matrix by the presence of e.g. fillers, i.e. local changes in the microstructure, stress state and the like, and the impact of these changes on global characteristics. The involvement of advanced techniques of electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, acoustic emission, nanoindentation, etc. will be necessary to achieve the set goals.

   Tutor: Chlup Zdeněk, Ing., Ph.D.

4. Effect of loading rate on fatigue damage mechanism

   The thesis will focus on the identification of fatigue damage mechanisms in metallic materials as a function of loading rate. In particular, it will focus on fatigue tests at different loading frequencies, with emphasis on high-frequency tests and their interpretation. Using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, the mechanisms of fatigue damage of metallic materials at different loading frequencies (rates) will be studied and the relationship between traditional fatigue tests and high-frequency tests will be derived from the results. The results of the work will help to further understand the effect of loading rate on the fatigue damage mechanism of metallic materials and contribute to the prediction of fatigue life based on high-frequency tests.

   Tutor: Fintová Stanislava, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

5. Chemical inhomogeneity in wrought Cr–Ni austenitic stainless steels: The origin and its impact on microstructural stability

   Within a stainless steel family comprising five basic types the wrought Cr–Ni austenitic stainless steels (ASSs) (AISI 300 grade) still occupy a privileged position due to their exceptional corrosion resistance and prominent mechanical and technological properties. The f.c.c. paramagnetic austenitic structure of most of these alloys is known to be, however, metastable, i.e. it can partially transform to ferromagnetic b.c.c. '-martensite during cooling and/or plastic straining. In the absolute majority of studies dealing with the stability of wrought AISI 300 grade austenitic stainless steels so far these materials are considered to be chemically homogeneous after numerous steps of hot- and cold-working. The importance of local chemistry in the form of chemical banding within various semi-product forms (long vs. flat) on the destabilization of austenite during cyclic straining of wrought Cr–Ni ASSs and as well as its non-negligible role on the hydrogen environment embrittlement (HEE) has been recognized only recently. The proposed comprehensive study will include the following three principal goals. (i) Experimental study of the origin of chemical banding during the whole industrial production way of Cr–Ni ASSs starting from continuously casted slabs and followed hot rolled semi-products up to the final cold-worked sheets. (ii) Systematic monitoring of chemical homogeneity of AISI 300 series austenitic stainless steels (AISI 304, 316, 321 and some others) in various industrially produced wrought forms (cylindrical bars, thick and thin plates) and its impact on the '-martensite formation during monotonic and cyclic straining under different external and internal conditions in the perspective of their physical metallurgy. (iii) The clarification of the role of '-martensite formation on the HEE and fracture behavior of ASSs using tensile tests under internal and external hydrogen conditions with emphasis on the semi-product form and local chemistry. The chemical heterogeneity across the whole cross-section of various semi-product forms will be characterized by color metallography and quantitatively by EDS technique. The volume fraction of DIM will be evaluated by X-ray diffraction and Ferritescope. Modern high resolution microscopic techniques (SEM–FEG, ECCI, EBSD and TEM) as well as color metallography will be adopted to reveal the formation, distribution and morphology of DIM at different scales.

   Tutor: Man Jiří, Ing., Ph.D.

6. Mechanical properties and strengthening mechanisms in complex alloys

   Complex alloys containing elements in equimolar ratio belongs to perspective group of advanced materials with extremely good combination of strength and deformation properties, with potential to improved corrosion resistance and other application properties. Excellent mechanical properties are result of combination of strengthening and toughening micromechanisms, in particular nanotwinning and deformation induced plasticity due phase transformations. PhD project will be focused on design of these alloys based on theoretical knowledge supported by semiempirical findings from similar systems. Selected compositions will be experimentally prepared by casting and powder metallurgy route. Then, relationship between microstructure, fabrication procedures and final mechanical properties will be investigated. Special interest will be focused on characterisation and quantification of deformation mechanisms and phase compositions by advanced electron microscopy methods. As a result new complex alloys with optimised preparation procedures, known performance during mechanical loading and key application properties.

   Tutor: Dlouhý Ivo, prof. Ing., CSc.

7. Study of the influence of transients phenomena in piezoceramics in terms of fracture-mechanical response

   The main goal of the doctoral thesis will be to study the mechanical and fracture behaviour of piezoceramics (for example BTO, BTZC, etc.) during its transition from one state to another, especially in the vicinity of Curie temperature. The sudden change in electrical properties in the area of transients is well studied, but the influence of mechanical characteristics is not reported in detail. The work will focus on lead-free piezoceramics, or on composite systems containing such piezoceramics. The work will use both non-destructive and destructive methods for characterization of elastic, mechanical and fracture characteristics depending on the temperature. From the point of view of the study of microstructure, all available imaging methods (SEM, TEM, AFM, etc.) will be employed. The analysis of microstructural and structural changes during the transit area will be an integral part of the study. Due to the complicated microstructure and its changes, it will be appropriate to support experimental results by modelling.

   Tutor: Chlup Zdeněk, Ing., Ph.D.

1. round (applications submitted from 17.04.2023 to 28.05.2023)

1. Low-cycle fatigue of austenitic stainless steel AISI 316L manufactured by selective laser melting (SLM)

   Cyclic plasticity and low cycle fatigue behavior of 316L austenitic stainless steel produced by the most frequently used additive manufacturing technology – selective laser melting (SLM) will be comprehensively studied. Cylindrical near net-shape testing specimens fabricated vertically and horizontally from virgin and reused powder and submitted to various post-processing heat treatments (stress relieving, solution annealing) will be fatigued under total strain amplitude control at room temperature. Microstructural changes and fatigue damage mechanisms (initiation and growth of short fatigue cracks) in SLM 316L steel with a unique but non-equilibrium hierarchical solidification structure will be in detail characterized by high-resolution microscopic techniques (SEM–FEG, TEM, AFM, FIB, EBSD). Experimental data obtained will be compared with relevant characteristics of conventionally produced wrought counterparts.

   Tutor: Man Jiří, Ing., Ph.D.