Research activities

The current research activities of the laboratory are focused on five main scientific and technological fields:

1) Space exploration technologies with particular emphasis on technologies for the thermo-mechanical protection of spacecraft

2) Design and synthesis of new catalytic materials for the production of chemicals and the protection of the environment

3) Studies of combustion and synthesis of new materials using Combustion Synthesis, both in the solid state (Self-Propagating High Temperature Synthesis, SHS) and in the dissolved state (Solution Combustion Synthesis, SCS)

4) Studies on Microwave processing of materials and industrial ores and products

5) Development of new recycling technologies for inorganic and biological solid waste via their reaction and encapsulation in various structural industrial ceramics.

Funding of our research activities is mainly sourced from competitive programmes of the European Commission (EC) and other international bodies such as the European Space Agency (ESA). Other funding comes from industrial entities and - now a very small amount - from the Hellenic Ministry of Education.

A significant part of our research activities is carried out in the framework of BSc, BEng, MSc and PhD research projects of students enrolled with various universities in Greece such as the Athens Technical University, the Thessaloniki University, the Ioannina University and others.