Structural Integrity and Materials Reliability Centre (CIEFMA)

The Structural Integrity and Materials Reliability group (CIEFMA) is devoted to the mechanical characterization at micro and nanoscales, studing the deformation, fracture , fatigue and structural integrity of small volumes of materials, coatings, thin films and microstructures and devices, as well as micro and nanomaterials.  The laboratory of nanomaterials is equiped with nanoindentation facilities, scratch-test, mechanical testing machines, wear testing, high temperature furnaces, confocal microscopy, among other facilities. The research is focused on:

• Graded alumina/mulllite coatings for advanced ceramic gas turbines of high energy efficiency.
• Mechanical behaviour of zirconia ceramics for dental applications.
• Micro and Nanostructured hard coatings for tribological applications.
• Nanoindentation of advanced ceramics and coatings.
• Fracture and fatigue of novel metallic alloys.
• 3D Tomography of damage in materials.