First Hungarian fellow partner elected to the largest European ceramics research organisation
Csaba Balázsi, Scientific Consultant for the MTA Centre for Energy Research, a Doctor of the Academy and holder of a Bolyai Prize, is the first Hungarian scientist to be elected as a fellow member of the European Ceramic Society, a scientific organisation founded in 1987. Csaba Balázi’s research focuses on the development of carbon nanotube and graphene reinforced silicon nitride technical ceramics.
8 August, 2017
The European Ceramic Society (ECerS) has more than 2,000 members in 24 European and three associated countries. The society works to coordinate and help ceramic research by facilitating communication among members, research institutes, scientific organisations, governments, other authorities and the European Commission.
ECerS has a two-level organisational structure. Scientific work is led by the Council Board, which is made up of delegated representatives of member states. Hungarian researchers have worked on this board ever since the foundation of the society. Hungary has been represented by the following scientists: György Lenkey (1987–1992); Kristóf Kovács (2005–2015); János Szépvölgyi (1993–2017); and Csaba Balázsi (2015–present).
Csaba Balázsi Practical work is headed by the Permanent Executive Committee (PEC), composed of scientists elected from among the members of the leadership for a two-year-long term. János Szépvölgyi was a member of PEC between 2011 and 2013 and 2015 and 2017. He is now followed by Csaba Balázsi, a member until 2019. Csaba Balázsi’s primary field of research is the development of graphene reinforced silicon nitride technical ceramics, but he also works on nanostructured hidroxyapatite bioceramics prepared from eggshells.
Every second year, the honourable “fellow” title is awarded to scientists who have been active members of ECerS for at least five years, boast outstanding research results, excel in science and are supported by other members. Twenty-five newly elected fellow members were introduced at the 15th International ECerS Conference at the Congressional Centre, Budapest.
Modern technical ceramics are used in industry on a large scale for energy, optical, medical, architectural and nuclear purposes as well as in the automobile industry. They are to be introduced in the protection of historic buildings and the arts; the preliminary results are promising.
Owing to their heat resistance, structural ceramics are applied at high temperatures, where extreme hardness and wear-resistance are required, exceeding the properties of metals and alloys, especially in engineering industry and power stations. Bioceramics, on the other hand, are developed for medical purposes and are primarily applied in dentistry and replacement arthroplasty. Bioceramic implantations are not only more wear-resistant and cost-effective than traditional implantations, but bioceramic materials also reduce the risk of artificial organ rejection.