Lines of Research

The lines of research of the Graduate Program in Materials Science were developed to satisfy domestic needs and, in particular, the needs of the Brazilian Army, IME’s main client. These lines of research belong to two Areas of Concentration: Physical Properties of Materials and Mechanical Behavior of Materials.    

The line of research Electronic Materials seeks to develop materials for application in electronic devices and to correlate the electrical, optical and magnetic properties of these materials with their microstructure. Projects in this line deal with thin films for solar cells, thin films for infrared detectors, thin films for optical filters and magnetic nanoparticles for biomedical and engineering applications.

The line of research Metallic Materials involves studies of the microstructure of metals and metal alloys and its influence of the mechanical properties of theses materials. Projects in this line deal with the influence of crystallographic texture and the anisotropic behavior of metallic materials, metallic biomaterials, materials with high mechanical resistance and high electric conductivity and metal matrix composites.

The line of research Polymeric Materials involves studies of physical, chemical and mechanical properties of polymeric materials. Projects in this line deal with new polymer matrices, industrial waste recycling, polymer based ballistic armor, use of polymers for containment of toxic and radioactive materials, polymer degradation, polymeric biomaterials and polymeric materials reinforced with natural fibers.

The line of research Ceramic Materials involves the synthesis, processing and characterization of ceramic materials as well as the study of the mechanical properties of these materials. Projects in this line deal with advanced ceramic materials, ceramic biomaterials e ceramic matrix composites.