Electrochemical and Surface Engineering (SURF)

In 2004 a special type of government funding gave birth to the Industrial Research Fund (IOF – Industrieel Onderzoeksfonds).

This funding supports the IOF knowledge centers at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in carrying out outstanding strategic research and further developing new application-oriented inventions with economic potential. The first priority of the IOF funds is the further establishment of a portfolio of potentially applicable and transferable know-how with economic and societal value.

Keywords

surface engineering
electrochemical processing
surface characterisation
functional surface properties
corrosion
electrochemical process modeling
functional modeling.

Main objectives

The main research activities of the fully integrated SURF research group are built around 5 cross-linked research domains:

electrochemical engineering
electrochemical modeling
corrosion technology
surface engineering
and surface characterization.

The unique combination of expertise in electrochemical methods, computational software (for process simulation) and in-situ & ex-situ surface analytical techniques promotes a multidisciplinary focus in each of these research domains.

Electrochemical engineering covers the area of controlled electrochemical processes (such as electrolysis) as well as the study of unintended electrochemical processes, such as corrosion.

Surface engineering is aimed at the development and optimization of processes to perform dedicated surface treatments. An important link here is the ability to make functional materials, for example self-healing coatings.

SURF’s approach to both the fundamental and the application driven aspects is combining experimental and modeling techniques. Experimental techniques are oriented towards surface characterisation, in-situ and ex-situ, and electrochemical analysis. Modeling means development of simulation and prediction models and numerical tools to handle the mathematics.

Strategic and applied research

Dimension ‘downscaling’ to nanometer resolution

Our state of the art lab infrastructure allows the analysis and manipulation of material surfaces on the very localized, submicron and nano-technological scale.

Multifunctional metals

Controlled surface modifications to create a unique combination of functional properties are the next generation of processes for metals. Our metal surface research is directed towards mechanical properties, corrosion, adhesion, combined with additional functionalities such as appearance, biocompatibility, electrical conductivity, self-healing etc.

Process and technique modeling

Quantitative modeling of processes and electrochemical reactors is aimed at optimization of production techniques, prediction of durability of materials (corrosion), and saving energy. Emerging topics are e.g. fuel cell design and electrochemistry in microfluidic applications. Technique modeling is developed to maximize the interpretation of experimental data and to extract reliable parameters as input for process and functional modeling.
An example is the technique of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) where a new data collection technique was implemented to optimize the reliability of the parameter extraction.

Functional modeling

Functional modeling means the prediction of the physical properties of the materials. The ultimate goal is to be able to modify on demand different material properties. Active areas of research are corrosion modeling and optical appearance modeling of modified surfaces.

Equipment & Infrastructure

SURF is in the unique position of having an advanced technological infrastructure and electrochemical software/modeling tools.

Complementary electrochemical methods: impedance spectroscopy, stationary and non stationary methods, reactors (e.g. rotating disc, wall jet reactor, parallel flow reactor)
In-situ & ex-situ surface analysis: vacuum techniques (FEGSEM, FEG-AES, XPS), in-situ optical techniques (Spectroscopic Ellipsometry visual and infrared, Confocal Raman Spectroscopy) and in-situ local techniques ( AFM-STM)
Electrochemical modeling: numerical software for macro, meso & micro scale systems, dedicated fitting tools based on maximum likelihood estimator

Research collaboration

Intra-university

Close collaboration with many scientific research groups of the faculty of Engineering, the faculty of Science and Bioengineering Sciences and others.
Strategic collaboration with Technological Entrepreneurship of the VUB

Inter-university & research centres

Strategic alliance with the Metals Science and Technology (MST) research group of University of Ghent in the interuniversity research group ‘Materials and Surface Science & Engineering’(MASS).

SURF has important collaborations (non exhaustive) with:

Center of Excellence in Surface Technology and Materials (CEST) – Austria;
Chalmers University – Sweden;
Institute of Physical Chemistry – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IPCBAS);
Instituto Superior Tecnico – Technical University of Lisbon (ICEMS);
Interuniversitair Micro-Elektronica Centrum (IMEC);
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven;
Universiteit Antwerpen;
University of Birmingham – UK;
University of Bourgogne – France;
Universitatea Tehnica Cluj-Napoca – Romania;
Universiteit Gent;
Université Libre de Bruxelles;
University of Paderborn – Germany;
Materials Innovations Institute (M2i) at TU Delft;
Max Planck Institute –MPEI Düsseldorf;
Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (EMPA);
VITO;
von Karman Institute;
Warsaw University of Technology (WUT) – Poland.

Networks

SURF participates in various networks:

EATP European Aluminium Technology Platform of the European Aluminium Association
HERCULES project network: "High technological multidisciplinary analysis center of the University Association Brussels"
IWT: virtual helpdesk for surface analysis
Scientific Research Communities of FWO Flanders– on Structural and chemical characterisation of Materials at the Micro- and nanometer Scale, on Surface modification, and on tuning the functional properties of nano-particles and nano-wires
SIM: Strategic Initiative Materials; steering committee member - International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE)
SIRRIS, the collective centre of the Belgian technological industry

VUB Spin-off

Elsyca NV (1997)

specialized in modeling, simulating and optimizing of electrochemical processes

Vrije Universiteit Brussel - Faculty of Engineering

Pleinlaan 2 – B-1050 Brussels – Belgium
[W] www.vub.ac.be/SURF
[T] +32 (0)2 629 32 52
[F] +32 (0)2 629 32 00
Head: Annick HUBIN
[E] anhubin@vub.ac.be

Scientific contact:

Herman Terryn – hterryn@vub.ac.be
Johan Deconinck – jdeconin@vub.ac.be
Iris De Graeve – idgraeve@vub.ac.be

GROUP SURF: 44 team members