Industrial Scholarships for the sustainable cement of the future
A visionary organization for innovation and culture, the country’s top research center and TITAN are together paving the way to strategic joint ventures with the participation of young people, contributing to the country’s technological development and prosperity. This is the essence of our company’s partnership with the National Centre for Scientific Research (NCSR) “Demokritos” in the context of the Industrial Scholarship Program at Demokritos which was launched in 2017 with funding from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, in which Adjunct and Post-Doc Researchers and Doctoral Candidates participate.
TITAN supported 3 Industrial Scholarships for researchers from NCSR Demokritos, providing them with human and financial resources, the cutting-edge know-how of the company’s Innovation & Technology Department, and the opportunity to apply their research in practice. The following research projects were undertaken:
- “Development of novel cement clinkers with low carbon footprint for industrial production” by post-doctoral researcher Dr. Dimitra Koumpouri. This research contributed, through extensive lab testing, to the successful trial production of low CO₂ emissions clinker in April 2018.
- “Development and evaluation of self-healing cement composites by incorporation of encapsulated inorganic admixtures and hydraulic phases” by post-doctoral researcher Dr. Maria Amenta. The conclusions of the project are pioneering in terms of defining the methodology for assessing the effectiveness of self-healing cement products and lay the foundation for the development of new products.
- “Development of a novel characterization method for new types of clinker combining Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-ray Powder Diffraction techniques” by doctoral candidate Emmanouil Chatzigeorgiou. This research focuses on the development of innovative methods for quality control in cement production.
The first two projects were completed in the summer of 2020, and the third will be completed in 2022.
Such applications of smart, innovative materials and methods are the core of Titan’s research and development (R&D) activities, which are carried out by the Group’s Innovation & Technology Department at our Kamari plant, on behalf of the whole Group. In collaboration with highly trained scientific personnel, and with the Group’s partners and stakeholders, the R&D activities include the monitoring, introduction and application of international trends in environmental-footprint reduction, with a particular focus on CO2, through process improvements and the development of low carbon products. With the aim to meet the challenges of today and stay ahead of future developments, the Group’s Innovation and Technology Department is working on a number of cutting-edge research projects that include enhancing cement performance for conventional and niche applications, 3D-printing with specially-designed mortars and concrete, self-healing materials, and nanotechnology-inspired applications.
Watch Dr. Maria Amenta presenting her research in the short video* prepared by SNF and learn more about TITAN Group’s research and innovation activities here.
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