UMONS Research Institute for Materials Science and Engineering

The MATERIALS Institute’s research activities cover a wide range of materials (metals and metal alloys, polymers, inorganic materials, organic-inorganic hybrids, biomaterials), synthesis and implementation methods (hydrothermal synthesis, sol-gel, plasma deposition, electrochemical deposition, reactive extrusion, etc.), characterisation (physicochemical, mechanical, morphological) and applications (packaging, transport, biomedical devices, electronic devices, energy collection and storage, aerospace, etc.).

The Institute’s research areas focus on two main areas, integrating the design, modelling, synthesis, characterisation and implementation of:

• Hybrid and (bio-)polymer materials: precursors synthesised from biosourced raw materials are used to produce materials with specific functionalities, such as electroluminescence, shape memory and self-healing.
• Coating and surface treatments: materials and processes developed to increase the durability of metallic coatings (adhesion, resistance to corrosion and wear) and give them multiple functionalities (antibacterial, anti-trace, self-healing, superhydrophobic, etc.)

These activities are clearly anchored in regional development with strong industrial partnerships at the highest international level, which is reflected in the international university rankings.