Researchers from the Plasma Nanotechnologies and Bioapplications group have launched a new project funded by the Czech Science Foundation (GAČR), aimed at improving the mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced composites through plasma surface treatment of fibers. The project will run until 2028 in collaboration with the Research Institute of Building Materials, a.s.
Since March 2025, Assoc. Prof. Dušan Kováčik together with his team at the Department of Plasma Physics and Technology and CEPLANT Centre, has been working on a new standard research project funded by the Czech Science Foundation (GAČR),project No. GA25-15917S, with title "Enhancing Fiber-Matrix Interface Adhesion and Improving FRP Composite Properties under High Strain Rates via Plasma Surface Treatment of Fibers". he project is carried out in collaboration with the Research Institute of Building Materials (Výzkumným ústavem stavebních hmot, a.s.), where a team led by Ing. Martina Drdlová is also involved.
The aim of the project is to investigate the properties of fiber-reinforced polymer composites made from plasma-treated fabrics. The researchers will focus on the still unexplored relationships between fiber surface functionalization using atmospheric plasma, interfacial properties at the fiber-matrix boundary, and the final performance of layered composites under high-speed loading. The research will map surface changes in synthetic and natural fiber fabrics caused by plasma treatment and their impact on the mechanical properties of composites, interfacial adhesion, and delamination during loading.
The data obtained will be used to optimize the behavior and parameters of laminated composites under specific loading conditions such as explosions or ballistic impacts, with the goal of contributing to the protection of buildings and structural elements.
Pedram Ghourghi Beigi, a PhD candidate in the Plasma Nanotechnologies and Bioapplications research group at CEPLANT and DPPT, attended the European Corrosion Congress 2025 in Norway. He presented his work on novel atmospheric-pressure plasma curing of anti-corrosion silicon-based coatings by oral and poster presentation, which sparked many fruitful discussions with fellow researchers.
This week, Vladimír Hudák, a student from the Jozef Miloslav Hurban Highschool in Čadca (Slovakia), joined research activities at the Department of Plasma Physics and Technology. As part of his high school research project (SOČ), he is working under the guidance of Dr. Richard Krumpolec and František Zelenák on purifying food dye solutions using plasma-reduced graphene oxide – a technology with promising applications in sustainability and environmental protection.
