Multidisciplinary Studies on Ceramics Group

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND STRUCTURAL RELIABILITY

MATERIALS AND COMPONENTS FOR DENTAL IMPLANTOPROSTHESES

SEPIOLITE-BASED ADDITIVES AS A VECTOR OF NANOPARTICLES TO IMPROVE THE PROPERTIES OF ORGANIC AND INORGANIC MATRICES.

GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE PROCESSING

We work on the design of new materials with a range of specific properties for a given application. Special emphasis is placed on the control of process parameters in relation to the microstructure and on the development of economically viable manufacturing technologies with extremely high performance. See our recent work on green and sustainable processing of piezoelectrics “BaZrO₃-BaTiO₃-CaTiO₃ piezoceramics by a water-based mixed-oxide route: Synergetic action of attrition milling and lyophilization” here

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND STRUCTURAL RELIABILITY

The group specialises in the mechanical behaviour, reliability and the relationship between microstructure and in-service behaviour of a wide range of advanced materials. For example, it studies the biomechanical behaviour of different commercial structural prostheses in order to replace the materials from which they are made with new materials that are more reliable, durable and at the same time multifunctional. This last reserach line is based on the basic knowledge acquired in the field of biomaterials to transfer it to a real clinical problem.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPECT ISSUE

During the last two decades a great number of countries in all continents have legislated to replace commercial ceramics based on the xPbTiO₃-(1-x)PbZrO₃ solid solution, known as PZT, with Lead-Free materials. See our review: "Towards Lead-Free Piezoceramics: Facing a Synthesis Challenge".

MATERIALS AND COMPONENTS FOR DENTAL IMPLANTOPROSTHESES

Nowadays, the problems related to dental implants, in which this line of research is included, have an extraordinary impact both from a social point of view (in the EU alone the number of people who need implants is more than 100 million) and from an economic point of view. It is a sector with a spectacular growth (>20% per year), reaching a volume of € 5000 million in the EU alone. The results of this line have led to the development of new generation of biomaterials for use in dental applications with a higher success rate than current implants.

SEPIOLITE-BASED ADDITIVES AS A VECTOR OF NANOPARTICLES TO IMPROVE THE PROPERTIES OF ORGANIC AND INORGANIC MATRICES.

The main objective of this research line is the development of nanocomposite materials with an inorganic or polymeric matrix with multiple functionalities, e.g. high mechanical and tribological resistance, biocidal activity, etc. Sepiolite is able to host nanoparticles and optimise nano/microparticulate materials with many interesting properties, which are being exploited in products with new functionalities.

Description and Mission of the group

The components of this Group are the ICMM researchers José F. Bartolomé, Sonia López Esteban and Lorena Pardo. The activity of the group is related to the development of ceramic or composite materials with multiple functionalities. These activities have aspects related to the three research lines of ICMM:

Materials for a sustainable world
Materials for health
Materials for digital information

Processing

Design of new materials with special focus on the control of process parameters to taylor the microstructure and on the development of economically viable routes for extremely high performance.

This activities aim to determine the structural fiability and realiability of ceramics and composites with a wide range of functionalities.

Study of green-piezoelectric ceramics - ferroelectric poly-crystals - for sensors, actuators and transducers for numerous devices in industry, health, energy and other emerging technologies.

You can now read the recently published article by ANTONIO IACOMINI, MARIA DORE, COSTANTINO CAU and LORENA PARDO. “Shaping the Crystal Structure and Piezoelectricity of Potassium Sodium Niobate: A Review» Materials Today Communications, 115936, (2026) DOI: 10.1016/j.mtcomm.2026.115936 Abstract Research activities on lead-free piezoelectric ceramic materials have been ongoing for over…

Work on cost-effective Processing of Advanced Mullite Ceramics published at Journal of Materials Research and Technology

A. GALLEGO, S. TARANCON, J.Y. PASTOR, S. LÓPEZ-ESTEBAN, J.L. MENENDEZ, R. TORRECILLAS, J.F. BARTOLOMÉ, J.S. MOYA and A. FERNANDEZ “Advanced mullite ceramics from cost-effective kaolin” Journal of Materials Research and Technology 42, 6053–6064 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2026.04.193 Abstract This study presents a wet processing route for the production of dense mullite ceramics…

New Horizons In Multifunctional Ceramic and Glass Materials

The American Ceramic Society (ACerS) Spanish Chapter organized last 7-8 October 2025, in Oviedo (Asturias, Spain) a Meeting on .«NEW HORIZONS IN MULTIFUNCTIONAL CERAMIC AND GLASS MATERIALS» Oral contributions of MSCG: · «Thermal treatment of sepiolite/nCu in air: Phase evolution and properties». Speaker: Dr. Sonia López-Esteban, ICMM. · «Additive Manufacturing…

Unprecedented Fast and Sustainable Solid-State Route to High-Performance KNN Green Piezoceramics

Read on our recent publication at Chemistry-Methods, a Wiley journal: “ Lead-Free (K0.50Na0.50)NbO3 Unmodified Piezoceramics: Reduction in the Energetic Budget of Solid-State Synthesis and Sintering» by MARIA DORE, JOSÉ F. BARTOLOMÉ, SONIA LÓPEZ-ESTEBAN, MARZIA MUREDDU, COSTANTINO CAU, STEFANO ENZO, ÁLVARO GARCÍA, SEBASTIANO GARRONI and LORENA PARDO. Chemistry-Methods, 2500038 (2025) DOI:…

WORLD Summer School on Green Chemistry and Circular Economy

We presented two Flash oral presentations at The University of Sassari (17-19, Sept. 2025) on Sustainability topics by Lorena Pardo, while enjoying a 2025-stay as Invited Professor, and Constantino Cau, who has stayed two times at ICMM as Master and Ph.D. student. Congratulations to Constantino, who won the best poster…

Our presentations at the Electrocerámica XVII, Pamplona, 25-27 June, 2025

We contributed to this International Meeting, hold at “Colegio Oficial de Médicos de Navarra”, Pamplona, Navarra (Spain), with two oral presentations at SESSION 3, FUNCTIONAL CERAMICS AND FILMS: O-28 Characterization of the performance of piezoceramics beyong a d33 coefficient: 30 years of the automatic iterative method for the analysis of…

New publication on compacts from Sepiolite/copper nanostructured powders

A new work studies the suitability of compacts from Sepiolite/copper nanostructured powders, with and without the addition of a low-melting-point glass, for catalysis and biocide applications: “Sepiolite/copper nanostructured compacts for healthcare and catalytic applications» Materials & Design, 255, 114200 (2025) by S. Lopez-Esteban, R. Diaz, B. Cabal, A. Gil, E….

Cover page dedicated to a new publication at BSECV

A new manuscript has been published and has been granted a cover page: «Synergistically ceramization of rubber system for fire safety cable by sepiolite functionalized with boron-based nanoparticles». by M.L. Puertas, José F. Bartolomé and A. Esteban-Cubillo. Boletín de la Sociedad Española de Cerámica y Vidrio 64(1), 33-44 (2025) ABSTRACT…

Overseas Study Programme of Anhui University of Science and Technology

Last 9th May, 2025, took place at the IMDEA Materials Institute of Madrid the Mid-Term Meeting of the Students Overseas Study Programme of the Anhui University of Science and Technology. This meeting was organized by the IMDEA researcher, Prof. De-Yi Wang (in the center of the picture). Our students Quang…

Work on BCTZ published at “Boletín de la Sociedad Española de Cerámica y Vidrio”

“Hallmarks of BCZT-based piezoceramics: From chemical fundamental to processing route and biomedical applications” Marzia Mureddu, Armando Reyes-Montero, Sonia Lopez-Esteban, Jose F. Bartolome, Stefano Enzo, Lorena Pardo, Sebastiano Garroni. Boletín de la Sociedad Española de Cerámica y Vidrio. Online at 26 de February, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.bsecv.2025.01.003 This manuscript is part of…