Polish research institute Łukasiewicz – GIT consortium is set to bring invaluable expertise in creep testing and surface oxidisation to AID4GREENEST, supporting the project’s goal of developing advanced AI-based tools for steel characterisation and modelling.
Łukasiewicz – GIT (The Łukasiewicz Research Network – Upper Silesian Institute of Technology) recently joined the AID4GREENEST project through the EU’s Hop-On Facility.
“We have joined AID4GREENEST to contribute significantly to two key areas: accelerated creep and creep-fatigue testing, and surface oxidation studies,” explains Prof. Roman Kuziak, who leads the Łukasiewicz – GIT research team on the project.
“These are essential for achieving the project’s technical goals, especially in developing predictive models for steel behaviour during processing and in service.”
Łukasiewicz – GIT’s expertise in surface oxidation at high temperatures, and its effect on material properties like creep and fatigue, greatly enhances the project’s potential related to steel performance under extreme conditions.
In the area of surface oxidation, Łukasiewicz – GIT will investigate how high-temperature oxidation and growth kinetics affect thermal conductivity and heat transfer during heat treatments. Their studies will help improve predictions of microstructure evolution and mechanical performance.
“Surface oxidation significantly alters the thermal conductivity, mechanical integrity, and heat transfer conditions during quenching,” explains Prof. Kuziak. “Incorporating oxidation phenomena into quenching models allows for more accurate prediction of as-quenched microstructure and component performance and will be useful to optimise heat treatment technologies.”
The institute will also carry out advanced creep-fatigue testing to simulate industrial service conditions. This includes multi-scale damage analysis using multi-scale techniques (SEM, EBSD, TEM). These insights are crucial for developing robust life prediction models.
“Our expertise in the research area of creep-fatigue interaction, particularly at high-temperature conditions, will complement the existing knowledge within the project,” notes Prof. Kuziak. “Creep-fatigue interaction is essential for predicting the long-term behavior, including damage, of materials subjected to cyclic loading at elevated temperatures.”
And according to Prof. Kuziak, “the AID4GREENEST project aligns closely with the overarching goals of Łukasiewicz-GIT in the field of materials research, particularly in developing innovative methods to improve the performance of steel components and other metallic materials.”
Beyond its technical contributions, Łukasiewicz – GIT will also be actively involved in dissemination and exploitation activities, helping to ensure the project’s results reach scientific, industrial, and standardisation communities. The institute will contribute to scientific publications, organise knowledge-sharing events, and support the development of new standards for accelerated testing.
Łukasiewicz – GIT joins existing AIDGREENEST partners, IMDEA Materials Institute (coordinator), EurA AG, ePotentia, Fraunhofer IWM, Ghent University, OCAS NV, Reinosa Forgings and Castings, the Spanish Association for Standardisation (UNE), the University of Oulu and the University of Liège.
