Full-time study

4 years

prof. Ing. Ivo Dlouhý, CSc.

Chairman :
prof. Ing. Ivo Dlouhý, CSc.
Councillor internal :
prof. RNDr. Karel Maca, Dr.
prof. RNDr. Pavel Šandera, CSc.
Councillor external :
prof. RNDr. Antonín Dlouhý, CSc.
prof. Mgr. Tomáš Kruml, CSc.

The aim of the doctoral study is:
• To ensure the education of graduate creative workers in the field of physics of materials and materials sciences for their work in the academic sphere, institutes of basic and applied research and departments of research and development of industrial companies.
• To enable the doctoral student to develop talent for creative activities and further development of a scientific or engineering personality. To ensure the development of their ability to process scientific knowledge in the field of study and related fields, both literary and their own acquired theoretical or experimental work.
• To develop the habits necessary for creative activity in the field of materials sciences and related fields and for communication with the scientific community.
• The doctoral study is primarily focused on basic research into the relationship between the structure, behaviour and properties of materials in relation to the parameters of their preparation with a focus on materials based on metals, polymers, and ceramics and their composites.
• The purpose of research carried out by doctoral students is also the development of new materials, optimization of useful properties of materials and prediction of their service life on the basis of theoretical and computational methods based on experiments.

the graduate's profile, based on the current state of scientific knowledge and creative activities in the field of materials physics and materials science.
• The graduate of the study is a mature personality, creatively thinking, able to formulate and implement research projects of theoretical and experimental nature, or to develop and apply the knowledge of these projects in production practice.
• The doctoral student will gain broad theoretical and experimental knowledge in the field of modern materials and methods of their development, preparation, study of their behaviour under mechanical, thermal or corrosion stress and properties in relation to the structure.
• The graduate will be an expert capable of exact descriptions of processing processes, designs of very complex products from metals, ceramics and polymers and composites with these matrices, tools for their production, mathematical simulations of processing processes, modelling of mechanical behaviour of materials or predictions of its properties and durability.
• Graduates will be equipped with a broad knowledge of the properties and behaviour of structural ceramics, polymers, metallic materials and composites and processes in processing into final products and tools, both on a theoretical and practical level.
• Graduates are expected to be employed in leading positions associated with technical and technological preparation of production, where they will be able to develop production processes and their design on the basis of knowledge acquired through studies.
• Graduates will also be employed as research and development staff in applied research centres, and after subsequent scientific-pedagogical and foreign practice also as academic staff of universities and academic institutions.

• The doctoral programme "Materials Science" is built so that the graduate is a self-acting material specialist applicable in a number of areas, able to formulate and implement research, development and application projects.
• With regard to the role of materials in all design applications and technologies, creative workers in the field of materials science and engineering will always find appropriate applications at home and abroad, including in the following areas.
- Within the framework of postdoctoral projects at a number of foreign workplaces for graduates with the ambition to be active in the fields of scientific research.
- In the form of direct involvement in research teams of academic and applied research workplaces.
- In the departments of research and development of industrial enterprises, or interdisciplinary teams of these workplaces.
• In all these cases, full-fledged involvement can be expected not only in the Czech Republic, but also at foreign workplaces.

See applicable regulations, DEAN’S GUIDELINE Rules for the organization of studies at FME (supplement to BUT Study and Examination Rules)

The rules and conditions of study programmes are determined by:
BUT STUDY AND EXAMINATION RULES
BUT STUDY PROGRAMME STANDARDS,
STUDY AND EXAMINATION RULES of Brno University of Technology (USING "ECTS"),
DEAN’S GUIDELINE Rules for the organization of studies at FME (supplement to BUT Study and Examination Rules)
DEAN´S GUIDELINE Rules of Procedure of Doctoral Board of FME Study Programmes
Students in doctoral programmes do not follow the credit system. The grades “Passed” and “Failed” are used to grade examinations, doctoral state examination is graded “Passed” or “Failed”.

Brno University of Technology acknowledges the need for equal access to higher education. There is no direct or indirect discrimination during the admission procedure or the study period. Students with specific educational needs (learning disabilities, physical and sensory handicap, chronic somatic diseases, autism spectrum disorders, impaired communication abilities, mental illness) can find help and counselling at Lifelong Learning Institute of Brno University of Technology. This issue is dealt with in detail in Rector's Guideline No. 11/2017 "Applicants and Students with Specific Needs at BUT". Furthermore, in Rector's Guideline No 71/2017 "Accommodation and Social Scholarship“ students can find information on a system of social scholarships.

The doctoral study programme follows on the bachelor's and master's education in the specialization of Materials Engineering (B-MTI) and the master's program Materials Engineering (M-MTI). During the course, students are provided with a balanced basis of theoretical and engineering disciplines supplemented by laboratory teaching with the maximum possible use of the latest instrumentation and computer technology.
For other adepts with education at other universities, the completed master's degree must be permeable to the fields of Materials Science and Engineering, Materials Physics, Solid State Physics, Materials Chemistry, etc.
The doctoral programme in "Materials Science" replaces the existing doctoral study programme in "Physical and Materials Engineering". Both programmes are conceptually identical and after granting a favourable opinion with the accreditation of the "Materials Science" programme, doctoral students will complete their studies within the currently accredited programme.

1. round (applications submitted from 01.04.2026 to 31.05.2026)

1. Creep of ferritic oxide dispersion strengthened alloys at very low strain rates

   Oxide dispersion strengthened alloys (ODS) are very creep-resistant due to dislocations blocked by the dispersion below the threshold stress [1]. The aim of the thesis is to confirm or disprove a hypothesis that creep at very low strain rates is controlled by the pulling of nano-oxides by dislocations stuck to their surfaces and eventually thermally activated detachment of the dislocations from particles. A thermodynamic model developed by Dr. Jiří Svoboda will provide predictions of the basic parameters of creep behavior of the ODS alloy to support this hypothesis [2]. A new FeAlOY ODS nanocomposite with a high-volume fraction of Y2O3 nanodispersion developed at IPM [3] will be investigated at 800 to 1100 °C by conventional creep tests and torsion tests [4]. Because the experiments are time-consuming, the incremental loading/unloading method will also be used to speed them up. Creep test parameters, such as the stress exponent and activation energy of creep, or the dependence of the creep rate on nanodispersion size and dislocation density, will allow us to confirm/disprove the hypothesis. In case of availability and frame of long-term cooperation with MCL Leoben in Austria, the selective laser melting (SLM) version of FeAlOY alloy will be investigated regarding microstructure and creep behavior. Work on the topic will primarily consist of electron microscopy, conducting and evaluating experiments, and will take place mainly at the Institute of Physics of Materials of the Czech Academy of Sciences [http://www.ipm.cz], where all necessary equipment is available. Internships at MCL Leoben can also be arranged.

    

   Literature:

   [1] Wasilkovska, A., Bartsch, M., Messerschmidt, U., Hezog, R., Czyrska-Filemonowicz, A., Creep mechanisms of ferritic oxide dispersion strengthened alloys, J. Mater. Process. Technol. 133, 2003, 218-224.

   [2] Svoboda, J., Zickler, G.A., Dymáček, P., Ressel, G., Thermo-kinetic model of creep controlled by thermally activated detachment of dislocations from nano-oxides revisited, Computational Materials Science 262, 2026, 114379.

   [3] Gamanov, Š., Luptáková, N., Bořil, P., Jarý, M., Mašek, B., Dymáček, P., Svoboda J., Mechanisms of plastic deformation and fracture in coarse grained Fe–10Al–4Cr–4Y2O3 ODS nanocomposite at 20–1300°C, Journal of Materials Research and Technology 24, 2023, 4863-4874.

   [4] Kloc, L., Mareček, P., Measurement of Very Low Creep Strains: A Review, J. Test. Eval. 37, 2009, 53-58.

   Supervisor: Dymáček Petr, Ing., Ph.D.

2. Deformation microstructure evolution of austenitic steels subjected to cyclic loading by correlative electron microscopy

   The development of new materials is directly linked to an understanding of the fundamental relationships between the manufacturing process used, the microstructure, and the resulting mechanical properties. More precise characterization of the microstructure using in situ techniques, particularly during and after deformation, can provide invaluable information about the extent and intensity of active deformation mechanisms at various stages of the deformation load and their influence on the material’s response. The dissertation will focus on the application of advanced scanning electron microscopy techniques during in situ cyclic loading of austenitic steels with the aim of analyzing the evolution of the dislocation substructure in detail. The following combination of techniques will be used for a multimodal description of microstructural evolution - digital image correlation (DIC) to describe the localization of plastic deformation, electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI) to analyze dislocation structures and their interactions, and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) to provide information on crystallography. The combination of these data represents an effective method of correlative microscopy, enabling detailed analyses of dislocations and their interactions at a comparable qualitative level to that of transmission electron microscopy, but directly on a bulk test sample and over a significantly larger area.

   Supervisor: Šmíd Miroslav, Ing., Ph.D.

3. Efficient hydrogen storage in multi-element alloys

   For effective hydrogen storage at temperatures close to room temperature, it is very important to correctly design the structure and chemical composition of alloys suitable for hydrogen storage. This work will examine the impact of key alloy design parameters on the resulting structure and properties for hydrogen storage. Both the thermodynamics and kinetics of hydrogen sorption in these alloys will be studied.

   Supervisor: Král Lubomír, Ing., Ph.D.

4. High-temperature degradation mechanisms of oxide dispersion strengthened high-entropy alloy prepared by additive manufacturing.

   The doctoral study will focus on investigating the high-temperature degradation mechanisms and mechanical properties of a new class of materials – oxide dispersion-strengthened high-entropy alloys (ODS-HEA) prepared by laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF). These materials are known for their exceptional high-temperature resistance, making them promising candidates for applications in extreme environments. The aim of the study is to systematically characterise the mechanical behaviour of CrCoNi- and FeCrCoNi-based materials under monotonic loading, creep, and low-cycle fatigue at 800–1000 °C. The experimental results will be correlated with multi-scale microstructural characterisation using advanced electron microscopy techniques (SEM, EBSD, STEM), enabling identification of the key degradation mechanisms governing material performance. The outcomes of the study will contribute to the development of new cost-effective materials for applications in the energy and aerospace industries, where increased operating temperatures directly lead to reduced CO₂ emissions and improved energy efficiency.

   Supervisor: Kuběna Ivo, Ing., Ph.D.

5. Innovative laser cleaning techniques for high-temperature oxide removal in industrial applications

   The objective of this thesis is to explore and optimize the laser cleaning process for removing high-temperature oxides from steel surfaces. The student will conduct an experimental analysis of the effects of various laser parameters on the efficiency of oxide removal and surface quality. The work will also include an assessment of the economic feasibility of the proposed method compared to conventional cleaning techniques.

   Supervisor: Kotrbáček Petr, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

6. Machine-learned interatomic potentials for study of crystal lattice defects

   Machine learning algorithms are currently under great development and their applications can be found also in computational material science. Using such approaches, it is possible to obtain information about interatomic interactions, which can be used subsequently for computer simulations of large-scale systems and predict material properties at real operation temperatures without the need for their experimental preparation. Material properties are strongly influenced by defects of crystal lattice such as impurity atoms, grain boundaries and twin boundaries. Therefore, it is necessary to develop procedures for training machine-learned potentials that will be able to cover the influence of mentioned defects.

   Supervisor: Zelený Martin, Ing., Ph.D.

7. Modification of Al alloys susceptible to hot cracking

   The use of 3D printing, more commonly referred to as additive manufacturing (AM), represents a fundamentally different manufacturing approach compared to conventional technologies. It enables a reduction in the number of required production steps and typically leads to minimized material waste. To produce a component with the desired structural design, it is essential to consider the multidisciplinary nature of additive manufacturing. This requires integrating knowledge from various fields, including materials engineering, to ensure that the fabricated structure achieves the required material properties necessary for its intended function. One of the most widely processed material groups using Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) technology is aluminum alloys. The proposed doctoral research topic focuses on a specific group of aluminum alloys, namely the Al–Cu system. The primary objective is to develop, through LPBF technology, a modified Al–Cu alloy with enhanced resistance to hot cracking, suitable for the production of dynamically loaded components. Within the doctoral thesis, the properties of the developed alloy will be evaluated not only in terms of its basic mechanical properties but, in particular, its fatigue performance. Special emphasis will be placed on the role of intermediate phases (typically Ti₃Al, among others) and the substructure formed during the LPBF process in the initiation of fatigue cracks.

   Supervisor: Pantělejev Libor, prof. Ing., Ph.D.

8. Precipitation Engineering in Multicomponent Aluminum Alloys: Microstructure-Controlled Pathways to Tailored Mechanical properties.

   The dissertation aims to investigate the possibilities for manipulating the microstructure in terms of the strengthening precipitates and the aluminum matrix grain structure in multicomponent aluminum alloys, to produce a wide spectrum of mechanical properties within a single alloy system. At first, candidate alloy systems will be systematically evaluated, with emphasis on the coexistence of multiple competing precipitate phases and their response to the different thermal treatments. Alloy systems exhibiting the greatest potential for the precipitates formation manipulation will be selected for extensive characterization of the precipitation sequences, the nature of individual strengthening phases and their effect on the mechanical behavior of the alloys.

   Supervisor: Jambor Michal, Ing., Ph.D.

9. Self-Assembling Multicomponent Metal Nanocomposites

   The doctoral thesis project aims to utilise and investigate self-assembling processes in the solid state of selected binary or multicomponent systems to influence the nanostructure and resulting properties. Preliminary experiments have shown that these processes enable the formation of nanocomposites, in some cases even hierarchical ones, with particle sizes up to 100 nm and various morphologies in the immiscible binary system Cu-Fe and other systems with similar performance. The key parameters for these self-assembling processes, such as pre-processing, heat and thermomechanical treatment, as well as the influence of microalloying, will be investigated step by step in the systems mentioned. Based on these findings, other metallic binary and/or multicomponent systems will be continuously identified and studied, with an emphasis on influencing nanostructure parameters and further improving properties such as strength, ductility, fracture resistance, and others.

   The doctoral student is expected to master and actively use software for thermodynamic modelling of equations, descriptions of thermodynamic conditions, and kinetics of phase transformations, including spinodal decomposition, structural analysis, and powder metallurgy procedures. Familiarity with mechanisms of plastic deformation and basic mechanical properties is also beneficial.

   Supervisor: Dlouhý Ivo, prof. Ing., CSc.

10. 3D printed multimaterial structures for biomedical applications

    Multimaterial additive manufacturing is currently a challenging area of research for ceramic and composite materials for biomedical applications. Multi-material co-printing enables the creation of complex, functionally differentiated structures that mimic natural biological structures, supporting organism regeneration and thus potentially making a substantial contribution to personalized medicine. The goal of the doctoral thesis will be to study the co-printing of bioceramic materials using Digital Light Processing (DLP) 3D printing, which will include not only the optimization of ceramic suspensions for printing and process parameters, as well as thermal treatment of the printed structures, but also the study of chemical and physical compatibility of materials, their stability and integrity, and the control of porosity and microstructure. An important aspect will be the description of bioactivity and mechanical characteristics of the prepared structures, which will be designed for specific applications in bone tissue engineering, with an emphasis on optimal integration of bioactive materials with mechanically robust materials.

    Supervisor: Částková Klára, doc. Ing., Ph.D.