The Short Specialization Degree in Material and Surface Treatments Sustainable Technologies for Industrial Applications trains specialists in the surface treatment field, which today are essential in many industrial applications, since they help optimize a material’s surface properties, such as corrosion resistance, hardness, roughness, optical, electrical, tribological properties, etc.
The main goal of the Master is to provide the necessary know-how to identify the best surface modification processes, and the competences to apply them, thus meeting the requests of different national and international industries, with specific focus on their sustainability.
The course provides the fundamentals of vacuum technology, plasma engineering, PVD and CVD techniques for laying thin coatings, and training on the chemical, electrochemical and thermal processes. Furthermore, it will explore the transfer of technology and industrial property.
Our Short Specialization Degree in Material and Surface Treatments Sustainable Technologies for Industrial Applications offers a combination of in-person lessons and mandatory workshop activities, at the labs of the Institute for Nuclear Physics and the University of Padua, with mandatory attendance of 70% of the course.
During in-classroom lessons, students will receive a sound theoretical base, which then can put into practice through learning-by-doing experiences in the lab.
Students will have access to the most modern instruments to design and manage industrial plants for surface treatments, as well as other surface analysis tools.
The course modules include a traineeship at the Legnaro national workshops, of the National Institute of Nuclear Physics, in partner labs and/or field enterprises. The Master will end with the presentation and discussion of a final dissertation and/or work project.
Our Short Specialization Degree in Material and Surface Treatments Sustainable Technologies for Industrial Applications is a training path addressed to graduates with a scientific background (such as engineering, chemistry, and science of materials or equivalent), interested in learning more about the surface treatments applicable to many manufacturing sectors. The versatility of these treatments expands the recipients beyond newly-graduates who wish to specialized before entering the labour force, also to professionals who wish to get updates and learn more on the master’s topic.
Main purpose of the course is training super-specialists of surface treatments, by providing the right competences to apply and innovate industrial and applied research processes. Furthermore, the program offers the fundamentals to design, plan and construct electrochemical and PVD deposition plants.
At the end of the course, participants can be employed in several work fields, as R&D and production managers, process engineers, researchers and project managers, both in the public and private sector.
Our Short Specialization Degree in Material and Surface Treatments Sustainable Technologies for Industrial Applications trains students in the following fields:
- VACUUM TECHNOLOGY
Lectures will cover topics relevant to vacuum technology, such as: vacuum materials, preparation and cleaning of surfaces undergoing vacuum cycles, configuration of pumping systems (primary and secondary pumps), pressure level measuring devices, and control valves.
- THIN FILM DEPOSITION TECHNIQUES
Lectures will cover topics relevant to physical or chemical deposition processes from vapor phase for the creation of thin films, such as: substrate preparation and cleaning prior to coating, magnetron sputtering deposition techniques, cathodic arc, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD), evaporation, etc.
- COATING AND HARD MATERIALS
Lectures will cover topics relevant to hard material thin film deposition techniques which are used more and more commonly in the industrial sector and can be applied to various product markets (from fashion to mechanical engineering).
- CAD 3D – TECHNICAL DRAWING
Students will learn the basics of mechanical design aimed at the construction of vacuum systems.
- SURFACE CHARACTERIZATION
Lectures will cover topics relevant to surface characterization techniques, focusing on those necessary for the creation of thin films, such as: X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), EDS analysis, profilometry.
- SURFACE TREATMENTS BY ATMOSPHERIC PLASMA
Lectures will cover the theoretical aspects of atmospheric plasma and its application in functionalizing surfaces.
- ELECTROCHEMISTRY
Lectures will cover the fundamentals of electrochemistry, focusing on electrodeposition processes, as well as surface treatments like electropolishing.
- INDUCTION HEATING
Lectures will cover the various aspects of induction techniques for surface treatment, which are widely used in the industrial sector.
- SURFACE TREATMENTS FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING AND DUST PRODUCTION
Lectures will offer an overview of 3D printing of metals and polymeric materials and of its characterizing processes.
- TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Lectures will offer an overview of the meaning of technology transfer from the academic world to the industrial reality, focusing on the relationship with industries, know how, intellectual property (IP) and patenting processes.
This Short Specialization Degree belonging to the Department of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Padua, is held in partnership with the National labs of Legnaro, of the National Institute of Nuclear Physics, and avails itself of the cooperation of public and private industries, active in this field, so as to meet the requests of the industrial fabric. The goal is to provide participants with a specialization that can complement their educational background with methods, techniques and survey instruments, which are consolidated within the research field, yet innovative for the industrial context. This way, participants will acquire the competences needed to meet the labour market request, and become highly qualified professionals in the sustainable surface treatment field for industrial applications.
The general ranking of merit for the academic year 2023/24 will be published on the Italian page of this Master according to the timing provided in the Call.
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FAQ
Frontal lectures will mainly take place on Thursday afternoons, and Friday and Saturday mornings.
A mandatory internship is included in the course. Students will have the chance to complete their internships at the LNLs, with partner industries, or with industries of their choice.
Students who attend lessons in presence and complete their internship at the LNLs can use the affiliated canteen service.
At the end of the course, students will find employment in various working environments, including R&D and production management, process engineering, research, project management, both in the public and private sector. Our Short Specialization Degree works as a bridge that connects students to the working world, both in the academic context and in the industrial one. The level of employability in the same field as our Short Specialization Degree is 98%.
The course ends with a final examination consisting of the preparation and presentation of a project work related to the internship previously completed.