Wherever steel, cement or chemicals are produced at high temperatures, refractory ceramics are required. The high-tech materials themselves are also fired in high-temperature furnaces - these furnaces require a lot of energy, usually from natural gas. Using a new microwave plasma hybrid furnace, researchers at TU Bergakademie Freiberg are now working with industrial partners to test how natural gas could be replaced by green electricity in the future. The new research infrastructure was officially inaugurated on 20 March 2025.
"Scarce resources and the need to reduce energy consumption are challenging refractory research. The aim is to develop significantly more powerful yet material and energy-efficient materials. In addition, firing technologies must become more environmentally friendly, including through hybrid electrification approaches with the use of plasma torches," explains Professor Christos Aneziris, Professor of Ceramics, Refractories and Metalloceramic Composites at TU Bergakademie Freiberg.
The project Hybrid-FIRE at the Institute of Ceramics, Refractories and Composites at TU Bergakademie Freiberg is investigating the use of electrical energy from the socket for microwave plasma burner technologies, alone or in combination with other high-temperature heating systems. Together with the Rector of TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Professor Klaus-Dieter Barbknecht, and the project partners from industry, the team led by Professor Christos Aneziris at the Institute of Ceramics, Refractories and Composites at TU Bergakademie Freiberg commissioned a new microwave plasma burner hybrid furnace (thermal output 100 kilowatts) on 20 March 2025. "The patents already granted and further patent applications in this field form the basis for a pioneering role for our German industry and at the same time open up research opportunities for our young researchers to operate internationally in an exciting field," says Professor Christos Aneziris.
The research project is being funded by the BMWK in the joint project "Hybrid-FIRE: Hybrid furnace processes for CO2-lower or CO2-free high-temperature technologies for thermal treatment, melting or production of inorganic materials" from 2023 to 2027 with around 2.2 million euros.
Das Forschungsprojekt wird vom BMWK im Verbundvorhaben „Hybrid-FIRE: Hybrid-Ofenverfahren für CO2-ärmere bzw. für CO2-freie Hochtemperaturtechnologien zur thermischen Behandlung, Schmelzen bzw. Herstellung von anorganischen Werkstoffen“ von 2023 bis 2027 mit rund 2,2 Mio. Euro gefördert.