THERM-ADAPT: durable high-temperature interfaces for industrial energy systems

The National Institute for Materials Physics (NIMP/INCDFM), Romania, is developing a project concept for the CET Partnership Joint Call 2026, Call Module CM2026-09 — Integrated Industrial Energy Systems.

The concept THERM-ADAPT focuses on improving the reliability, efficiency, and service life of high-temperature industrial energy systems through application-adapted bulk-interface architectures. The proposed approach addresses components exposed to severe thermal gradients, repeated thermal cycling, and coefficient-of-thermal-expansion mismatch, where service life is frequently limited by interface degradation, cracking, delamination, loss of contact, or increasing thermal resistance.

THERM-ADAPT is relevant to two complementary directions:

• improving the reliability and efficiency of thermally intensive industrial processes through durable high-temperature components and redesigned interfaces;

• improving the recovery and use of excess industrial heat while reducing energy losses, component replacement, and operational downtime.

Potential applications include waste-heat-recovery systems, heat exchangers, thermally cycled joints, protective interfaces, refractory/electrode assemblies, and other critical components used in cement, glass, steel, thermal-processing, and process-industry environments.

NIMP can contribute a self-contained research and technology work package covering:

• requirement-driven design of graded bulk interface architectures;

• CALPHAD-based phase-stability and compatibility screening;

• FEM/COMSOL thermal and thermomechanical modeling;

• powder processing, SPS/FAST, hot pressing, and controlled thermal treatments;

• near-net-shape and segmented manufacturing of macroscopic graded layers, interlayers, and inserts adapted to component geometry;

• laser-flash thermal diffusivity measurements, thermal-conductivity assessment, and constrained hierarchical analysis of interface thermal behavior using reference materials, bilayers, and complete assemblies;

• dilatometry and coefficient-of-thermal-expansion assessment;

• DSC/TGA/DTA, calorimetry, and thermal-reaction or kinetic analysis;

• SEM/EDX/EBSD, TEM, XRD, WDXRF, and failure analysis;

• high-temperature mechanical testing, including three-point bending, compression, and cyclic loading, where the specimen configuration allows.

We are seeking:

• an industrial need owner or end user from the cement, glass, steel, thermal-energy, or process-engineering sectors;

• a technology integrator or engineering company with expertise in waste-heat recovery, heat exchangers, electrified/hybrid thermal systems, or industrial thermal components;

• a consortium coordinator or experienced CET Partnership/Horizon Europe applicant;

• partners for component-scale manufacturing, digital monitoring, lifetime prediction, techno-economic assessment, life-cycle assessment, and industrial validation.

The industrial partner would help define the relevant component, operating temperature range, atmosphere, thermal cycles, failure mechanisms, performance targets, and validation conditions. The final material system, interface architecture, and component geometry will be selected jointly based on industrial requirements, cost, manufacturability, thermal performance, corrosion resistance, and expected service life.

NIMP is not acting as coordinator at this stage. We offer a mature technical contribution and are seeking a coordinator, an industrial end-user, and partners for integration, scale-up, and component-level validation.