At the Institute of Environmental Technology (IET), part of the Centre for Energy and Environmental Technologies (CEET), we welcomed two researchers from the Lublin University of Technology (Poland), Anna Tor-Świątek and Aneta Jakimińska, as part of the Erasmus+ programme.
During their visit, the scientists were introduced to the research facilities at IET. Our colleagues guided them through the specialised laboratories and presented the instrumentation of the ENREGAT Large Research Infrastructure – Energy Recovery from Waste and Gas Treatment.
The programme also included two academic lectures. Anna Tor-Świątek first introduced the structure and research focus of the Lublin University of Technology, specifically the Department of Polymer Processing. In the technical part of her presentation, titled "Experimental studies of plasticization processes of microporous polymer compositions", she discussed plasticisation processes in microporous polymer composite materials.
Aneta Jakimińska delivered a lecture titled "Interactions of light and matter really matter! Photocatalysis and phototransformation – in quest for the real mechanisms of very important processes". Her talk focused on gaining a deeper understanding of the complex mechanisms of photocatalysis and presented key findings from her doctoral thesis. She primarily addressed the photocatalytic properties of a wide range of materials and provided a detailed description of photocatalytic reaction mechanisms. A significant part of the presentation involved analysing the relationship between the physicochemical properties of the studied materials and their resulting catalytic activity, providing insight into processes essential for modern environmental cleanup technologies and industrial applications.
The main benefit of the meeting was not only the exchange of scientific knowledge, but above all the identification of shared topics that intersect the research activities of CEET and the team from Lublin. Both sides have a long-standing focus on polymers and photocatalytic processes, creating a natural basis for future cooperation.