History

History

The Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials PAN has been an Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences since January 1, 2011.

The Center was established on January 1, 2007 from the merger of the Center of Polymer Chemistry PAN in Zabrze and the Institut of Carbon Chemistry PAN in Gliwice – two centers of the Polish Academy of Sciences which, for many years, had been conducting systematic work on the production and properties of macromolecular polymer and carbon materials.

Both centers started operating in 1954. That year, the first chemical facility of the Polish Academy of Sciences based in the Katowice Province was opened, in Gliwice. This was the Laboratory of Petroleum Chemistry led by Włodzimierz Kisielów, belonging to the PAN Institute of Organic Chemistry in Warsaw, specializing in petroleum technology. Due to a rapid development of science as well as increasing interest in macromolecular compounds, on 29/10/1968, based on a resolution of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the center transformed into a new facility called the Institute of Carbon Chemistry and Polymers, operating under the Center of Scientific Research PAN in the Katowice Province. Thanks to efforts undertaken by Professor Zbigniew Jedliński, in 1971 two scientific and research facilities emerged from it – The Institute of Petro- and Carbon Chemistry PAN in Gliwice and the Institute of Polymers PAN in Zabrze. Both of them operated within the Center of Scientific Research PAN until 1974, after which they started functioning separately as PAN facilities. In 1988 the name of the Institute of Petro- and Carbon Chemistry was changed to the Institute of Carbon Chemistry PAN, while the Institute of Polymers PAN in Zabrze was renamed to the Center of Polymer Chemistry PAN in 1992.

At the beginning of the 1990s a gradual reorientation occurred of the research fields at the Institute of Carbon Chemistry. More attention was paid to testing carbon materials, at the same time developing tests regarding new polymer materials of a controlled structure and catalysts serving as means of lowering the emission of environmentally harmful contaminants created in the process of energy utilization of fossil fuels. The subject of materials testing dominated studies conducted at the Institute until it was joined with the Center of Polymer Chemistry  PAN.

During the entire period of existence of the Institute of Polymers and then of the Center of Polymer Chemistry PAN, research conducted there included both basic tests involving the synthesis of new polymers, as well as tests on the relation between their chemical structure and chemical, physical and application properties related to developing technologies for producing new polymers. At the beginning of the 1990s works were oriented at testing biodegradable polymers for application in medicine, the packaging industry and environmental protection, as well as bioresorbable polymers for medical purposes, mainly drug carriers. In 1998, the structure of the Center of Polymer Chemistry expanded by including the Institute of Solid State Physics PAN, a facility operating since 1968 and dealing with the technology for obtaining crystals, semi-conducting compounds and photovoltaic cells, technologies of depositing thin crystal layers and amorphous semi-conductors as well as testing their structure, electric, magnetic and optical properties. Including the Institute of Solid State Physics PAN into the Center enabled the expansion of the scope of conducted tests by new polymers with potential application in electronics and optoelectronics.

Due to an increase in the significance of interdisciplinary studies which make use of the achievements of specific scientific fields and create new branches of science and technology, facilities which in the past emerged from one research institution in order to focus on the development of a specific field of science were connected in 2007 at the Center of Polymer and Carbon Materials PAN for the purpose of conducting interdisciplinary studies including elements of chemistry, physics, biology and medicine, among other fields. These works coincide with the research priorities of the European Union in fields which create the foundations of a knowledge-based economy. They include studies on the synthesis of new polymer materials with a controlled structure and on their application: in the construction of nano- and microdevices, in selective transportation processes and the controlled release of biologically active substances, in the construction of materials for optoelectronics and molecular electronics, as well as studies on the technology of applying thin layers and the synthesis of monolithic, porous carbon materials as precursors of catalyst carriers for ecological materials and catalysts themselves, and studies on obtaining polymer materials from renewable resources and biodegradable materials.

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Address and contact details

Our Address:
ul. M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 34
41-819 Zabrze
Phone/Fax:
Tel. +48 32 271-60-77
Fax +48 32 271-29-69
 
Rzecznik prasowy:
Prof. dr hab. Grażyna Adamus, tel. +48 32 271-60-77 w. 226


 
Inspektor Ochrony Danych:
mgr Paulina Gąsior, tel. +48 32 271-60-77 w. 236
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In short

The Center belongs to category A of scientific facilities in Poland. It was established on January 1, 2007 as a result of a merger of the Center of Polymer Chemistry of PAN in Zabrze and the Institute of Carbochemistry of PAN in Gliwice – two centers of the Polish Academy of Sciences which, for many years, had been conducting systematic work on the production and properties of macromolecular polymer and carbon materials.

image      BIP CMPW PAN