【Scientific Research Base】

Nation-Grade Base

1.National Engineering Research Center for Magnesium Alloys

The National Engineering & Technology Research Center for Magnesium Alloy Material was established with the approval of the Ministry of Science & Technology in 2007.The Center is under the auspice of Chongqing University, with the member units including Chongqing Institute of Science & Technology, Chongqing Boao Aluminum Co. Ltd., Chongqing ShengMei Magnesium Industry Co.Ltd., Chongqing Magnesium Science & Technology Co. Ltd., Changan Automobile (Group) Co.Ltd., Shanxi Wenxi Magnesium Group, Southwest Technology Engineering Research Institute, Chongqing Science & Technology University, etc. The Center was used to be called Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Magnesium Alloys. At the end of 2007, it was approved as a national key base for international cooperation, and in 2008, it was approved as an international joint research center in China.

With the support of national "211" & "985" project, the Center has built more than 10000 square meters of research and development base in Chongqing University, a large-scale pilot and industrialization demonstration base in Chongqing Research Institute of Science & Technology and an industrial park in Wan Sheng District, magnesium alloy research branches and industrialization bases separately in Salt Lake of Qinghai Province, in Wenxi of Shanxi Province, in Anshung of Guizhou Province, in Hong Kong and other places.The Center is equipped with a complete set of research and development equipment for magnesium alloy smelting, die casting, semi-continuous casting, thin strip continuous casting, extrusion, rolling and stamping, as well as world-class advanced analysis and testing instruments.In the trial test and core industrialization base, there are industrial equipment such as die casting, extrusion, equipment manufacturing, and a number of magnesium alloy industrialization production lines are established for technical support.

The Center has undertaken more than 40 important national,provincial and ministerial projects, among which, it has led two national 973 projects and two national key research and development projects.The Center has developed a number of new materials (16 of which have been upgraded to national standard brands), made breakthroughs and mastered a number of key technologies, and achieved a number of landmark achievements with independent intellectual property rights. The Center has promoted the application of magnesium alloy products in automobile, military industry, motorcycle, hand tools, 3C products and other aspects, and greatly boosted the development of China's magnesium industry.The Center’s research and development achievements have radiated to more than 50 magnesium and magnesium alloy production and application enterprises at home and abroad.

The Center is the largest magnesium alloy research institution in the world. It has more than 200 research and development personnel, including more than 50 professors and associate professors, more than 10 postdoctoral fellows, and more than 150 students for doctor and master degrees. It has an innovation team supported by China National Foundation of Natural Science, an innovation team sponsored by Ministry of Science & Technology of China and Ministry of Education of China. The Center enjoys very close cooperative relationships with Germany, the United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Britain, Canada and other countries.The Center is the affiliated unit of magnesium alloy branch of China Materials Research Association, the chief editor unit of the international Journal of Mg & Alloys published by Elesevier Press, and the chairman unit of Magnesium & Magnesium Alloy Standardization Committee of the International Standardization Organization (ISO) .

2. Intellectual introduction & innovation base for advanced material genome characterization and regulation discipline

3. Interdisciplinary Joint Laboratory of Light Alloy Materials for International Cooperation

The Laboratory engages in the key scientific problems and technical issues of application related to the field of light alloy, has carried out the research and innovation cooperation with different world-leading partners in basic research of the light alloy, including Technical University of Denmark, Monash university, Australia, HZG Magnesium Center, Germany, University of British Columbia, Canada, Light Metal Research Institute of Russia, and Ford motor company. The Center has established a cooperative group, mainly composed of six academicians (from American Engineering Academy and other countries’ national academy of sciences) and more than 20 famous international scholars and experts, introduced five young scholars through "one hundred talents plan" of Chongqing University. The Center has accomplished major scientific research projects of funded by "973", "863", innovation research groups, major national scientific research instruments and equipment of key special fund projects and jointly undertaken a batch of major science and technology project of international cooperation, in the light alloy design, preparation and processing, the deformation and phase transformation, structure characterization and advanced technology development and other fields, with outstanding achievements.

Aiming at the three key aspects of scientific problems in light alloy material design, preparation & processing, and engineering application, the Center plans to carry out systematic research in the following six directions on the basis of existing research and international cooperation:

(1) Advanced characterization technology: to develop fully automatic 3D-TEM ultra-fast scanning and control technology, LEEM two-dimensional dynamic micro-nano technology and double-laser beam three-dimensional atom probe analysis technology, applied to the research of light alloy material and surface key scientific problems.

(2) Phase change mechanism and alloy design: to study and develop a new mechanism of shear and diffusion of precipitated phase on the basis of ChemiSTEM, 3D-AP technology and phase change crystallography and to initiate a criterion for controlling the morphology and distribution of precipitated phase by using alloy elements is proposed.

(3) Deformation mechanism and microstructure regulation: to carry out quantitative characterization of microstructure with multi-dimensional refinement by the use of new technologies such as 3D-EBSD, 3D-TEM and in-situ analysis, and to realize reliable prediction and fine control of deformed microstructure and texture by combining integrated calculation simulation.

(4) Magnesium alloys and applications: to develop new types of magnesium alloys with ultra high performance, low cost high strength magnesium alloys, and low cost high ductility magnesium alloys by using the proposed microalloying and microstructure regulation criteria.

(5) Aluminum alloy and application: to develop damage & corrosion resistant aluminum alloy materials for transportation and aerospace and lightweight aluminum alloy materials with good resistance to natural aging, baking hardening and with good welding performance by using the proposed microalloying and tissue control criteria.

   (6) New processing and forming technology: to develop new precision and composite forming technology, including vacuum die-casting-heat treatment technology, large component casting-rolling direct forming technology, welding-reprocessing technology and forming process multi-field coupling accurate simulation.

Provincial & Ministerial-Level Platforms

1. Chongqing Key Laboratory of Vanadium-titanium Metallurgy and New Materials

Chongqing Key Laboratory of Vanadium and Titanium Metallurgy and New Materials, established in January 2018, is gradually developed on the basis of the Institute of Vanadium & Titanium Magnetite Comprehensive Utilization approved by the Ministry of Education in 1979. It is an important base for vanadium and titanium metallurgy research and talent training in China.The laboratory is devoted to the theoretical research, design and development of vanadium and titanium metallurgy and new materials. Its main research directions include: the key basic theory of composite symbiotic resources extraction metallurgy, new green and efficient vanadium and titanium metallurgy process and technology, the preparation and application of vanadium and titanium new materials.The Laboratory is staffed by 55 professional researchers, and the proportion of personnel with senior titles is about 50%, and the proportion of young scientific research backbone under the age of 40 is about 50%. More than 90% of the team members have overseas academic experience.The Laboratory covers a total area of about 3000m2 and has complete equipment for basic theoretical research of vanadium and titanium metallurgy, development of metallurgical process and material preparation technology, macro and micro multi-scale characterization of materials, etc.

During the construction period, the Laboratory devoted itself to the key basic theory study in composite symbiotic resources extraction metallurgy, the new green and efficient vanadium and titanium metallurgy process and technology, as well as the theoretical research, design and development of new vanadium and titanium materials preparation and application.By integrating the resources inside and outside Chongqing University and realizing the combination with industry, education and research, the Laboratory has been built into an important base for vanadium and titanium metallurgy research and talent training in China.

2. Chongqing International Joint R&D Center for Low-carbon and High-performance Cement-based Materials

The Center was established with the approval of Chongqing Science and Technology Commission in May 2015, under the auspice of Chongqing University -- one of the key research-oriented comprehensive universities in the national "211" and "985" projects under the direct administration of the Ministry of Education of China. Its construction materials discipline includes the state key discipline of materials science. The Center possesses the national experimental teaching demonstration base, the specialties with national characteristic, a key laboratory sponsored by the Ministry of Construction of China and Chongqing Municipality, Chongqing Engineering Technology Research Center, and the national excellent courses selected into the "Excellence Plan" of the Ministry of Education of China.The Center is devoted to long-term research and development of green building materials, in the field of low carbon high performance cement-based materials launched by the Ministry of Science of & Technology of China, three key projects with international cooperation funded by national natural science foundation,  projects of national science and technology support plan of 863 & 973, more than 20 projects funded by national natural science fund, youth fund projects, horizontal international cooperation, more than 40 provincial projects.Vertical funds for scientific projects amount to more than RMB20 million yuan. The Center has conducted key technology studies for the preparation and application of low carbon high-performance cement-based materials, including: (1) new curing and detection technologies: pulsed solid-state microwave fast curing technology;CO2 curing technology;High viscosity fluid rheology with high precision detection technology;Raman fiber real-time nondestructive on-line monitoring technology.  (2) Low carbon high performance preparation technology: alkali activated cementitious material and geopolymer high efficiency water reducing agent technology, mix ratio design method and microwave curing technology, lightweight technology, toughening and cracking resistance technology, etc. (3) High-efficiency solid waste utilization technology: high sulfur waste residue, phosphogypsum preparation of new cement technology;Alkali slag cement and phosphate cement and their application in rapid strengthening and repairing of structures and disposal of hazardous wastes. The Center has been awarded a second prize of national scientific and technological progress in recent five years, 6 items of prizes from the industry and the provincial science and technology reward, has acquired more than 50 granted patents, published nearly 10 textbooks (including a book in English), published over 300 papers on journals, such as SCI, EI, trained 20 students who obtained doctorate degrees, and 200 students who obtained master degrees, and undergraduates trained by the Center repeatedly won first prizes in the national science and technology competition.

The Center has successively had cooperation with the Lafarge International Group, Chongqing Construction Corporation, China Academy of Railway Sciences, Construction Company of China, China Metallurgical Construction and other large state-owned enterprises. The Center has obtained achievements of technical transformation application in the key projects of the west development in Chongqing, compiled more than 100 local standards, which has resulted in a good social and economic benefits and impact on science and technology in material industry. The Center has also carried out project cooperation and joint training of postgraduate and undergraduate students with more than 10 international famous institutions such as The University of Cambridge and University College London (UCL), invited over 100 foreign famous experts to give lectures in the Center, and sent 18 teachers to study abroad, and introduced 8 young teachers from abroad. 

3.Chongqing Key Laboratory of New Building Materials and Engineering

Chongqing key laboratory of new building materials and engineering is gradually set up from the integration of the original building materials and engineering laboratory in Chongqing University.  In 2000, the Laboratory was named the ministerial key laboratory of colleges and universities directly under the Ministry of Construction of China, with 2500 square meters for R&D, 1000 sets of various types of equipment, with equipment total worth RMB20 million yuan, equipped with the country's largest concrete technology laboratory, single-layer workshop structure, more than 500 square meters for a workshop. The Laboratory is equipped with many means and equipment from macro to micro, from materials to engineering, from laboratory to site testing, and is one of the most complete laboratories with high-performance concrete equipment in architectural universities and research institutes in China.At present, the Laboratory is staffed by 22 scientific research and technical personnel, including 9 professors, 8 associate professors, 3 lecturers and 2 engineers, 16 researchers with doctoral degrees, accounting for 73% of the total staff of the Laboratory.

The main research orientations of the Laboratory include: high performance cement-based materials, building energy-saving technology and product development, solid waste building materials recycling and green building materials research and development, intelligent materials, new materials for building structure maintenance and reinforcement, new chemical building materials and so on.Among them, most of the research orientations have been at the leading level in China.In the nearly past five years, the Laboratory has undertaken and taken part in the national key research projects, 2 key projects from national natural science fund, 4 projects from the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, 2 projects with international technology cooperation plan, chaired 22 projects of national scale, more than 100 other longitudinal and transverse projects, with total funds worth RMB 38 million yuan.The Laboratory has been granted 20 invention patents, published 3 monographs and teaching materials, published 280 papers which have been included by SCI and EI for nearly 165 times. The Laboratory has won the second prize of national Science and Technology Progress award (new materials and new technologies for the prevention and treatment of concrete cracks and their application, Qian Jue Shi).The first-level discipline supported by the Laboratory is materials science and engineering, which was rated as B+ in the fourth round of discipline evaluation by the Ministry of Education of China in 2017. The second-level discipline supported by the Laboratory is materials science, which is a national key second-level discipline. The Laboratory plays an important role in the course of discipline construction.As an important experimental research platform, the Laboratory has cultivated 20 doctors and more than 200 masters. The undergraduates in the Laboratory have won the first prizes in national science and technology competitions for many times. The Laboratory has carried out project cooperation and joint training of postgraduate and undergraduate students with more than 10 international famous institutions such as The University of Cambridge and University College of London (UCL), and invited more than 100 foreign famous experts to give lectures and visit Chongqing University.Centering on the two themes of "innovation" and "development", the Laboratory has been actively tracking the research frontier of new building materials and focusing on scientific and technological innovation, making the Laboratory a first-class research base in China.In 2019, the Laboratory was rated as an outstanding key laboratory among municipal universities in Chongqing .

4. Chongqing Engineering Research Center for High Performance Concrete

Chongqing Engineering Research Center for High Performance Concrete (abbreviated as the Center ) was established in November 2013 with the approval of Chongqing Municipal Science and Technology Commission and officially opened to the public. Relying on the doctoral program and post-doctoral research station of first-level discipline of materials science and engineering of Chongqing University and Chongqing Key Laboratory of New Building Materials and Engineering, the Center has a national key discipline of "materials science" and engineering materials experimental teaching demonstration center with municipal level. Current Pro.Changhuei Yang, director of the Center, also the chairman of Chongqing silicate society, is mainly engaged in the researches of cement concrete, the alkali cementitious materials and concrete, solid waste recycling building materials, building structure and construction of reinforcement materials. In nearly past 5 years, Prof.Yang has published more than 30 papers in the domestic and famous foreign journals, successively presided over and taken part in more than 20 provincial-scale projects, more than 30 transverse scientific research projects, concluded various projects at the national level worth more than RMB 2 million yuan, with undergoing research projects worth more than RMB 1 million yuan. Pro.Jueshi Qian, director of the academic committee, science and technology consultant for Chongqing municipal government, leading expert of materials science in Chongqing, mainly engages in the research fields of modern concrete materials and technology, preparation and application of magnesium carbonate cement, coal ash utilization. In the past five years, Prof.Qian has won two items of third prize for science and technology progress of Chongqing, 1 item of second prize for national scientific and technological progress, first prize for science and technology progress from the Ministry of Education, published more than 100 papers in famous journals at home and abroad, with retrieval more than 40 times by SCI, EI. Prof. Qian has concluded various projects with national scale worth over RMB 5 million yuan, with undergoing research projects worth nearly RMB 6 million yuan. The Center is an important research and development base of Chongqing University and Chongqing high performance concrete, as well as an education base for training and producing high-level scientific and technical talents in this field. The Center enjoys a reasonable researcher structure and relatively complete research condition. At present, there are 37 permanent personnel, including 20 with senior professional titles. Those with a graduate degree or above account for more than 80 percent of the total faculty, and those under the age of 45 account for more than 50 percent of the whole staff. The Center has nearly 1000 sets of instruments and equipment with a total value of more than RMB 20 million yuan, among which 31 sets of large equipment with a value of more than RMB100,000 yuan, including: scanning electron microscope;Multibackground gamma spectrometer;TA microcalorimeter;500 ton electro-hydraulic servo pressure testing machine;Gas chromatograph;Artificial temperature-controlled test chamber;Sulfate dry and wet cycle test equipment;Automatic rapid freeze-thaw test equipment;Chloride permeameter;Microcomputer controlled pipe blasting tester;Ultrafine grinding micro powder system, mercury pressure testing machine and other large equipment, including high-performance concrete related to the main large equipment worth about RMB13 million yuan.

5.Chongqing Engineering Laboratory for Advanced Casting

The advanced casting technology team of Chongqing University has long engaged itself in casting technology and industry, fulfilled much innovation work in casting technology, and has achieved a large number of scientific and technological accomplishments with leading international level : casting al-si alloy with high strength and ductility, new type of squeeze casting technology, energy saving melting casting technology and equipment, and magnesium melt green without flux purification technology and equipment, casting surface defect repairing technology, green core sand, large ring - ring rolling composite centrifugal casting forming technology, casting composite forming technology, high vacuum die casting technology and equipment, etc. Chongqing University and the backbone enterprises of Chongqing foundry industry have established and maintained a close substantive cooperation.Chongqing Foundry Association is affiliated to Chongqing University. Now there are plenty of talents, active scientific research activities, solid foundation of casting scientific and technological innovation, and promising development prospect for the casting industry in Chongqing. The Laboratory will further cooperate closely with the leading enterprises in the casting field in Chongqing to break through the technical directions of "high performance casting alloy", "green casting mold and lean casting process", "integrated casting technology and intelligent equipment", "casting remanufacturing and surface engineering", "rapid casting technology based on 3D printing", etc.

The Center was established in May 2015 approved by Chongqing Science & Technology Commission, with material science as key national disciplines, the national experimental teaching demonstration center, specialties of national professional characteristics, key laboratory sponsored by  the Ministry of Construction of China and Chongqing municipality, Chongqing engineering technology research center, chosen as national excellent courses in the "excellence plan" by the Ministry of Education of China.   The Center has engaged in long-term commitment to research and development of green building materials,  undertaken three key projects in the field of low carbon high performance cement-based materials by state Ministry of Science and Technology,  more than 20 research items sponsored by international cooperation of national natural science foundation, 863, 973, national science and technology support plan, the national key research and development plan, the national natural science foundation of key projects, youth fund projects. The Center has also conducted more  than 40 projects of provincial scale and of horizontal international cooperation, with direct funds worth more than RMB 20 million yuan, has carried out research on low carbon preparation and application of key technologies for high performance cement-based materials,focused on scientific frontier theory of low carbon high performance cement-based materials and played a leading, guiding and exemplary role in key technology of construction engineering projects under harsh complex alpine mountain environment in the Western parts of China.

Future Aims

The Joint Center aims to meet the demands of the national economy, economic development and national major projects in the field of national defense, energy conservation and emissions reduction strategy, to enhance cooperation with leading international universities and research institutions in cement-based material area, closely interact with internationally famous scholars and experts in the field, to build a stable research and development team and strong innovation platform, to carry out the globalized professional personnel training and technological innovation, to engage in the collaborative research in the major forefront of basic theory and key technologies of low carbon high performance cement-based materials, to solve the major problems faced by human beings such as environmental pollution and resource depletion and to contribute to the construction of a beautiful China and human community with common destiny .