The project, prepared under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Hikmet Çiçek, a faculty member of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture at Erzurum Technical University (ETU), which focuses on advanced coating technologies, has been awarded funding under the TÜBİTAK 1001 Scientific and Technological Research Projects Support Programme.

The project titled "Synergistic Integration of High-Entropy and MAX-Phase Coatings Produced by the PVD Method: Development of High-Performance Coatings for Mechanical, Tribological, Thermal, and Radiation Applications" aims to address high-entropy alloys and MAX-phase thin-film coatings together for the first time within systematic and original coating architectures.

In this interdisciplinary project, Prof. Dr. İhsan Efeoğlu (Atatürk University) serves as advisor, while Assoc. Prof. Dr. Emre Mandev, Dr. Semih Duran and Dr. Gökhan Gülten serve as researchers.

Sharing details about the project, Prof. Dr. Hikmet Çiçek stated: “In this project, we plan to combine the advantages of high-entropy alloys, which stand out for their high hardness, phase stability and diffusion-inhibiting properties, with MAX phases, which combine metallic and ceramic properties in the same structure, within different coating architectures. In this way, we aim to develop new-generation coatings that can demonstrate reliable performance under harsh operating conditions such as high temperatures, wear and radiation. The coatings, which will be produced on base materials used in aviation, nuclear energy and advanced manufacturing technologies, will undergo comprehensive testing and analysis processes in terms of mechanical, tribological and thermal properties, as well as radiation damage resistance. The particular focus on radiation damage resistance is one of the key aspects that makes this work important for nuclear reactors and space applications.

Corporate Communications and Promotion Directorate  January 27, 2026