The Materials Science Research Laboratory has been officially opened under the Excellence Center for Research, Development, and Innovation at Baku State University (BSU).

In his opening speech, Rector Elchin Babayev noted that BSU has recently undertaken systematic efforts to strengthen research infrastructure and increase youth engagement in scientific activities. He emphasized that the newly established Materials Science Research Laboratory will contribute significantly to chemistry-related research at BSU and expand university–industry collaboration.

The laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art instruments essential for the preparation and analysis of materials. These include the German-manufactured “Bruker D8 ENDEAVOR” X-ray diffractometer for powdered crystals and the “S6 Jaguar” desktop wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WD XRF) spectrometer for solid materials. These devices enable the structural and elemental analysis of a wide variety of research materials obtained through different technologies, including mineral rocks, construction materials, industrial waste, and sand fractions in oil waste.

The X-ray diffractometer allows researchers to perform qualitative (phase analysis) and quantitative assessments of crystalline materials, including crystal size, strain, and deformation measurements. The “S6 Jaguar” spectrometer can detect elements from fluorine (F) to uranium (U) in concentration ranges from parts per million (ppm) to 100%.

The laboratory is also equipped with essential sample preparation tools such as various grinders, drying ovens, vacuum filtration systems, centrifuges, sample presses, and vibrating sieves. This comprehensive laboratory—one of the first of its kind in the region—will support diverse applications in materials science and metallurgy, geology and mineralogy, chemistry and nanotechnology, construction materials, and the cement industry, as well as accommodate various scientific and contract-based research projects.

The operation of the lab is authorized by the Ministry of Emergency Situations and certified accordingly. To ensure staff safety, thermoluminescent dosimeters assigned by the Hygiene and Epidemiology Center will be regularly monitored.

In their remarks, Vice President of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences and Director-General of the Institute of Catalysis and Inorganic Chemistry of the Ministry of Science and Education, academician Dilgam Taghiyev, and bp Vice President Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli emphasized the lab's national significance in advancing science, education, and industrial development. They noted that the lab will play a major role in enhancing the quality of scientific research and promoting the commercialization of scientific results at BSU.

SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals