**Meet the author**

Petr Ptáček was born in 1978 in Kutná Hora, Czech Republic. He received his PhD in materials science and technology from Brno University of Technology, Faculty of Chemistry in 2005. Since 2005 up to now he has been working at the Institute of Materials Chemistry and at the Materials Research Centre of Brno University of Technology as an Assistant Professor and a Senior

Researcher, respectively. Current teaching and research activities include chemistry, materials structure and thermodynamics, heat treatment of silicates, ceramics and advanced ceramics, refractory materials, special inorganic cements, geopolymers, colloidal chemistry and heterogeneous kinetics. He was awarded several times for his out-standing academic performance in the fields mentioned above. Ptáček has published over 100 scientific articles, including full-length articles, book chapters and contributions to international conferences; he registered 15 national patents and participated in the development of 5 applied industrial technologies.
