Section of materials and Surface Engineering

Materials and Surface Engineering is by nature strongly multi-disciplinary and includes aspects of mechanics, physics, chemistry and manufacturing technology. The research activities involve theoretical, experimental, and simulation approaches and span from fundamental research of generic importance to applied research of strategic importance for specific applications.

Solutions to societal challenges
The research themes pursued in the section can be described by three broad themes.

“Materials design and surface engineering” encompasses thermochemical surface engineering of steels and titanium alloys, coating by electrochemical deposition of metals and alloys, conversion coatings on aluminium and titanium alloys and functional surfaces for optimal tribological, anti-corrosion or biocompatibility properties.

“Microstructure evolution and phase transformations” are investigated during plastic deformation of metals and various types of thermal exposure or heat treatments, including recrystallisation, tempering and hardening by (isothermal) martensite formation. For this purpose advanced ex-situ and in-situ characterisation techniques in diffraction, electron microscopy and spectroscopy, etc., at large-scale facilities, are combined with thermodynamic and micromechanical materials modelling to predict the evolution of the microstructure and the associated material properties.

“Materials performance and degradation” includes materials performance under mechanical, chemical, biological and thermal exposure (and combinations thereof). Activities on corrosion include aqueous, biological and high temperature environments as well as the performance of metallic materials in thermal, fusion and wind energy applications. The section hosts the centre for corrosion and climatic reliability of electronic components.