GKSS Forschungszentrum, Tuesday, 06-Jan-2009 11:37:51 CET
http://www.gkss.de/program/materials_systems/index.html.en

Advanced Engineering Materials

Turboloader impellers out of a casted TiAl alloy (source Access, Aachen, alloy patented by GKSS)Turboloader impellers out of a casted TiAl alloy (source Access, Aachen, alloy patented by GKSS)

The ever increasing consumption of natural resources, such as fossil energy and raw materials, as well as the increase in population and life expectancy create major challenges for the maintenance of future mobility, the development of soft and low-energy production technologies and the enhancement of individual, socially affordable health care. In tackling these challenges and increasing the eco-efficiency in process chains and material life cycles the establishment of technology platforms based on novel material systems plays a key role, as many of the necessary innovations are based on the utilisation of new material developments. In this programme, selected novel materials are developed aiming at multisectoral applications. These advanced engineering materials represent keys for new systems solutions with high added values in various fields of applications. The materials developed under the Programme "Advanced Engineering Materials" were selected to face the main challenges

  • increasing the strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratio of light-weight materials
  • improving the high-temperature capabilities of light-weight materials
  • joining tailored materials to hybrid materials and multi-material components
  • increasing the multi-functionality of materials

Failure simulation of an aeronautic structureFailure simulation of an aeronautic structure

The areas of application are many and varied: from automotive and aircraft engineering via resource-saving chemical process engineering through to medical engineering and technology. Completely new system solutions, e.g. for energy-saving lightweight engineering designs in vehicle body, motor and turbine engineering, for emission-free drive trains in transport engineering, for resource saving separation processes for materials mixtures, or also for medical implants, often only become reality through materials developments like these.

The researchers focus their efforts on three key development areas:

Innovative lightweight materials based on magnesium and titanium aluminide (TiAl) alloys for transport and energy engineering applications


Mechanics and joining of novel light-weight materials and structures, emphasizing multi-material components, and focusing on deformation, damage and fracture mechanics, their manufacturing using advanced joining technologies, and their in-service integrity


Functionalised materials, especially nanostructured polymers and nanocomposites for membranes for chemical process engineering and energy technologies, for structural applications as well as materials for hydrogen technology. Especiall the development of novel separation processes is supported by dedicated computerbased simulation of chemical engineering.


Block CopolymerBlock Copolymer

In order to shorten the development times, the researchers form networks with scientists from universities and non-university research organisations, like the Max-Planck society, the Leibniz association, the Fraunhofer Society and from industry. By interdisciplinary co-operation a large part of the creation of value chain is taken into account - from fundamental questions of alloy and polymer development over processing up to component and process testing. Thereby conversion of the results into the technical application is substantially accelerated.

Development and testing of new materials is tightly connected to the research programmes "Regenerative Medicine" as well as "Research with Neutrons and Synchrotron radiation".