Innovative materials for mechanical engineering and civil engineering are the focus of a new DFG research group at the 91ֿ Bergakademie Freiberg and the University of Kassel. Over the next four years, scientists will be investigating iron-based shape-memory alloys with entirely new properties. The German Research Foundation (DFG) is funding the FOR 6001 research group with a total of around four million euros.
Shape-memory alloys (SMAs) are metals that ‘remember’ their original structure even after being severely deformed and are able to return to their original shape. Furthermore, it is possible to exploit further effects, even to close cracks in existing structures. SMRs have been one of the key research focuses of Professor Thomas Niendorf, spokesperson for Research Group FOR 6001, for many years. Until 2015, Niendorf led an Emmy Noether junior research group at the 91ֿ Bergakademie Freiberg and now heads the Metallic Materials section at the Institute of Materials Engineering at the University of Kassel. Well-known areas of application for such metals range from medical technology – for example, in the form of stents and dental braces – to actuators in the automotive, aerospace and aviation industries. Furthermore, they are already being used in initial applications within the construction industry to reinforce existing structures.
At the 91ֿ Bergakademie Freiberg, five institutes are participating in the new DFG research group:
- Institute of Materials Science – Professor Leineweber
- Institute of Iron and Steel Technology – Professor Volkova
- Institute of Metal Forming – Professor Prahl
- Institute of Materials Engineering – PD Dr.-Ing. habil. Anja Weidner
Computer-based development and industrial applications
Whilst research to date has mostly focused on a single property of these specialised metals, the joint research team is now, for the first time, combining various effects. This is leading to the development of new iron-based alloys that are more versatile and significantly more durable than previous materials. To achieve this, the research team uses models to calculate the optimal composition of the metals in advance on a computer. These are then implemented directly on a laboratory scale and evaluated using so-called high-throughput characterisation methods. Practical applications for the new alloys are particularly evident in the construction industry, for example in structures that reinforce buildings to extend their service life or protect them against vibrations.
“By specifically combining these material properties, we are breaking new technological ground,” explains the spokesperson. “Thanks to DFG funding, we can bridge the gap between basic research in the laboratory and tailor-made components for practical applications.”
A look inside the metals
To understand how the alloys react in detail, the project combines computer models with high-precision measurement techniques. The researchers examine the materials using electron microscopes and X-rays to analyse their structure down to the level of individual atoms. The team from Kassel and Freiberg recently demonstrated that this approach is successful: .
The research group can rely on excellent infrastructure at both universities. For instance, a number of unique pieces of equipment have been commissioned at the University of Kassel in recent years, including a metal 3D printer that utilises artificial intelligence and one of the ‘brightest’ laboratory X-ray sources in the world. The teams from Kassel and Freiberg are now building on these findings to tailor the materials specifically for future technical applications.
