The Institute of Science and Technology of Metals consists of three research groups:

High Temperature Materials (Head: Prof. R. F. Singer )
A single crystal casting process for superalloys is presently being developed that promises lower cost and reduced microsegregation.

Light Weight Materials (Head: Dr. Körner )
Major research topics are fibre reinforced magnesium alloys with improved transverse strength and magnesium or aluminium foams with greater homogeneity.

Ultrahard Materials (Head: Dr. Rosiwal )
New processes are under investigation which improve the adherence of diamond coatings on metal and ceramic substrates.

Equipment for Melting, Casting, Powder Metallurgy:

• Induction melting furnace

• Electron beam melting furnace

• Electric arc melting furnace

• Vacuum casting and directional solidification unit with option of liquid metal cooling (38 kg charge weight maximum)

• Cold chamber die casting unit with real time control system (FRECH, DAK 450-54, 5180 kN closing force) with aluminium and magnesium melting furmaces

• Low pressure melt infiltration unit

• Hot die centrifugal casting machine (max. speed 7400 rpm)

• Rotating electrode powder production process

• High energy ball mills (horizontal attritor; eccentric milling machine)

• Hot isostatic press with rapid cooling system (ABB, 207 MPa, 2000 °C)
  

Equipment for Mechanical Working:

• Swaging machine

• 2000 kN and 10 kN rolling mills
  

Equipment for Surface Coating:

• Microwave-plasma CVD diamond coating unit (ASTeX AX 6350, 5 kW) with heating and cooling stage

• Hot-filament CVD diamond coating unit (CemeCon 800DIA, working space 40 x 30 x 10 cm3)

• Hot-filament CVD diamond coating unit (working space 40 x 25 x 25 cm3)
  

Equipment for Mechanical Testing:

• 600 kN, 100 kN and 10 N tensile and compression testing machines

• 50 kN fatigue testing machine (resonance system)

• 50 kN fatigue testing machine (hydraulic system)

• Rotation bending testing unit

• Creep testing units

• Servohydraulic thermomechanical testing machine (Gleeble 1500)

• Impact testing machine (Instron, DYNATUP 8250 HV)

Equipment for Thermal Analysis:

• Thermogravimetric analysis TGA (25 °C to 1500 °C)

• Differential scanning analysis DSC (25 °C to 1500 °C)

• High- (20 °C to 1500 °C) and low-temperature dilatometer (-160 °C to 500 °C)

Equipment for Physical and Optical Analysis:

• X-ray-fluorescence analysis (Siemens SRS 3000)

• Raman-Spectrometer (Renishaw Ramascope 2000)

• X-ray diffraction (Siemens D 5000)

• Electron microprobe analysis EMPA (Jeol JCXA 733)

• Scanning electron mircroscope with EDX analysis (Philips XL 30)

• Light microscopy with a quantitative optical analysis system (OPTIMAS)

• Tribological testing units (Amsler, Wazau)

• Micro Computer Tomography (MicroCT 20)
  

• keine Forschungsprojekte eingetragen