Chair of Corrosion and Corrosion Protection
The increasing demand for advanced materials in aeronautical and automotive industries, in chemical and power plants as well as in medical engineering prompts the development of new materials and surfaces with attractive microstructures and properties. Among these materials are Al-, Mg-, Ti- and Ni-alloys as well as steels. The microstructural characterization and the subsequent establishment of microstructure-property-correlations form the prerequisite for the further development or the design of new materials with enhanced properties. The activities of the Chair of Corrosion and Corrosion Protection (KKS) of Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Daniela Zander, the holder of the DFG funded Heisenberg Professorship, focus on the design of materials and surfaces with enhanced corrosion properties with and without mechanical load involving interdisciplinary questions.
Research activities
Chemical and Electrochemical Corrosion
Modified environmental conditions and requirement profiles demand the basic research of chemical and electrochemical corrosion mechanisms of metals. The object of research is the microstructural detection of damaging mechanisms, such as intercrystalline corrosion, stress corrosion cracking or oxidation and relates these to manufacturing and processing procedures as well as the application of technical alloys and hybrid materials.
Corrosion Protection
The economic perception of the costs that arise from corrosion elucidates the necessity of corrosion protection actions. The focus of this research area lies on the enhancement of corrosion resistant metals through alloy design, optimized microstructures and inorganic and organic-inorganic coatings.
Hydrogen in metals
Hydrogen is the lightest of all chemical elements and is broadly discussed in the scientific community in regard to its utilization and its influence on metals. Particularly the application as a temporary alloying element in hydrogen storage systems but also the hydrogen-metal-interactions in regard to its embrittling properties are currently under basic investigation at the KKS.
Materials and surfaces for implants
Permanent titanium implants or biodegradable magnesium alloys are only a few examples of advanced materials for medical application. The focus of research activities lies on the development of alloys, surfaces and artificial simulated body fluids as well as on the investigation of interface reactions in order to optimize in-vitro testing methods and in-vivo performance.
Modelling / Simulation
For the prediction of life cycle of technical components, the simulation or corrosion processes is of great importance. On the basis of electrochemical thermodynamic and kinetic data, principal mathematical-physical corrosion models are generated and to be correlated to microstructure modeling in corporation with ACCESS e.V.
Corrosion testing
The Chair of Corrosion and Corrosion Protection participates in the development of new test specifications and conducts corrosion testing, microstructural inspections and investigates corrosion claims according to industrial regulations.