Welcome at the

Institute of Materials Science

On August 1, 2022, the chair was renamed from the Chair of Materials Science and Mechanics of Materials to the Chair of Materials Science. Professor Jan Torgersen was appointed as the new chair holder and introduces the chair:

For an engineer, knowing how components perform, when they lose their function, and why they do it is essential. The answer to these questions lies in the structure of the materials, from the atomic configuration, the morphology to the macroscopic geometry.

The Chair of Materials Science has been dealing with the interaction between material composition and geometry for over 150 years. Even today, functional materials from the nano- to the macroscale remain the focus of the chair, whereby modern manufacturing processes can nowadays both design the macroscopic and the microscopic world, merging visible topology and fundamental material aspects through the exact placement of matter in space. We study the design of materials from the bottom up, in a layer-by-layer fashion, and are interested in how materials shape chemically and physically to create the properties of a continuum. We create the material according to its performance and recyclability to meet the constantly increasing industrial requirements. We relate the achieved performance to the fundamental mechanisms in the materials. Our competence lies in generating new materials on the computer, converting them directly into functional prototypes followed by testing the simulated properties experimentally.

For our endeavor, we employ several novel production methods such as high-resolution stereolithography, two-photon lithography and atomic layer deposition, which we modify and expand ourselves depending on the requirements. We are employing our partly self-programmed numerical and semi-analytical computer simulations, such as Finite Element, Lattice Boltzmann and Molecular Dynamics methods. We also have a range of chemical and physical analysis methods at our disposal, as well as an excellent and renowned mechanical testing facility.

In teaching, we want to trigger interest in the fascinating world of materials and provide a solid base knowledge on the fundamentals of materials science that can be utilized in all branches of engineering. On the master level, we offer a variety of special courses. All the courses aim at triggering the students' interest in the fascinating world of materials and at providing a firm fundamental knowledge on materials science, which can be deployed in all branches of engineering.

You can find us in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in building element 2.