Intermetallic Materials
Alloys based on intermetallic phases comprise a new class of materials entering into application, e.g. TiAl compressor blades in the new GENXTM jet engines. The basis for any new material development is a sound understanding of the stability of the constituting phases in dependence of composition, temperature and time, i.e. knowledge of the respective phase diagrams.
Mission
The mission of the group is to perform fundamental research on phase stability and phase transformations of intermetallic phases and to establish their properties to elucidate the possibilities of their industrial application. The basis for any new material development is a sound understanding of the stability of the constituting phases in dependence on composition, temperature and time. Therefore, a focus of the research efforts of the group is directed to establish phase diagrams, isothermal sections and liquidus projections of systems containing intermetallic phases.
In order to study and control the microstructures of multiphase intermetallic materials, advanced microstructural characterization methods available in the other groups of the department are applied. This knowledge is further on employed for the development of novel materials. Current activities focus on Fe-Al- and Ti-Al-based intermetallic alloys and on Laves phases and related structures.
The picture shows a ternary eutectic microstructure in an Fe-Al-Nb alloy consisting of three different intermetallic phases.