Scientific Events

Electrochemistry is a well-established technique for the electrodeposition of thin films for corrosion protection or of 3D structures for integrated circuits. It is also key to most approaches for sustainable energy conversion and storage and it is widely utilized in sensors for the detection and quantification of ions and biomolecules. In this presentation novel concepts adopting classical electrochemical methods for the fabrication and characterization of magnetic materials at the micro- and nanoscale will be presented.First the influence of magnetic fields on electrochemical deposition will be discussed using the magnetic-field assisted fabrication of structured electrodeposits in the milli- and micrometer range as an example. The relevant magnetic forces and their effect on local mass transport control will be discussed.[1,2]Electrochemistry will then be highlighted as a powerful tool for the characterization of magnetic nanoparticles beyond conventional imaging methods. For superparamagnetic Fe3O4 core Au shell nanoparticles electrochemical analysis of the particle coating quality will be shown.[3] Advancing from this, single nanoparticle electrochemistry will be presented as a new method that provides hitherto inaccessible insights into magnetic field effects on single nanoparticles in suspensions. Thus, magnetic field enhanced particle agglomeration and altered particle corrosion dynamics can be detected on a single particle level.[4]Fig. 1: Magnetic field assisted structuring of electrodeposits (left) and electrochemical characterization of magnetic core shell nanoparticles (right).References:[1] K. Tschulik, C. Cierpka, A. Gebert, L. Schultz, C.J. Kähler, M. Uhlemann, , Anal. Chem. 2011, 83, 3275–3281.[2] K. Ngamchuea, K. Tschulik, R. G. Compton, Nano Res. 2015, 8, 3293–3306.[3] K. Tschulik, K. Ngamchuea, C. Ziegler, M. G. Beier, C. Damm, A. Eychmueller, R. G. Compton, Adv. Funct. Mater. 2015, 25, 5149–5158.[4] K. Tschulik, R. G. Compton, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2014, 16, 13909–13913. [more]

Conventional strategy for developing metallurgical alloys is to select the main component based on a primary property requirement, and to use alloying additions to confer secondary properties. This strategy has led to the development of many successful alloys based on a single main component with a mix of different alloying additions to provide a balance of required in-service properties. Typical examples include high temperature Ni superalloys, wrought Al alloys and corrosion resistant stainless steels. However, conventional alloy development strategy leads to an enormous amount of knowledge about alloys based on one component, but little or no knowledge about alloys containing several main components in approximately equal proportions. Theories for the occurrence, structure and properties of crystalline phases are similarly restricted to alloys based on one or two main components. Information and understanding is highly developed about alloys close to the corners and edges of a multicomponent phase diagram, with much less known about alloys in the centre of the diagram. This talk describes a range of other multicomponent alloying strategies and gives a number of examples of high-entropy and other multicomponent alloys. [more]

The use of fossil fuels as energy supply is growing increasingly problematic both from the point of view of environmental emissions and energy sustainability. As an alternative to fossil fuels, hydrogen is widely regarded as a key element for a potential energy solution. In this respect, hydrogen storage technologies are considered a key roadblock towards the use of H₂ as energy carrier. Among the methods available to store hydrogen, solid-state storage appears to be a very interesting alternative, showing for example the highest volumetric storage densities and high safety. Within the Helmholtz “Advanced Engineering Materials” Programme, the Department of Nanotechnology focusses on the development of both nanostructured hydrogen storage materials and hydrogen storage systems. A detailed account of the actual and future research activities in the field of hydrogen technology at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht will be presented. [more]

A ferritic steel precipitation-strengthened by nanometer-sized carbides was developed to obtain a high strength hot-rolled sheet steel having tensile strength of 780 MPa grade with excellent stretch flange formability. Manganese in a content of 1.5 % and molybdenum in a content of 0.2 % were added to 0.04 % carbon Ti- bearing steel in order to lower austenite–ferrite transformation temperature for fine carbides and to retard generating of pearlite and large cementites, respectively. Tensile strength of hot-rolled sheet steel increased with titanium content and it was achieved to 800 MPa in a 0.09 % Ti steel. Microstructure of the 0.09 %Ti steel was ferrite without pearlite and large cementites. Fine carbides of 3 nm in diameter were observed in rows in the ferrite matrix of the 0.09 % Ti steel with transmission electron microscope. The characteristic arrangement of the nanometer-sized carbides indicates that the carbides were formed at austenite–ferrite interfaces during transformation. By energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, the carbides were found to con- tain molybdenum in the same atomic concentration as titanium. Crystal structure of the nanometer-sized carbides was determined to be NaCl-type by X-ray diffractometry. The calculated amount of precipitation- strengthening by the carbides was approximately 300 MPa. This is two or three times higher than that of conventional Ti-bearing high strength hot-rolled sheet steels. Based on the results obtained in the laboratory investigation, mill trial was carried out. The developed hot- rolled high strength sheet steel exhibited excellent stretch flange formability. [more]