Sustainalbe Materials and Processes

High-tech materials make car bodywork lighter, solar modules more efficient, and wind farms more robust. For the transformation of our energy system, as for Germany’s competitiveness as a venue for industry, they are indispensable. TU Clausthal is among the top universities in Germany when it comes to materials research and its application in manufacturing processes. That expertise is reflected in the Sustainable Materials and Processes research area. The scientists involved chiefly focus on four points:

• They seek to improve our understanding of the principles underlying the properties and behavior of materials.
• Only on the basis of that knowledge can materials be optimized for particular characteristics and entirely new materials be designed.
• New materials mean new challenges for product design: A tailgate made of special steel or aluminum, for example, needs to be not only lightweight but also as durable as possible, plus it has to be easy and cheap to recycle.
• Finally, the processes need to be optimized too, so that materials and products can be manufactured economically and in large quantities.

One of the researchers’ key goals is that their findings should be implemented in practice. To that end, they work hand in hand with partners in industry on many projects.