Metallic Materials
Innovative material development for the energy of the future.
Head of Deparment: Dr. Michael Rieth
Our research and development work is part of large-scale research and makes an important contribution to energy research at national and European level. As a partner in the Helmholtz Association's energy program and a member of the EUROfusion large-scale research project, we are actively shaping the future of nuclear fusion.
Focus
We develop structural and functional materials that can withstand extreme conditions. These include high temperatures and heat fluxes, as well as high-energy neutron radiation in combination with mechanical, chemical, or time-critical loads. The material properties are tailored by us for each specific application case. In this way, we open up new applications and areas of use in the field of energy conversion. Typical examples include components of a fusion power plant, such as plasma-facing components (divertor), heat exchangers (blanket), and neutron multipliers (tritium breeding elements).
Competence
Our research is application-oriented and, above all, takes place under the aspects of large-scale research. Therefore, alongside sustainability and cost-effectiveness, the focus is particularly on the use of industrial production, forming, joining, and manufacturing technologies. Starting from an idea, our materials development encompasses theoretical modelling, thermodynamic and thermo-mechanical simulations, production in the laboratory and on an industrial scale, experimental characterization of all relevant properties, microstructural and chemical analyses, the manufacturing of prototypes (semi-finished products and mockups), as well as component testing under the respective operating conditions. Our goal is to provide novel materials, including the materials technology process parameters and key characteristics required for production and component manufacturing.
Network
Despite our focus on materials for very specific applications, the boundary conditions, requirements, and properties to be considered are very complex and diverse. So not all necessary investigations and experiments can be carried out within our department. Therefore, we collaborate closely with a variety of partners from KIT, industry, and other research institutions both domestically and internationally. In particular, the characterization and testing of prototypes requires access to large-scale facilities, such as test reactors for neutron irradiation: : HFIR, BR2, or experimental setups for the investigation of plasma-material interactions: HELOKA, ASDEX, GLADIS, JUDITH & JULE-PSI.
Automated modeling and validation
Group
Publicationslist
Raab, S.; Karmakar, A.; Chuang, P.-Y. A.; Weber, A.
2025. Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 172 (11), Art.-Nr. 114508. doi:10.1149/1945-7111/ae1b3d
Steinbrueck, M. (Ed.)
2026. Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)
Zielke, P.; Lauble, S.
2025. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1546 (1), 012077. doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1546/1/012077
Scherle, Y.; Both, P. von
2025. Proceedings of the International Conference on Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe, 367–377, Education and research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe (eCAADe)
Bartels, S.; Meurer, T.
2025. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 59 (22), 681–686. doi:10.1016/j.ifacol.2025.11.713
Jonitz, P.-L.; Meurer, T.
2025. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 59 (22), 237–242. doi:10.1016/j.ifacol.2025.11.638
Rink, T.
2025, December. CONUS(+) Collaboration Meeting (2025), Heidelberg, Germany, December 1–2, 2025
Stuckert, J.
2025, December 16. 30th International QUENCH Workshop (2025), Karlsruhe, Germany, December 16–18, 2025
Rink, T.
2025, September 30. Retreat - International Max Planck Research School for Precision Tests of Fundamental Sysmmetries, Alumnus talk) (IMPRS-PTFS 2025), Karlsruhe, September 30, 2025
Szabadi-Fuchs, J.
2026, January 9. Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT). doi:10.5445/IR/1000189476
Albiez, M.; Dehn, F.; Eiche, E.; Grauberger, P.; Hilgers, C.; Holtmann, D.; Hoose, C.; Kaster, A.-K.; Kirchlechner, C.; Meier, M.; Rabe, K.; Matthiesen, S.; Schultmann, F.; Schulze, V.; Selzer, M.; Stapf, D.; Stemmermann, P.; Stutz, H.-H.; Ummenhofer, T.; Volk, R.; Wilcke, W.
2026. (C. Hilgers & V. Schulze, Eds.), Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT). doi:10.5445/IR/1000189474
Rajagopalan, K.; Gao, G.; Erasmus, L.; Busko, D.; Richards, B. S.; Turshatov, A.
2025. Materials Advances. doi:10.1039/D5MA01022E
Tewes, S.; Chen, Y.; Moured, O.; Zhang, J.; Stiefelhagen, R.
2025. doi:10.48550/arXiv.2503.18742
Rink, T.
2025, June 10. Magneficent CEvNS (2025), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 9–11, 2025
Boussouga, Y.-A.; Ramos, R. L.; Ogunniyi, E. O.; Richards, B. S.; Schäfer, A. I.
2026. Desalination, 621, 119670. doi:10.1016/j.desal.2025.119670
Geyer, B.; Petrov, S.; Will, A.; Churiulin, E.; Petrik, R.; Singh, S.; Lawand, D.; Schubert-Frisius, M.; Russo, E.; Ho-Hagemann, H. T. M.; Ludwig, P.; Maurer, V.; Pothapakula, P. K.; Purr, C.; Keuler, K.; Campanale, A.; Feldmann, H.; Maurer, V.; Karadan, M. M.; Sulis, M.; Goergen, K.
2025, December 28. doi:10.5281/zenodo.18078427
Petrik, R.; Geyer, B.; Churiulin, E.; Rockel, B.; Braun, C.
2025, September 16. doi:10.5281/zenodo.17130606
Geyer, B.; Churiulin, E.; Jähn, M.; Brienen, S.; Truhetz, H.; Poll, S.; Rockel, B.
2025, February 27. doi:10.5281/zenodo.10047046
Ermitão, T.; Gouveia, C.; Russo, A.; Burton, C.; Churiulin, E.; de Souza, J. G.; O’ Sullivan, M.; Ciais, P.; Zaehle, S.; Sitch, S.; Li, W.; Xu, Y.; Bastos, A.
2026. Carbon Balance and Management, 21 (1), 9. doi:10.1186/s13021-025-00366-5
Ansong, M.; Ogunniyi, E. O.; Jiménez, B. P.; Richards, B. S.
2025. Applied Energy, 401, 126651. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2025.126651