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
Karlsruher Institut für Technologie. KIT (Ed.)
2026. Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)
Karlsruher Institut für Technologie. KIT (Ed.)
2026. Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)
Karlsruher Institut für Technologie. KIT (Ed.)
2026. Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)
Karlsruher Institut für Technologie. KIT (Ed.)
2026. Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)
Karlsruher Institut für Technologie. KIT (Ed.)
2026. Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)
Karlsruher Institut für Technologie. KIT (Ed.)
2026. Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)
Karlsruher Institut für Technologie. KIT (Ed.)
2026. Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)
Eitler, F.; Lewintan, P.
2026. Nonlinear Analysis, 272, Art.-Nr.: 114171. doi:10.1016/j.na.2026.114171
Karlsruher Institut für Technologie. KIT (Ed.)
2026. Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)
Kummerländer, A.; Bukreev, F.; Teutscher, D.; Dorn, M.; Krause, M. J.
2025. Journal of Parallel and Distributed Computing, 206, Art.-Nr. 105169. doi:10.1016/j.jpdc.2025.105169
Keck, C.; Rominger, F.; Garg, S.; Elstner, M.; Mastalerz, M.
2025. Chemistry – A European Journal, 31 (72), Art.-Nr. e02960. doi:10.1002/chem.202502960
Böser, J.; Cui, Q.; Elstner, M.; Kubař, T.; Vuong, V.-Q.
2026. Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation, 22 (1), 678–695. doi:10.1021/acs.jctc.5c01621
Koch, D.; Ohland, M.; Wen, D.; Peng, K.; Benfer, M.; Stiefelhagen, R.; Lanza, G.
2026. doi:10.5445/IR/1000193853
Lobo Pires Morais Fernandes, J. T.
2026, June 3. Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT). doi:10.5445/IR/1000193851
Schreiber, D.; Niemetz, A.; Preiner, M.
2026. Tools and Algorithms for the Construction and Analysis of Systems – 32nd International Conference, TACAS 2026, Held as Part of the International Joint Conferences on Theory and Practice of Software, ETAPS 2026, Turin, Italy, April 11–16, 2026, Proceedings, Part I. Ed.: S. Junges, 170–191, Springer Nature Switzerland. doi:10.1007/978-3-032-22752-2_9
Reinhold, C.; Pfleging, W.
2026. R. Kling, W. Pfleging & K. Sugioka (Eds.), Laser-based Micro- and Nanoprocessing XX, 21, SPIE. doi:10.1117/12.3079825
Schreiber, D.; Fleury, M.; Fazekas, K.; Biere, A.
2026. Tools and Algorithms for the Construction and Analysis of Systems – 32nd International Conference, TACAS 2026, Held as Part of the International Joint Conferences on Theory and Practice of Software, ETAPS 2026, Turin, Italy, April 11–16, 2026, Proceedings, Part I. Ed.: S. Junges, 333–352, Springer Nature Switzerland. doi:10.1007/978-3-032-22752-2_18
Li, W.; Pfleging, W.
2026. Laser-based Micro- and Nanoprocessing XX, 22, SPIE. doi:10.1117/12.3079526
Straßburger, N.; Zhu, P.; Pfleging, W.
2026. Laser-based Micro- and Nanoprocessing XX, 19, SPIE. doi:10.1117/12.3081011
Rörig, T.; Kniffler, M.; Trenn, M.; Li, W.; Zhu, P.; Pfleging, W.
2026. Laser-based Micro- and Nanoprocessing XX, 16, SPIE. doi:10.1117/12.3080642