Head: Adj. Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Jan Frenzel

The research group "Materials Processing", led by Jan Frenzel, investigates the preparation of metallic materials on a laboratory scale. The aim is to develop a scientific understanding of how chemical, microstructural, and processing-related parameters govern the properties of functional and structural materials. To this end, the entire process chain is considered, ranging from melting and solidification to thermomechanical or thermal post-treatments. A central focus is the evolution of the microstructure, which is analyzed across all length scales using modern characterization methods. This also includes in-house methodological developments such as AI-assisted tomographic analysis. During the reporting period, particular attention was paid to undesirable reactions accompanying the recycling of shape memory alloys and single-crystalline Ni-base superalloys. In both cases, the pick-up of trace elements causes an undesirable change in microstructures and properties. In the field of shape memory alloys, new insights were gained into the utilization of low-temperature waste heat and into special fatigue phenomena.