High temperature furnace with controlled atmosphere, data acquisition, and material characterization

• Subject Area: Materials Engineering
• Term: Funded in 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 454647179

One main focus of the chair of Materials Engineering at the institute of Materials Resource Management (MRM) at University of Augsburg is the processing of well adopted ceramics, mainly nonoxide ceramic matrix composites with precisely defined and controlled process parameters. During thermal processing all parameters and the resulting material properties shall be measured and detected online in order to evaluate the influence of process conditions on the material properties. For this approach a high temperature furnace is necessary which is well equipped with sensors and analytics. The acquired data will be used for control of the high temperature treatment and also correlated with the mechanical and physical properties of the composites. Based on the process property correlation the processing will be accurately defined for optimized properties of the manufactured materials. Additionally, the sensor data will be used for the digital material development in order to predict the material and component properties based on raw materials and process parameters. All experimental data, especially the online data characterizing the material composition will be used for digital material development. Aim is the prediction of properties of the final composite dependent on raw materials and according process parameters. If this is possible then, on the other hand, reverse material engineering can be performed.Additionally, this scientific approach of a sensor based intelligent high temperature processing is aimed to the resource efficient manufacturing of composites. it will be possible to evaluate the sustainability of fiber reinforced ceramics with correlation of properties and ecological impact. So far ceramic matrix composites were manufactured with focus on best properties. With this approach it will be possible to produce resource efficient materials where application relevant properties, lifetime, recyclability, energy and resource consumption are adjusted to a total optimum.This intelligent manufacturing and the according processing parameter property correlation allows the evaluation of the complete processing chain of ceramic matrix composites from the material synthesis to reuse and recycling under resource efficient point of view.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Hochtemperaturofen mit kontrollierter Atmosphäre und Datenerfassung
• Instrumentation Group: 8420 Spezielle Oefen (Induktions-, Lichtbogenheizung, Vakuumöfen)
• Applicant Institution: Universität Augsburg
• Leader: Professor Dr.-Ing. Dietmar Koch