- pore analysis
- Grain size determination
- Microstructure and phase analysis
- Degree of purity
Important note:
As part of restructuring measures, the services provided by the Metallic Materials and Structures department will be assigned to the areas of Metallographic Analysis and Mechanical Properties from 2026 onwards. The portfolio of services and contact persons will remain unchanged.
Metallographic and materialographic analysis is a central field of work in materials science for the qualitative and quantitative description of microstructures.
In the field of research and development, for materials science consulting and quality assurance or for damage analysis, the light and electron microscopic microstructure evaluation is an essential component for the assessment of the material properties. Among other things, microscopic observation enables conclusions to be drawn about the manufacturing process and helps to clarify cases of damage. Furthermore, the results of a metallographic analysis form the basis for innovative material developments through the understanding between microstructure and material properties.
The available methods of materialographic analysis are also fully applicable in industrial contract investigations, both for quality control and for identifying product defects and their causes as part of a damage analysis as required.
The Metallographic Analysis Department carries out materialographic investigations for internal projects at Leibniz-IWT, MPA (Bremen) and the University of Bremen, as well as for external orders from industry and commerce.
Our department offers industrial companies, experts and insurance companies targeted assistance in the characterization of metallic and composite materials and their damage analysis. Our services include:
- Damage analysis and development of remedial measures
- Preparation of damage reports
- Comprehensive metallographic characterization in accordance with current standards
- Scanning electron microscopic fracture surface analyses
- Characterization of microstructures and structural components
- Detection of defined phases or phase fractions
Contact us to find out more and realize your projects together with us.
REM
- Qualitative / semi-quantitative phase analysis (EDX)
- Size determination of particles, layers etc.
- Investigation of surface structures
- Fracture surface analysis
- 3D surface measurement
EBSD
- Qualitative determination of phase fractions
- Analysis of local textures
- Location of precipitates
- Analysis of grain boundaries
- Location / intensity of deformations
Microprobe
- Quantitative / qualitative determination of elemental contents (WDX and EDX)
- WDX - analysis of light elements like C, N, O
- Element distributions in the measuring range
Xe-Plasma-FIB-REM
- STEM - Investigations
- Fabrication of TEM lamellae
- Nanostructuring
- Target preparation
- 3D characterisation (EBSD / SEM / EDX)
Development of a High-Speed Process for Laser Powder Deposition Welding for Coating Formable Superheater Tubes (DED Tubes)
Collaborative project with the Bremen project partners innojoin GmbH and BIAS – Bremer Institut für angewandte Strahltechnik GmbH
Extreme temperatures and corrosion place high demands on superheater tubes in waste incineration plants. Laser powder deposition welding (LPD) enables the application of thin nickel coatings that are cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and high-strength. To achieve this, it is necessary to develop a high-speed process for laser powder deposition welding and to optimize preheating in such a way that crack formation during tube forming is avoided while simultaneously achieving maximum service life.
Laser coating has established itself as an innovative technology for improved corrosion protection of numerous components. This includes laser coating of superheater tubes for waste-to-energy plants.
Coating is performed by many companies using conventional welding processes. In contrast, laser powder deposition welding (LPD) offers both economic and ecological advantages (e.g., lower coating thickness with the same or improved corrosion protection), enabling a significant reduction in environmental impact and improved efficiency in energy generation.
However, the combination of a thin coating and the requirement for unrestricted formability presents a technical challenge. Unacceptable crack formation repeatedly occurs during the forming of coated superheater tubes.
The aim of the project is to gain a fundamental understanding of the cause(s) of crack formation during forming after laser powder deposition welding. Building on this, a new process control strategy is to be developed that will enable, for the first time, process-reliable production of thin coating thicknesses on superheater tubes while simultaneously allowing crack-free forming of the coated tubes.
Microstructure and crack formation in a formed sample (electrolytically etched)
Processing: Innojoin GmbH, BIAS GmbH, Leibniz-Institute for Materials Engineering - IWT
Funding: 65002594
Duration: 16.09.2024 bis 14.09.2025
Funding body:
FEI-Programm zur Förderung der Forschung, Entwicklung und Innovation. Ein Programm des Bremer Aufbaubank BAB
Contact: Dr.- Ing. Kerstin Hantzsche
Tel.: +49 421 218 51430
E-mail: hantzsche@iwt-bremen.de
Iron-steam process for the transport and storage of hydrogen (Me2H2)
Hydrogen is essential for industrial decarbonization, but the large quantities required cannot be met solely by domestic renewable energy. Therefore, environmentally friendly methods for large-scale hydrogen transport and storage are crucial. The iron-steam process offers a promising solution by enabling the cyclic production of hydrogen, heat and electricity through metal oxidation and reduction reactions.
At the point of consumption, metals are oxidized with steam to produce hydrogen, while the resulting oxide can be returned to regions with abundant renewable energy for reduction. The scientific and technical goal of this collaborative project is to further develop the iron-steam technology for largescale applications, with the development of a suitable process technology seen as a core task. To address the problem of decreasing reactivity of the iron carrier in the classical iron-steam process, iron alloys with varying Mn contents (3, 5, 10, and 20 wt%) were tested, and the alloy containing 10 wt% Mn was identified as the optimum material system under the current experimental conditions, which include temperatures of 800 °C, 700 °C, and 600 °C.
Cooperation: Universität Duisburg-Essen, Institut für Technologien der Metalle (ITM), Lehrstuhl für Metallurgie der Eisen- und Stahlerzeugung, Technische Universität Clausthal, Institut für Metallurgie (IMET), Metallurgische Prozesstechnik, thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG, SMS group GmbH
Funding: BMBF 03SF0658C (Me2H2)
Contact:
M.Sc. Carolina Souza Santiago
Tel.:+49 421 218 64511
E-Mail: c.santiago@iwt.uni-bremen.de