Materials Eight Material Tips for Designers 

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Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon

Fraunhofer-Institut für angewandte Polymerforschung

Asia Waypoint

Institut für Textiltechnik der RWTH Aachen

Universität Kassel

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Fachhochschule Aachen

Fraunhofer-Institut für Produktionstechnik und Automatisierung IPA

ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG

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How the right coating ensures flawless surfaces or how strip-galvanized ZM steel can serve as an alternative for corrosion protection, up to new materials that support designers in choosing the right material: These are the tips & tricks in the field of materials and surface treatment. 

Corrosion Protection: Strip-Galvanized ZM Steel as an Alternative to Batch
Galvanizing

In the design of substructures for open-field systems, Agri-PV systems, or solar carports, designers face a dual challenge: the components must be corrosion-resistant for decades while also being economically manufacturable. Particularly for profile constructions, it pays to look closely at alternatives to traditional hot-dip galvanizing. Hot-dip galvanized components offer proven corrosion protection but come with design and manufacturing challenges such as size limitations, required vent and drainage holes, and potential distortion of components due to the galvanizing process. A cost-effective alternative is zinc-magnesium-aluminum-coated steel strips. With ZM Ecoprotect Solar, Thyssenkrupp Steel offers a variant specifically designed for PV mounting systems. The coating is applied to the steel strip before forming, allowing profiles to be manufactured without the drawbacks of subsequent hot-dip galvanizing. At the same time, high formability enables efficient processing in the roll-forming process, while the hard surface reduces tool wear. Suitable materials are available according to DIN EN 10346 with coating weights ranging from ZM 310 to ZM 620. The ZM coating also offers advantages in corrosion protection. The combination of cathodic protective effect and stable top layer protects not only the surfaces but also cut edges, holes, and bend radii. A tip for designers: If corrosion protection is considered during the design phase, zinc-coated ZM steels can help reduce manufacturing effort while ensuring durable PV substructures.

Metal: Breakthrough for Extreme Heat—Tantal Alloy Withstands 2,400 °C

A research team from Xi'an Jiaotong University has introduced a material that remains stable even where other metals have long since failed. The team at the "State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials" has developed a tantalum alloy that remains resilient between 2,000 and 2,400 degrees (approx. 3,630°F to 4,350°F), while still being formable at room temperature. Tantalum only melts at around 3,000 degrees (approx. 5,430°F), making it one of the most promising candidates for such extreme conditions. However, existing tantalum alloys soften at high temperatures, losing their load-bearing capacity. This issue arises from a property shared by all metals: when the operating temperature reaches approximately 60% of the absolute melting point, atomic diffusion accelerates. At this point, mechanisms that strengthen the material at lower temperatures fail. The team in Xi'an solved the problem by adding a touch of boron. Using a specially developed oxidation reaction, the researchers evenly distributed hafnium oxide particles, approximately 50 nanometers in size, within the grain interior of the metal. According to the researchers, these particles act like tiny anchors, blocking the movement of dislocations and stabilizing grain boundaries. This prevents the material from creeping or deforming even near its stress limit. The boron attaches to the interfaces, preventing the oxide particles from coalescing at high temperatures. The Chinese researchers call their material a boron-stabilized, oxide dispersion-strengthened tantalum alloy, or "B-ODS" for short.

Material research

Breakthrough for Extreme Heat: Tantalum Alloy Withstands 2,400°C (4,350°F)

Smart Materials: Deformation Behavior in Shape Memory Alloys Deciphered

Researchers from the Metallic Materials department at the University of Kassel (Germany) have discovered a new deformation behavior in shape memory alloys. For the first time, the team was able to observe what happens at the atomic level within the material under load. Using specific cobalt-nickel-gallium crystals as an example, the Kassel team demonstrated the exact mechanism: when the pressure decreases, a previously unknown restructuring takes place, in which the crystal regions rearrange. The growth of a specific crystal variant causes the so-called twin boundaries in the material to shift. This atomic movement within the crystal structure produces acoustic signals, which the team was able to decode for the first time. The researchers illuminated the material using neutron diffraction, simultaneously listened to its deformation through acoustic emissions, and interpreted the processes in parallel within a model.

Surface: Flawlessly Shiny Plastic Surfaces

Metallic-looking plastic surfaces are trending—whether in automotive exteriors and interiors, toys, or household appliances. However, injection-molded products often have a drawback: they frequently show so-called flow lines—unsightly streaks and lines. A new method for producing metallic effect pigments, developed at the Technical University of Berlin and further optimized at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP, enables a flow-line-free metallic effect on plastic surfaces—without the need for coating. Scientist Nils Demski at TU Berlin (Germany) has developed tetrahedral particles. This geometry allows precise control of the degree of particle alignment in the plastic melt. Additionally, both the formation of flow lines and the brightness flop, the change in brightness depending on the viewing angle, can be influenced. However, producing these solid aluminum pigments with tetrahedral geometry is complex and associated with a high rejection rate. Therefore, Nils Demski and his team chose a new approach: the production of tetrahedral metallic pigment particles using UV imprint lithography. Their goal is to minimize pigment waste while achieving high automation through roll-to-roll processes. Instead of aluminum, the pigment particles are made of a UV-cured and then metalized thermoset that meets thermal and mechanical requirements to retain its shape and optical properties in injection molding. The new process significantly reduces material consumption and lowers the rejection rate compared to conventional production methods.

Surface Technology

Metallic Effect Pigments Provide Flawlessly Shiny Plastic Surfaces

Coating: Fillers for Paints from Chicken Feathers

A cost-effective and multifunctional filler for paints and coatings could potentially be derived from chicken feathers: keratin. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP in the Potsdam Science Park and the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA in Stuttgart (Germany) have achieved promising results with this protein. When keratin, ground into an ultra-fine powder, is mixed with water and sufficiently dispersed, it forms a milky liquid that decomposes very slowly by microorganisms. This makes keratin not only a cost-effective filler but also a potential base material for paints and coatings with enhanced resistance to microbial infestation. In laboratory tests, keratin combined with small additions of copper salts or particles also demonstrated UV protection. This means keratin particles could potentially perform functions similar to titanium dioxide, which is also antibacterial and protects against UV light but is considered potentially carcinogenic. Additionally, boron nitride can interact with keratin. When particles of both substances are embedded in a binder, ordered structures can form, resulting in mechanically stable and impact-resistant coatings. This could lead to keratin-based paints that protect against rust, such as powder coatings for fences, garden tools, or outdoor furniture. To use keratin in multifunctional additive coatings, chicken feathers must be cleaned and processed into fine powder. While chemical processes can readily produce large quantities of keratin powder, the keratin partially loses its functionality in the process. Mechanical or mechanochemical production methods yield better results but have other drawbacks: in the lab, researchers have only been able to produce a few grams of powder. To make mechanical production viable on an industrial scale, the researchers plan to collaborate with Zoz GmbH. This company, based in Wenden, Sauerland (Germany), develops and manufactures specialized equipment for mechanical process engineering and produces nanostructured high-performance materials using its proprietary systems.

Composite Material: Carbon and Ceramic Combined in High-Performance Hybrid Fiber

The RWTH spin-off Ternafil has developed a new high-performance hybrid fiber with its Maxcarbon technology, combining the mechanical performance of carbon with the temperature and corrosion resistance of ceramic materials. In the high-performance hybrid fiber Maxcarbon, conventional carbon fibers are transformed through a continuous surface reaction at 1,250 °C (approx. 2,280°F).. This process forms a MAX-phase hybrid structure that combines the mechanical strength of carbon with the thermal and chemical resistance of ceramics. The MAX phase is a family of layered ceramics that merges the stiffness and heat resistance of ceramics with the toughness, electrical conductivity, and machinability of metals—without the usual compromises. Most materials require trade-offs: ceramics are hard but brittle, metals are tough but heavy. MAX phases overcome this conflict. Silicon-based types, such as Ti₃SiC₂, are characterized by high mechanical performance and resistance to thermal shock, while aluminum-based types, such as Ti₂AlC, form self-healing oxide layers at high temperatures, making them especially resistant to oxidation and corrosion. Maxcarbon is a hybrid material in which the MAX phase is directly synthesized on the surfaces of carbon fibers. The fiber remains lightweight and flexible but gains chemical resistance, high-temperature stability, and electrical conductivity.

Fiber Composite: Plasma Accelerates the Manufacturing Process of Carbon Fibers

Carbon is known as a material for bicycle frames, vehicle parts, or protective clothing. The carbon fibers, which serve as the base material for carbon, are usually produced from polyacrylonitrile (PAN). This process is divided into two phases: the stabilization of the fibers and the subsequent carbonization. A research team at FH Aachen (Germany) has developed a method to accelerate the manufacturing process of carbon fibers. In the stabilization phase, PAN fibers are currently passed millimeter by millimeter through a massive industrial furnace, approximately 30 meters long (approx. 98 feet). There, they are heated to around 300 degrees Celsius (approx. 570°F) for 60 minutes. A free-standing plasma makes the difference here. During the research, there were attempts to treat the surface of the PAN fibers with a plasma beam. The researchers managed to decouple the plasma from the electrode. The result was a plasma with a cylindrical expansion, detached from plasma-generating elements. The researchers were able to use this free-standing plasma as a tool in a novel apparatus. The PAN fibers can now pass through the plasma without direct contact, allowing the heat to radiate evenly onto the fibers. As a result, the fibers no longer burn and can be stabilized in a controlled manner. Using the new method, the PAN now passes through the furnace at a speed of one millimeter per second (approx. 0.04 in/s), resulting in a total dwell time of only seven minutes instead of the previous 60 minutes to achieve full stabilization. The energy consumption of the stabilization phase is reduced by 80 percent. The production line is also now only about four meters long (approx. 13 feet). The researchers can even further develop these results and transfer them into an additionally optimized, industrially viable setup. Soon, the more efficient production could enable the automotive and aviation industries to increase their use of carbon fiber-reinforced components—making cars and planes lighter and their usage more environmentally friendly.

Better Handled

With Innovative Plasma Technology to Cheaper Carbon Fibers

Lightweight Construction: Sustainable Lightweight Construction with Magnesium and Shell Limestone

Oyster shells are generated in large quantities worldwide as a waste product of the food industry. Until now, they have mostly been disposed of in landfills or dumped into bodies of water. Researchers at the Hereon Institute for Materials and Process Design have now found a way to process the shells into magnesium foam as a sustainable resource. The team mixed powdered oyster shells into a magnesium-calcium alloy using a melting furnace. Since the shells are primarily composed of calcium carbonate (lime), the powder reacts at high temperatures to produce carbon dioxide (CO₂). The gas forms bubbles that remain within the viscous melt, thus creating the foam. Once cooled and solidified, the result is a metal foam with a homogeneous pore structure, where the CO₂ remains trapped. The unique features of the new material are its sustainable production, full recyclability, ultralight weight, and suitability for various applications. The porous structure makes the magnesium foam highly formable and allows it to absorb significant amounts of energy. This makes it particularly suitable for lightweight components designed to dampen vibrations or impacts, such as crumple zone parts in vehicles. The researchers also foresee future applications in shipbuilding, aviation, or protective equipment such as safety vests or pads, where low weight and high energy absorption capacity are critical.