Generally, the mechanical properties such as ductility, strength, resistance to creep, and fatigue of engineering materials are determined by their (micro)structure at different geometric scales.
For a vast majority of materials, the microstructure can be characterised as a composite of different phases, sometimes with vastly different properties. Consequently, the behaviour of such multiphase material is determined by the properties of the individual phases and the fashion in which these phases interact. The ultimate goal is to use this type of knowledge and predictive capability as a key ingredient in the design of highly reliable, durable, and high-performance products for a sustainable society.
The character of research activities within our division in this active field is largely generic; therefore, it can be applied to a wide range of materials within the various fields of mechanical, civil, aerospace, and vehicle engineering. More specifically, the research is currently focused on hard metals, high temperature alloys, pearlitic steel, porous media, rock, and concrete. In terms of mathematical modelling, the research activities include plasticity, viscoplasticity, crystal plasticity, gradient plasticity, cohesive zone modelling, fluid-solid micro-interaction, computational homogenisation, and finite element technology (such as XFEM).