New materials often have significant advantages over traditional materials; for example, they can be lighter, harder, more flexible or more long-lasting. However, their damage tolerance is not always clear, which can lead to considerable safety risks in the event of unforeseen incidents. The objective of the LOEWE research cluster Safer Materials is to develop methods and technical expertise that will make materials safe and reliable when stretched to their performance limits and when subject to various external influences. In the focus of the investigations are the well-chosen material classes high-strength concretes and steels, secondary aluminium and biobased plastics.The researchers are also recording the interactions between human behaviour during production and processing and the material properties, a field that had previously been largely unexplored. The LOEWE research cluster is ultimately intended to become a new materials engineering subdiscipline at Kassel University.

Participating Institutes

• Metallic materials
  Prof. Dr. Scholtes
  Department of Materials Engineering
  Link to the website

• Quality and reliability
  Prof. Dr. Brückner-Foit
  Department of Materials Engineering
  Link to the website

• Plastics engineering
  Prof. Dr. Heim/ Dr. Feldmann
  Department of Materials Engineering
  Link to the website

• Engineering mechanics / continuum mechanics
  Prof. Dr. Ricoeur
  Department of Mechanics
  Link to the website

• Structural materials and building chemistry
  Prof. Dr. Middendorf
  Department of Civil Engineering
  Link to the website

• Work and organisation psychology
  Prof. Dr. Sträter
  Department of Ergonomics and Process Management
  Link to the website