13th alumni reunion and 60th anniversary of the Chair of General Material Properties
On Friday, May 9, 2025, around one hundred former graduates of the Chair came together to maintain old relationships and exchange ideas at the 13th alumni reunion. At the same time, the 60th anniversary of the Chair was celebrated. The day began with an “open-lab” event, where participants had the opportunity to view the various laboratories of the Chair and ask questions about current research topics. These included the mechanical stress equipment, such as fatigue and creep apparatus, but the two scanning electron microscopes were also presented by current doctoral students. It was also possible to view the high-pressure hydrogen loading, the atom probe and the nanomechanical test facilities, which make an important contribution to the current research topics at the Chair. The celebratory colloquium then started at 3 pm in the Bernhard Ilschner lecture hall. After a brief introduction by Prof. Göken and a welcome address by the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Prof. Dr. Kai Willner, Prof. Dr. Benoit Merle from the University of Kassel spoke about the nanomechanical properties of gold thin films, while PD Dr. Steffen Neumeier’s presentation focused on the effects of hydrogen on nickel-based superalloys. The second part of the colloquium was dedicated to the highly topical subject of sustainability. The speakers Prof. Dr. Peter Weidinger, Dr. Christian Schmidt and Prof. Dr. Heinz Werner Höppel highlighted various aspects of sustainability, such as the emission-free production of aluminum or the opportunities and challenges of sustainable structural materials.
From 6:30 p.m., all attendees gathered for dinner in the foyer of the IZNF to exchange ideas over dinner and bring the day to a close. Prof. Dr. Mathias Göken’s reminiscences on 60 years of materials research at the Chair of MSE I rounded off the successful event.