Durability
Coordinator Prof. dr. J.H.W. de Wit,
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Durability is aimed at extending the lifetime of constructions and devices with diminished safety risks at low costs and aimed at energy and materials conservation during all stages of the lifetime of constructions in a total system’s performance approach. This starts at the production stage and includes the end of life of the construction and possible recycling of the materials.
A focal point of this research cluster is gaining detailed insight in the relation between microstructure, corrosion performance of materials and other surface properties. A thorough understanding of this relation will enable optimizing the corrosion performance. Because most structural materials (metals, hybrids, etc) will remain sensitive to attack by the environment when used without tailor-made protection systems, a second focal point of this cluster is therefore the development of new and improved protective coatings in relation to the function of the structure during its full lifetime. Protective coatings will only be durable if well attached to the surface of the base materials of the structure. A third focal point is thus the behavior of the interface between the substrate and the often multiple coating layers. The combination of these three approaches will enable breakthrough innovations.
Examples are stronger and lighter materials with improved corrosion resistance for automotive applications, new hybrid materials with high durability in aerospace applications, anticorrosion and anti-fouling coatings for ships, and biocompatible coatings for medical implants.
Examples of research projects in this cluster are:
• Enhanced corrosion protection by microstructural control of aluminium brazing sheet
• Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC) in Ship Tank Environments
• Inherent corrosion susceptibility of plastic encapsulated semiconductor devices
• Corrosion of ultra high strength steels (UHSS) for automotive applications
