Materials ever since are key enabler for nearly all technological processes. Coming from the Stone Age through the Bronze Age and the Iron Age to the Modern Age new material classes exhibiting superior properties have defined eras in human development. This does not only include technological progress, but also directly affects the economic, ecologic, and social development of human mankind.
Current technological challenges of high relevance include power generation from renewable sources, e-mobility, CO2 reduction, to name but a few. Still, the major barrier for technological breakthrough in these fields is the lack of suitable materials meeting the technological demands on their property profile, for example.
- Largescale power generation:
Lack of suitable materials withstanding the high operating temperatures and corrosive attack - Electric mobility:
Lack of battery materials offering high electric capacity with a small ecological footprint - Hydrogen-powered heavy industries:
Lack of suitable H2 capture and storage solutions due to the high mobility of hydrogen - Direct CO2 and conversion:
Lack of suitable catalytic materials
The international Master course of Materials Engineering at RWTH Aachen University aims at addressing the abovementioned challenges by offering a broad study program in the field of materials science and engineering. This includes the entire materials development process starting with materials design on the atomic scale all the way to the construction of bulk components of high structural integrity and complex property profiles, naturally including the underlying production and manufacturing processes required. Specific emphasize is put on the correlation between materials composition, structure as well as production and manufacturing processes on the evolving properties.
Knowledge and understanding of these correlations will enable graduates of this study major to theoretically and experimentally address scientific as well as engineering problems both, in fundamental research and application-oriented development in industry. Graduates are able to manage projects and work in interdisciplinary teams using state-of-the-art materials simulation and analysis techniques to create novel materials solutions for innovative engineering applications and production processes.