The history of the institute

The outstanding reputation of Clausthal metallurgy and materials engineering at the former Clausthal Mining Academy is closely associated with the name of Günter Wassermann (1902-1986), who was head of the Institute of Metallurgy and Metal Physics from 1944-1976. Prof. Wassermann not only did pioneering work in the field of texture development in metallic materials, but was also intensively involved in a wide variety of metallurgical work. These include, for example, martensitic transformation in steels and ß-brass, precipitation hardening in light metals, and the production of composite materials by extrusion and drawing of various metals with additions of, for example, intermetallic compounds and oxides.

Prof. Wassermann was succeeded in 1976 by Hans-Joachim Bunge (1929-2004), who headed the institute until his retirement in 1997. Under Prof. Bunge, the texture research already cultivated by Wassermann was developed to its highest flowering with the help of a mathematical description of crystallographic textures by ODF functions.

In addition to the Institute of Metallurgy and Metal Physics, which in the meantime had become more theoretically and fundamentally oriented, an Institute of Materials Science and Engineering was founded at the TU Clausthal in 1977. Barry L. Mordike was entrusted with the management of this institute and held this office until his retirement in 1999. Prof. Mordike focused on the improvement of metallic materials by rapid solidification, powder metallurgy, surface treatment by laser beams and magnesium technology. As Prof. Bunge 's successor, Prof. Juri Estrin headed the Chair of Physical Materials Science at the Institute of Materials Science and Engineering from 2000 to 2007. Following a decision by the Executive Board of the Clausthal University of Technology, this chair was not reoccupied.

In 2002, Prof. Lothar Wagner succeeded Prof. Mordike as head of the Chair of Applied Materials Science and Materials Engineering at the Institute of Materials Science and Engineering and was director at the institute from 2005 to 2019.

Since 04/2019 Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dieter Meiners has been acting director of the institute.