Within the scope of the research project funded by the DFG, a high-resolution scanning electron microscope with EDX, EBSD and STEM detectors as well as an external FIB will be procured and scientific staff will be provided to operate it for a period of 5 years. The proposed SEM is characterised by a combined electrostatic-magnetic objective, which allows very high magnifications at low acceleration voltages and field-free operation. This allows the characterisation of a wide range of different materials, including steels, electrochemically deposited alloys, polymers and composites, through to biological cells. These materials are of great interest for applied research at the university in the fields of mechanical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering as well as life sciences and are thus also of central importance for future research activities at the University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern.

The characterisation of materials by means of scanning electron microscopy and corresponding analytical extensions also offers ideal approaches for the interdisciplinary linking of research fields from the various disciplines, since on the one hand synergies and analogies can be found here (e.g. bionic structures), and on the other hand cross-thematic issues can also be addressed. There are concrete strategies for using the proposed large-scale equipment within the scope of current and proposed research projects. For example, this will make it possible to model damage processes in steels and derive parameters for a fatigue life from them. In concrete terms, this involves linking the material response with the material mechanisms that take place.