Abstract: The mechanical behavior of heterogeneus materials such as composites, polycrystals or cellular materials, depends on their actual microstructure. Computational homogenization is a powerful tool that allows to link macroscopic behavior with microstructure by solving a boundary value
A virtual test lab for structural composite materials
You can read our view on advanced simulation tools for Fibre-Reinforced Polymers in JEC Magazine (Issue #111 - March 2017, pp. 110 - 111)
CRASHING II project
The CRASHING II project is the follow up of the Clean Sky CRASHING project and is focused on the modelling and simulation of the crashworthiness of and aircraft front fuselage using numerical composite material models developed in the initial project. The cabin model will be simulated in different
“A good scientist should be able to motivate and inspire the next generation of researchers”
An interview of Dr. Vinodkumar Etacheri, head of the Electrochemical Energy Storage group at IMDEA Materials Institute (Madri+d, in Spanish only)
Juan José Vilatela joins the Editorial Board of Scientific Reports
Dr. Juan José Vilatela, Senior Researcher at IMDEA Materials, joins the Editorial Board of Scientific Reports. Scientific Reports is an online, open access journal from the publishers of Nature. It publishes scientifically valid primary research from all areas of the natural and clinical sciences.
A yarn like sensor for composites
J. Carlos Fernández-Toribio There is a clear evidence that composites are an increasing field of interest. Thus, the demand for composites end products has reached 22.2$ billion in 2015 . This is due to their low weight and high mechanical resistance. Therefore, lighter structural parts can be
Teresa Pérez Prado elected Board Member of the Spanish Society for Materials (SOCIEMAT)
Dr. Teresa Pérez Prado, Senior Researcher at IMDEA Materials, has been elected Board Member of the Spanish Society for Materials (SOCIEMAT). The mission of the Spanish Society for Materials (SOCIEMAT) is to foster and disseminate the important research and development efforts carried out in Spain in
IMDEA Materials coordinates the Advanced Materials and Nanomaterials Spanish Technological Platform
Driven by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (MEIC), Technological Platforms are public-private team-work structures led by the industry, in which all the stakeholders of the Science-Technology-Innovation Spanish system interested in a given technological field, work
SORCERER project starts
Clean Sky Joint Undertaking 2 This project will develop revolutionary lightweight electrical energy storing composite materials for future electric and hybridelectric aircraft. Building on previous research in novel lightweight supercapacitor composites, structural battery and structural energy
ACERCOM project starts
Source(s): IMDEA Materials, Arcelor Mittal Within the framework of the coordinated project ACERCOM, coordinated by Arcelor Mittal, IMDEA Materials Institute will mainly carry out the modeling, fabrication and characterization of fiber metal laminates for application in marine wind energy. See the
On the Role of Alloy Composition and Sintering Parameters in the Bimodal Grain Size Distribution and Mechanical Properties of ODS Ferritic Steels
A. García-Junceda, M. Campos, N. García-Rodríguez, J.M. Torralba. On the Role of Alloy Composition and Sintering Parameters in the Bimodal Grain Size Distribution and Mechanical Properties of ODS Ferritic Steels. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A 47, 5325–5333,
Micro-macro mechanical relations in Palmetto wood by numerical homogenisation
Source(s): IMDEA Materials, Composite Structures E. I. Saavedra, S. Haldar. Micro-macro mechanical relations in Palmetto wood by numerical homogenisation. Composite Structures 154, 1-10, 2016. DOI: 10.1016/j.compstruct.2016.06.050
Symposium on New steels for applications under extreme conditions
Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A A. García-Junceda, M.J. Santofimia. Symposium on New steels for applications under extreme conditions. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A 47, 5271–5271, 2016. DOI: 10.1007/s11661-016-3766-2
Energy dissipation during delamination in composite materials – An experimental assessment of the cohesive law and the stress-strain field ahead of a crack tip
Source(s): IMDEA Materials, Composites Science and Technology M. Jalalvand, G. Czél, J. D. Fuller, M. R. Wisnom, L. P. Canal, C. D. González, J. LLorca. Energy dissipation during delamination in composite materials - An experimental assessment of the cohesive law and the stress-strain field ahead of
Strengthening mechanisms in nanostructured Al/SiCp composite manufactured by accumulative press bonding
Source(s): IMDEA Materials, Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A S. Amirkhanlou, M. Rahimian, M. Ketabchi, N. Parvin, P. Yaghinali, F. Carreño. Strengthening mechanisms in nanostructured Al/SiCp composite manufactured by accumulative press bonding. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A
NANOFIRE project
NANOFIRE project deals with the development of new generation nanomaterials via host-guest interaction as multifunctional fire retardants to polymers. The aim is to not only improve the flame retardancy and mechanical properties of conventional polymers, also impart the function to the
Miguel Angel Valdés
Research Assistant: High-strength steels. Contact: miguelangel.valdes@imdea.org
OptiQPAP project starts, coordinated by IMDEA Materials
OptiQPAP is an European project funded by the Research Fund for Coal and Steel. The OptiQPAP project focuses on the intelligent microstructural design in the high strength Q&P steels for simultaneous improvement of various performance and mechanical properties, which are required for their
New incorporation – Dr. Sarra Haouala
Position: Postdoctoral Researcher Phd: Engineering Sciences Polytechnic school of Louvain, Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), Belgium Research "Virtual Design, Virtual Processing and Virtual Testing of Metallic Materials"
New incorporation – Cecila Andradas
Predoctoral Researcher Degree in Chemistry Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain Research: "In silico synthesis of new materials"
IMDEA Materials Institute celebrates European Researchers’ Night Madrid 2015
Various researchers from IMDEA Materials Institute participate in the following activities (ES): Investigadores en la empresa. European corner Dentro de la actividad Investigadores en la empresa. European corner tendreis la posibilidad de conocer a varios Investigadores financiados por el
VIRTEST project
VIRTEST is an industrial contract with Fokker Aerostructures to develop a novel multiscale simulation strategy to predict the mechanical behaviour of aeronautical composite laminates structures under static and low-velocity impact loads. VIRTEST will lead to a significant reduction in the number of
New incorporation – Dr. David Portillo
Position:Visiting Research Associate PhD.: Polytechnic University of Madrid Research: Computational solid mechanics Contact: david.portillo(AT)imdea.org
New incorporation – Chuanyun Wang
Position: Research Assistant MSc.: Northwestern Polytechnical University, China Research: High throughput diffusion and phase transformation
New incorporation – Dr. David González
Position: Research Associate PhD: University of Manchester, UK Research: Crystal plasticity modeling Contact: david.gonzalez(AT)imdea.org
Research Initiation Fellowships (1st call)
IMDEA Materials Institute has awarded four Research Initiation Fellowships (1st call). See list of fellowships awarded
IMDEA researchers participate in COST action FLARETEX
The High Performance Nanocomposites group lead by Dr. De-Yi Wang participates in COST action MP1105: Sustainable flame retardancy for textiles and related materials based on nanoparticles substituting conventional chemicals (FLARETEX). Dr. De-Yi Wang was appointed as the National Representative from
New incorporation – Marta Cartón
Position: Research Asistant Research: Development and optimization of Co-base superalloys for high temperature applications Contact: marta.carton(AT)imdea.org
New incorporation – Miguel de la Cruz
Position: Laboratory Technician Contact: miguel.delacruz(AT)imdea.org
New generation of eco-benign fire retardants
Dr. De-Yi Wang, head of the High Performance Nanocomposites group of IMDEA Materials Institute, has been awarded a prestigious Marie Curie Action: "Career Integration Grant" (CIG) to carry out a four-year research project on design and processing of eco-benign multifunctional fire
Multifunctional Fibre Nanocomposites
The Multifunctional Nanocomposites group of IMDEA Materials Institute, led by Dr. Juan José Vilatela, has been awarded a prestigious Marie Curie Action Grant (CIG) to carry out a four-year research project on design and processing of Multifunctional Carbon Nanotube Fibre Nanocomposites. See MUFIN
PhD collaboration with STMicroelectronics, CEA, CNRS and Grenoble INP
IMDEA Materials has established a collaboration with the above French institutions to co-advise the PhD thesis of Benoit Sklenard on process simulation of the next generation of semiconductor devices.
Prof. John Allison elected to the National Academy of Engineering
Prof. Allison formerly was a senior technical leader with Ford Motor Co. He is recognized for contributions to automotive casting technology and computational materials engineering. Link to source new (Record Update, University of Michigan)
Optimization of high-performance polymeric fibres
Poly p-(phenylene benzobisoxazole) or PBO fibres are highly anisotropic polymeric fibres used in high-performance structural applications owing to their outstanding properties, such as high strength and stiffness as well as low density. The anisotropic fibre structure, which is responsible for the
Airbus entrusts IMDEA Materials the design of advanced shields against high-velocity ice impact
Airbus is already planning its A30X next generation aircraft to replace the A320, the standard Airbus jet airliner for short- to medium-range routes. The aircraft manufacturer has been evaluating new configurations through the European Union-funded Nacre (New Aircraft Concepts Research) project,
Morphing materials for aeronautic applications
IMDEA Materials collaborates with AERNNOVA in the development of novel morphing materials for aeronautic applications. Link to Project: Morphing materials for aeronautic applications
Training the next generation of composite engineers in the era of virtual testing
The use of polymer based composite materials in aircraft structures has increased dramatically in the last decades and today they represent up to 50% in weight (Airbus A350 and Boeing B787 Dreamliner aircrafts) for wings, fuselage sections and tail surfaces. The driving force for the introduction of
Dr. De-Yi Wang elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry
Dr. De-Yi Wang has been recently elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). Founded in 1841, RSC is the largest organization in Europe for chemical scientists and advancing the chemical sciences. RSC partners with industry and academia, advises governments on policy, and promotes the
Near Beta Ti project starts
Near Beta Ti project is firstly aimed at processing the selected near beta Ti alloy by high pressure torsion, characterizing the grain size and phase distribution of the resulting microstructures and measuring their mechanical behaviour. In addition, the development of phase transformations in near
New incorporation – Fernando Gómez
R&D Project Manager Graduated in Molecular Biology University of Córdoba, Spain fernando.gomez@imdea.org
Safer, more resistant and better insulating foams thanks to additives based on sepiolite
IMDEA Materials Institute, TOLSA S.A. and the CELLMAT laboratory are developing, within the project NEOADFOAM, novel fire retardant additives capable of improving at the same time the thermal insulation, mechanical and fire resistance properties of expanded polystyrene and rigid polyurethane
MicroTest project
MicroTest is an industrial contract with the European Powder Metallurgy Association (EPMA) to study the mechanical properties and the fracture behavior in correlation with the microstructure using real parts and specimens produced in industrial conditions. See MicroTest project description.
New incorporation – Angel Alvaredo
Predoctoral Researcher Degree in Materials Engineering Salamanca University, Spain Research: Composite Materials
Best doctoral theses from the Carlos III University of Madrid
The PhD Thesis entitled "High Temperature Mechanical Behavior of Al/SiC Nanoscale Multilayers" and “In-situ analysis of the high temperature deformation and fracture mechanisms of a ɣ-TiAl alloy", carried out by Drs. Saeid Lotfian and Rocío Muñoz at IMDEA
IMDEA Materials Institute celebrates European researchers’ Night 2014 Madrid
The European researchers' nights are events dedicated to popular science and fun learning. They are an opportunity to meet researchers, talk to them, and to find out what they really do for society, in interactive and engaging ways. This can be through hands-on experiments, science shows, learning
Dr. Ilchat Sabirov awarded at NanoSPD6 conference
Dr. Ilchat Sabirov, head of the Physical Simulation group at IMDEA Materials Institute, has received the Young Researcher Award for outstanding contribution to nano-severe plastic deformation research at the NanoSPD6 conference held past June 30 – July 4 2014 in Metz (France).
New incorporation – Dr. Vignesh Babu Heeralal
Position: Research Associate PhD: University Hyderabad, India Research: Novel Fire Retardant Polymers Contact: vignesh.heeralal(AT)imdea.org
Dr. Yuwen Cui elected as ASM committee member
During the past TMS2014 annual meeting and exhibition (San Diego, USA, 16-20/02/2014), Dr. Yuwen Cui was appointed as committee member of the ASM Alloy Phase Diagram (APD) for the next three years. ASM International is a materials science and engineering society where materials users,
3D microscopic analysis of plasticity in Mg alloys
Due to the global tendency to reduce the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, Magnesium alloys, as very light material, are being very attractive for the transportation industry. Researches of IMDEA Materials Institute in collaboration with prestigious European research centers, have proposed a
Success in the final FP7 calls
IMDEA Materials Institute is achieving great success in the last calls of the 7th Framework Programme. To date, our researchers have secured 6 R&D projects belonging to different lines of this programme: MICROMECH project (Clean Sky I JTI (Joint Technology Initiative)) MODENA, ICMEG and
New incorporation – Luis Carlos Herrera Ramírez
Position: Research Assistant University Carlos III of Madrid, Spain Research: Nano-Architectures and Materials Design Contact: luis.herrera@imdea.org
Vacuum Induction Melting and Casting System with Directional Solidification Device (VSG 002 DS, PVA TePla)
System employed for melting of a wide range of metals, alloys or special materials under high vacuum, fine vacuum or different gas atmospheres with subsequent casting into moulds or forms. In addition it is equipped with a directional solidification device, which enables growth of single crystals
Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (Q800, TA Instruments)
Instrument used to determine the elastic-viscous behavior of materials, mainly polymers. The machine works in the temperature range of -150 – 600 °C, frequency range of 0.01 – 200 Hz and the maximum force is 18 N. More info ….(+)
Nanotechnology for naval aplications
See Development of carbon nanotube-based epoxy resins for high performance fibre cables project description
Two Spanish researchers, in the front line of the metallic nanocomposites field
Dr. Jon M. Molina-Aldareguia, Senior Researcher of the IMDEA Materials Institute and member of the ESTRUMAT network, and Dr. Reyes Elizalde, Senior Researcher of the CEIT in San Sebastián, have been appointed as Invited Editors of a special issue of the Composites Science and Technology
Ceremony of the placement of the first stone of the building of the Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies of Materials (IMDEA Materials)
El Parque Científico y Tecnológico, Tecnogetafe, donde se ubicará el nuevo edificio es una iniciativa de la Comunidad de Madrid y el Ayuntamiento de Getafe. Con un área de cerca de 1 millón de metros cuadrados, es el Parque Tecnológico más grande de
On May 28th, the Scientific Council of IMDEA Materials held a meeting in Madrid to decide the future<br />strategic research lines of the institute
On May 28th, the Scientific Council of IMDEA Materials (Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies of Materials) held an important meeting to evaluate and decide the future strategic research lines of the institute. The quasi totality of the members of the Council attended this meeting: Prof. Brian
Yunfu Ou
Predoctoral Researcher: Multi-functional Graphene Thermoplastic Composite Materials. Contact: yunfu.ou@imdea.org
DYNACOMP project starts
DYNACOM is an European Industrial Doctorate (EID) programme focused on the design of the next generation of structural composite materials for high strain rate applications. Two of the major milestones of this EID are: (1) to offer 2 Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) a multidisciplinary and
STEM project starts
Dr. Juan José Vilatela, leader of the research program on "Nanomaterials for Multifunctional Applications" at IMDEA Materials, leads this prestigious ERC Starting Grant from the European Union. Dr. Vilatela and his research group will develop new multifunctional structural composite materials that
Success in call of the RFCS 2015
IMDEA Materials Institute will coordinate the European project OptiQPAP (Optimization of QP steels designed for industrial applications), funded by the Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RCFS, which is part of the Horizon 2020 framework programme). The Technological Centre CTM,
New incorporation – Dr. Laura Cabana
Position: Researcher Associate PhD: Universidad de Barcelona Research: "Hybrids based on carbon nanotube fibres" Contact: laura.cabana@imdea.org
X-ray diffractometer available
An X-ray diffractometer is now available at IMDEA Materials Institute. The system (Empyrean, PANalytical) allow for phase analysis, texture, and residual stress determination, as well as reflectometry. It is equipped with a state-of-the-art X-ray platform for the analysis of powders, thin films,
R&D collaboration agreement with STMicroelectronics and CEA
IMDEA Materials Institute, STMicroelectronics, one of the world’s largest semiconductor companies, and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) have recently signed a partnership agreement to perform a join research project in the field of microelectronics. This three
Micro-scale calorimeter available
A Micro-scale combustion calorimeter is now available at IMDEA Materials Institute. This system, maufactured by Fire Testing Technology performs rapid laboratory scale test of the flammability of materials on milligram quantities (in the order of mg) according to standard ASTM D7309-07. Check the
Dr. De-Yi Wang elected external scientific member of Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden
Past august 2014, Dr .De-Yi Wang, head of High Performance Nanocomposites group at IMDEA Materials Institute, was elected “External Scientific Member” (IPF Fellow) at the Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (IPF). IPF is one of the leading and largest polymer research
R&D contract between IMDEA Materials and Ferroatlantica S.L.
Silicio Ferrosolar S.L., part of Ferroatlantica S.L. group, has signed an R&D contract with IMDEA Materials Institute to optimize the production of solar-grade silicon via purification in high vacuum furnace. More details on SICASOL project
Visa difficulties when attracting talent
An article on the difficulties some of our foreign researchers face when coming to Spain has been published in “El Mundo”newspaper (nationwide publication).
IMDEA Materials starts MODENA project
MODENA is an European project funded by the 7th Framework Programme of the European Union. MODENA aims at developing, demonstrating and assessing an easy-to-use multi-scale software-modeling framework application under an open-source licensing scheme that delivers models with feasible computational
New incorporation – Miguel Herráez
Position: Research Asistant Research: Impact in composite materials Contact: miguel.herraez(AT)imdea.org
New Airbus Operations contract awarded
IMDEA Materials Institute has been awarded a new R&D contract by Airbus Operations to design composite shields against high energy impact of an open-rotor blade on the new NSA (New Single Aisle) aircraft fuselage concept. See BLADE IMPACT project description
New incorporation – Mónica Prieto de Pedro
Position: Research Assistant Complutense University of Madrid, Spain Research: Computer simulation of dislocations Contact: monica.prieto@imdea.org
1st IMDEA Materials Institute Scientific Imaging Contest
The 1st IMDEA Materials Institute Scientific Imaging Contest took place on October 1st. Two ex-equo awards were granted to Irene De Diego, who presented a scanning electron micrograph of an advanced high strength steel, and to Hangbo Yue, who participated with an image of a natural flax fiber
Cover of the "Chem. Sus. Chem" Journal
J. J. Vilatela, D. Eder. Nanocarbon Composites and Hybrids in Sustainability: A Review. ChemSusChem, 5, 456-478, 2012. DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201100536
New R&D contract with Airbus Operations
See: Semi-cured products manufacturing project description
IMDEA Materials Institute sets up a GLEEBLE 3800 thermo-mechanical simulator at its Leganes site
The worldwide demand of improving quality and efficiency of metallurgical processes and decreasing cost of the final products stimulates intensive research to reach these goals. However, large-scale industrial experiments are too expensive and very time-consuming. To decrease the research costs and
"Strategic partnerships: an effective technology transfer proposal for Spain”. Interview to Javier Llorca. Director of IMDEA-Materials
IMDEA Materials Director, Prof. Javier Llorca is part of the Spanish delegation of scientists visiting Japan
The Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and the Science and Technology Japanese Agency signed the 11th of March an agreement to develop joint research on nanotechnology and new materials oriented to face the environmental challenges and obtain a sustainable development. A Spanish delegation,
Rudi Maça
Predoctoral Researcher: Electrochemical energy storage. Contact: rudi.maca@imdea.org
Dr. Vinodkumar Etacheri
Researcher: Electrochemistry. PhD: Dublin Institute of Technology. Contact: vinodkumar.etacheri@imdea.org
Excellence in research at the intersection between science, engineering and medicine.
From 15th to 17th June at IMDEA Materials Institute the international congress “Research, Innovation and Leadership at the Crossroads of Science, Engineering and Medicine” will be held. Experts worldwide will analyze interdisciplinary research for the future at the point of intersection between
New incorporation – Dr. Joseba Múgica
Position: Researcher Associate PhD: Mondragón University, Spain Research: "Testing and Simulation of Advanced
COMETAD project starts
Whithin the framework of the coordinated project COMETAD, a new numerical tool for fire retardants will be developed. IMDEA Materials Institute main contribution in the project will to validate the numerical tool by performing a set of tailored lab-scale fire tests. See COMETAD project description.
New incorporation – Dr. Maciej Haranczyk
Position: Senior Reseacher PhD: University of Gdansk, Poland Research: Computational and Data-Driven Materials Discovery Address: C/ Eric Kandel, 2. Getafe, Madrid
Collaboration agreement with NanJing Tech University
IMDEA Materials Institute and the School of Materials Science and Engineering of NanJing Tech University (China) signed a memorandum of understanding past 14/05/2015. Both organisations want to pursue and promote joint research and development activities of mutual interest in multiscale
Prof. José Manuel Torralba appointed new Editor of Powder Metallurgy
Prof. José Manuel Torralba, Deputy Director of IMDEA Materials Institute and head of the Solid State Processing group, has been elected member of the Editorial Board of Powder Metallurgy Journal, an international journal publishing peer-reviewed original research on the science and practice
IMDEA Materials starts XMART project
XMART is an industrial collaboration between Industria de Turbopropulsores S.A. and IMDEA Materials Institute aiming to study the effect of porosity and its distribution on MAR-M-247 tensile and fatigue test specimens. See XMART project description.
R&D contract between IMDEA Materials and B/E AEROSPACE Inc.
B/E AEROSPACE Inc., worldwide leading manufacturer of aircraft passenger cabin interior products, has signed a three-year long R&D contract with IMDEA Materials Institute to to develop innovative materials for aircraft interiors based on advanced polymers and macroscopic fibres. The aim is to
Dual column tabletop universal testing system available
A dual column tabletop testing system is now available at IMDEA Materials Institute. The system (INSTRON 5966, INSTRON) has 10 kN of capacity and 1756 mm of vertical test space. This equipment is a universal, static testing system that performs tensile and compression testing; and also
New incorporation – Mohammad Marvi-Mashhadi
Position: Research Assistant MSc: Ferdowsi University of Mashhad , Iran Research: Multiscale modelling of PU foams Contact: mohammad.marvi(AT)imdea.org
IMDEA Materials starts its first Clean Sky project
MICROMECH is an European project funded by the Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative (JTI-Clean Sky) within the 7th Framework Programme of the European Union. This ambitious two years research project aims at developing a material model to simulate the mechanical behaviour of polycrystalline
New incorporation – Dr. Hyung-Jun CHANG
Position: Research Associate Grenoble INP, France / Seoul National University, South Korea Research: Multiscale plasticity Contact: hyungjun.chang(AT)imdea.org
R&D contract between IMDEA Materials and TOLSA
TOLSA S.A. and IMDEA Materials Institute have recently signed a R&D contract to carry out a study on the performance of sepiolite based additives in fire retardant systems. This one year project is led by Dr. De-Yi Wang, head researcher of the High Performance Nanocomposites group.
High temperature nanomechanical testing: …or the art of compressing pancakes…
Researchers at IMDEA Materials Institute and members of the ESTRUMAT, programme have implemented new high temperature nanomechanical testing techniques. The objective is two-fold. On the one hand, these techniques are necessary to study size effects in the mechanical properties of materials,
International R&D contract with GLOBALFOUNDRIES Singapore Pte Ltd
GLOBALFOUNDRIES is the world’s first full-service semiconductor foundry with a truly global footprint. Launched in March 2009, the company has quickly achieved scale as one of the largest foundries in the world, providing a unique combination of advanced technology and manufacturing to more
An IMDEA Materials Institute poster awarded at the European Congress EUROMAT 2011
The work presented “A mechanical model of neuronal growth” is part of his doctoral thesis supervised by Dr. Jerusalem, which is being developed within the framework of the Cajal Blue Brain Project.
The Board of Trustees of the IMDEA Materials Institute has appointed four prestigious international scientists as members of the Scientific Council
The main role of the Scientific Council is to provide advice to the Board of Trustees and to the Director in scientific matters. These include -among others- the evaluation of applications for research positions and of the research performance of the Institute personnel, the elaboration and
FASENOVA. – New metallic materials by compression and shear
The objective of this research project, funded by the EXPLORA program of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) is to evaluate the possibility of stabilising, under ambient conditions, high pressure metallic phases by the simultaneous application of compression and shear. The good
Composite Materials: a mature technology (by Dr. Carlos González, Senior Researcher of IMDEA Materials)
Los avances tecnológicos a lo largo de la historia han estado íntimamente ligados a descubrimiento y/o desarrollo de nuevos materiales. La edad de piedra o la del bronce, la revolución del silicio hace unas décadas, etc. son ejemplos evidentes de esta afirmación.
Designing advanced materials in a faster and more effective way
DIMMAT Project has published the new "Designing advanced materials in a faster and more effective way" (Diseñar materiales avanzados de manera más rápida y efectiva) in the industrial magazine "Metales y Metalurgia" This project is funded by the Comunity of
IMDEA Materials Institute celebrates European Researchers’ Night Madrid 2016
The European Researchers’ Night Madrid 2016 will take place next Friday 30th of September 2016. The events showcase what researchers really do for society, in interactive and engaging ways, and promote research careers to young people and their parents. IMDEA Materials participates in the
2016 ESCM young investigator award for Dr. Juan José Vilatela
Dr. Juan José Vilatela, leader of the research program on "Nanomaterials for Multifunctional Applications" at IMDEA Materials, has received the young investigator award from the European Society of Composite Materials (ESCM). This award recognizes the accomplishments of a young researcher who has
EQUINOX project starts
EQUINOX is an European project funded by the Horizon 2020 programme of the European Union. The main objective of EQUINOX is to develop a novel process that allows to substitute Cr/Ni based (stainless) steel parts used in high volume end consumer products such as in the lock industry,
Irene de Diego awarded best PhD Thesis by VDEh
Dr. Irene de Diego Calderon has received the Young Academics’ European Steel Award from the Association of German Steel Manufacturers (VDEh) for her PhD thesis “Mechanical properties of advanced high-strength steels produced via quenching and partitioning”, which has been
RAMAN micro-spectroscopy system available
A RAMAN micro-spectroscopy system is now available at IMDEA Materials Institute. This system (Renishaw PLC) obtains the vibrational spectra of the molecular bonds. It is fully equipped with a Leica DM2700 microscope with 5x, 20x, 50x, 100x objectives, a 532nm Nd:YAG laser (50 mW at 532 nm) and a
Arc melting and casting furnace available
An arc furnace is now available at IMDEA Materials Institute. This equipment (Arc 200, Arcast Inc.) allows melting, alloying, casting, rapid solidification and atomization of reactive and high melting point elements and alloys up to 3500°C using a clean ceramic free cold crucible process.
Facilities for high-energy milling available
Planetary mills are now available at IMDEA Materials Institute. The systems (PULVERISETTE 6 classic & 7 premium, FRITSCH) allows for grinding a wide variety of sample materials down to the nano range (rotational speeds up to 1000 rpm in model PULVERISETTE 7). Check the whole processing
New incorporation – Qian Liu
Position: Research Asistant (visiting) MSc.: University of Science and Technology Beijing, China Research: Metal matrix composites
New incorporation – Almudena Casado
Position: Research Assistant BEng: Carlos III University of Madrid, Spain Research: Solidification and casting Contact: almudena.casado(AT)imdea.org
New incorporation – Dr. Olben Falcó
Position: Research Associate PhD: University of Girona, Spain Research: Modelling of non-conventional composites Contact: olben.falco(AT)imdea.org
3D-Stacked Hybrid SRAM Cell To Be Built by European Scientists
IMDEA Materials Institute starts COMPOSE3 project, based on the use of new materials to replace today’s silicon, and on taking an innovative design approach where transistors are stacked vertically, known as 3D stacking. IMDEA Materials Institute will use Lattice Kinetic Monte Carlo to
Nanomechanical Testing of Strong Solids at High Temperatures
The general objective of this project is the development of micromechanical characterization techniques at high temperature for the study of strong nanoscale multilayered materials. See HOTNANOMECH project description
1st workshop on graphene and 2D materials proved to be a great success
IMDEA Materials Institute hosted the 1st international workshop on graphene and 2D materials past Tuesday 16th of July. The event gathered together some of the most reputed researchers working in the field (see event programme), who presented the latest findings and advances to an audience of
New incorporation – Prof. Ignacio Romero
Position: Visiting Scientist Research: Computational Solid Mechanics PhD: Berkeley, University of California, USA Contact: ignacio.romero@imdea.org
Ultrasound non-destructive inspection system, C-Scan (TRITON 1500, Tecnitest)
to detect and evaluate defects by non-destructive ultrasounds technique. The system finds and determines the size and position of the typical defects in composite materials (voids, delaminations, cracks, etc). Evaluation of state of resin cure, the fiber volume fraction, the condition of the
Triple Roller Mill (Exakt 80 E, Exact Technologies)
Machine used to disperse fillers and additives in viscous matrix. The shearing forces to break agglomerate are generated by three hardcrome-plated rollers that rotate at different angular velocities and where gap (minimum 5 µm) and speed setting are controlled electronically. More info
Multi atomistic simulation for microelectronics and nuclear fusion applications
See MASTIC project description
Kickoff of the European project VANCAST, coordinated by IMDEA Materials Institute
On November 11th, the kickoff meeting of the European project VACAST was held at IMDEA Materials facilities. The objective of the project is to develop the next generation of Ni-based superalloy nozzle guide vane (NGV) design and manufacturing capability for low pressure turbines of advanced
IMDEA-Materials participates in the European FP7 project "Innovative Material Synergies & Composite Processing Strategies" (IMS&CPS)
This FP7 cooperation project, led by COEXPAIR, aims to combine carbon nanotubes with high-performance carbon fibres to create highly innovative materials for aerospace, train and automotive applications. Link to the project description
Towards a new generation of materials
The atoms of metals are organized in ordered structures denominated crystal lattices. The geometry of the latter depends of the nature of the material as well as of temperature and pressure. At room temperature and atmospheric pressure, pure metals like gold, aluminium and copper have cubic
NABISCO project
NABISCO project, funded by the China Scholarship Council, deals with the development of strategies to integrate macroscopic fibres and films of CNTs into structural laminate composites. The aim is to improve the mechanical properties of traditional fibre-reinforced polymer composites, while
HYDTCOMP project
This project concerns the development of technologies for local hybridization in cases where it is necessary (e.g. hybridization during tow spreading). New techniques will be used as the tow spreading, hybrid unidirectional tapes or laminates combining layers of different thickness (thin and
TK-COBALT project
The objective of this investigation, with a focus on the Co-base high temperature alloys and funded by the China Scholarship Council, aims at developing a robust high throughput diffusion couple technique. The new technique will enable fast mapping of such information as phase
New incorporation -Jaime Castro
Predoctoral Researcher Aeronautical Engineer Polytechnic University of Madrid Research "Vacuum assisted infiltration, microfluid flow, X-ray tomography, polymer-matrix composites"
Dr. De-Yi Wang selected as Associated Editor of RSC Advances
Dr. De-Yi Wang, head of the High Performance Polymer Nanocomposites group at IMDEA Materials Institute, has been selected as Associate Editor of "RSC Advances" since October 2015. RSC Advances is a high impact journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry. RSC Advances is an international,
Electric curing technology for qualified aerospace epoxy resins is being validated at AIRBUS Getafe
IMDEA Materials Institute, in cooperation with the R&T Materials & Processing unit of AIRBUS Operations, has completed the first validation trials at AIRBUS Getafe facilities of an alternative curing technology for commercial epoxy resins/adhesives by passing an electrical current trough
New incorporation – Raquel García
Position: Project Manager Degree in Industrial Electronic Engineering, University of León, Spain MBA: International University of La Rioja, Spain
Spanish Technological Platform for advanced Materials and Nanomaterials
IMDEA Materials Institute has received a grant (PTR-2014-0406) for the Spanish Ministry of Competitiveness and Innovation (MINECO) to manage the Spanish Technological Platform for advanced Materials and Nanomaterials (MATERPLAT) in the period 2014-2015. More details and information about this
New incorporation – Evgeny Senokos
Position: Research Asistant MSc.: Lomonosov Moscow University, Russia Research: Nanostructured supercapacitors Contact: evgeny.senokos(AT)imdea.org
Success in National fellowships calls
IMDEA Materials Institute has achieved great success in the last calls of the National fellowships programmes. Two researchers will join the “Ramón y Cajal” programme (2013 call) and one will join the postdoctoral fellowship programme (2013 call).
New incorporation – Dr. Andrey Sarikov
Position: Research Associate PhD: V. Lashkarev Institute of Semiconductor Physics, Ukraine Research: Epitaxial growth of SiGe and III-V materials Contact: andrey.sarikov(AT)imdea.org
Dual beam (FIB/SEM) facilities available
IMDEA Materials Institute logo (size is 50 µm x 40 µm) fabricated using a FIB-FEGSEM dual beam microscope A FIB-FEGSEM Dual-beam microscope is now available at IMDEA Materials Institute. The system (Helios NanoLab 600i, FEI) is fully equipped with STEM
Research collaboration with Eurocopter España S.A.
The goal of this research collaboration is to identify and select new material concepts for possible use and incorporation into the future rear fuselages which operate at high temperature. See Pre-HITMAAS project description
High performance environmentally friendly fire retardant epoxy nanocomposites
Dr. De-Ti Wang and Prof. Javier LLorca will carry out a research project in collaboration with the China Scholarship Council (China) to develop high performance fire retardant, halogen-free epoxy nanocomposites by means of molecular design and advanced chemical
Guanglong Xu has been awarded with a CALPHAD scholarship
Guanglong Xu has been awarded with a CALPHAD scholarship as a PhD student to give presentation at the coming international conference CALPHAD XLII to be held at San Sebastian (Spain) next May 26-31.
Multiscale modeling of plasticity: application to forming processes
Engineering alloys are heterogeneous materials formed by aggregation of grains with different orientation of one or more metallic phases. Plastic deformation occurs by dislocation and/or twinning in each microscopic grain and depends on the grain orientation, size and shape, the stresses
Defense of the first doctoral thesis entirely carried out at IMDEA Materials
The thesis entitled "Micromechanical Characterization and Simulation of the Effect of Environmental Aging in Structural Composite Materials” represents the first doctoral thesis fully developed at the IMDEA Materials facilities since its research activities started at the beginning of
Important participation of IMDEA Materials Institute in EUROMAT 2011
For further information visit EUROMAT 2011 Website
RADINTERFACE, Multiscale Modelling of radiation damage in materials for nuclear reactors
IMDEA Materials Institute participates in the FP7 European project RADINTERFACE, which aims at constructing a bottom-up framework (advanced predictive tool) allowing discovery and quantifications of materials damage mechanisms and effects on mechanical properties for novel crystalline materials with
IMDEA-Materials has signed an agreement with Carlos III University to use the Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) facilities
IMDEA Materials has signed an agreement with the Transmission Electron Microscopy Laboratory (LABMET) of the Physics Department at the Carlos III University to provide Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) characterization of materials. The LABMET has a FEI Tecnai 20 FEG TEM with X-Ray
Interview to IMDEA Materials President, Mr. Pedro Muñoz Esquer
"If Spain wants to get out of the crisis and create employment, the only way is to invest in technology and innovation". Link to the complete text: Madri+d
NANOLAM project
NANOLAM project is part of a collaborative research effort between IMDEA Materials and Arizona State University in order to study the high temperature nanoindentation and micropillar compression behavior of Al/SiC nanolaminates. Check the whole description of the NANOLAM project
EMULATE project
EMULATE project proposes a multidisciplinary approach to enhance the comprehension of metal machining. For that, the following three topics will be analyzed in order to improve this technology: 1) the development of accurate material models that incorporate the mechanisms of plasticity at the
HIPREP project
The objective of this investigation, funded by the China Scholarship Council, is to develop high performance reinforced fire-retardant polymers via special molecular design, chemical functionalization of the reinforced fibers and advanced polymer processing. The fire behaviours, mechanical
New incorporation – Fernando Fernández
New incorporation – Dr. Juan Ignacio Beltrán
Position: Researcher Associate PhD: Physics, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Research: "Thermodynamics and Atomistics
New incorporation – Prof. Arnaud Weck
Position: Visiting Researcher Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Short Bio Prof. Weck obtained his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from INSA-Lyon in France, his Ph.D. in Materials Science and
Exporting excellent science
Our internationalization strategy, based on mid-long term partnerships with key companies, highlighted in madri+d website. Read the whole story (ES)
Saeid Lotfian & Rocío Muñoz awarded best PhD Thesis by UC3M
The PhD Thesis entitled "High Temperature Mechanical Behavior of Al/SiC Nanoscale Multilayers" and “In-situ analysis of the high temperature deformation and fracture mechanisms of a ɣ-TiAl alloy", carried out by Drs. Saeid Lotfian and Rocío Muñoz at IMDEA Materials
Fatigue testing system available
A fatigue testing system is now available at IMDEA Materials Institute. The system (INSTRON 8802, INSTRON) allows a broad range of static and dynamic test applications from basic metals to larger scale component testing. Typical applications of this servohydraulic machines include fracture
New incorporation – Juan José Torres
Position: Research Assistant BEng: Tecnun, Spain Research: Voids in out-of-autoclave prepregs Contact: juanjose.torres(AT)imdea.org
New incorporation – Vanessa Hernán-Gómez
Position: Accounting Assistant Contact: vanessa.hernangomez(AT)imdea.org
IMDEA Materials starts PilotManu project
PilotManu is an European project funded by the 7th Framework Programme of the European Union. PilotManu will upscale of the current mechanical alloying technological facility into a powder manufacturing pilot line by further developing existing IPR-covered results owned by the consortium related to
New incorporation – Dr. Aitor Cruzado
Position: Research Associate PhD: Mondragon University, Spain Research: Multiscale plasticity Contact: aitor.cruzado(AT)imdea.org
Final year project on carbon nanotube growth receives regional award
Carbon nanotube growth on conventional engineering materials
New incorporation – Dr. Carmen Cepeda
Position: Research Associate University of Alicante, Spain Research: Al and Mg nanocomposites Contact: carmen.cepeda@imdea.org
Airbus Operations SAS signed a two years contract with IMDEA Materials
IMDEA Materials Institute and Airbus Operations SAS based in Toulouse will collaborate in a research project to develop Virtual Testing tools based on Multiscale Modelling techniques. This new R&D contract strengthens IMDEA Materials´ internationalisation strategy. See SIMSCREEN
Virtual testing of low-velocity impact on carbon fibre composites
See project description.
Cover of the “Journal of Materials Research”
SIMUCOMP, Advanced Numerical Simulations of Inter- and Intralaminar Failures in Composite
The Computational Mechanics of Materials group of IMDEA Materials Institute leads the European project SIMUCOMP which aims to help design and stress engineers assess the structural integrity and the damage tolerance of lightweight composite structures through provision of new accurate and predictive
Professor Javier Llorca, Director of IMDEA-Materials, has been awarded the annual research award of the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM)
Professor Llorca has dedicated more that 25 years to research in the field of Materials Science and Engineering. His research activity has been focused on the analysis of the relationship between microstructure and mechanical properties in advanced structural materials. In particular, he has
Interview to IMDEA Materials Director, Prof. Javier Llorca
"Only enterprises investing in technology will survive" Link to the complete text: Madridiario El profesor Javier Llorca, doctor ingeniero de Caminos, es catedrático y responsable del grupo de investigación en “Materiales Estructurales Avanzados y Nanomateriales” de la Universidad
Dr. Daniel Cíntora-Juárez
Research Associate: Electrochemical Energy Storage, Nanomaterials. Contact: daniel.cintora@imdea.org
EXTRECP project
The goal of the EXTECP project, funded by the China Scholarship Council, is the development of coupled thermomechanical crystal plasticity models to simulate problems under extreme conditions: very large strain rates and high temperatures. See the whole description of the EXTRECP project.
New incorporation – Rodrigo Santos
Position: Predoctoral Researcher Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering. Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands Research "Virtual Design, Virtual Processing and Virtual Testing of Metallic Materials"
Dr. Juan José Vilatela receives the prestigious ERC Starting Grant
Dr. Juan José Vilatela, Head of the Multifunctional Nanocomposites research group at IMDEA Materials Institute, has obtained the prestigious ERC Starting Grant from the European Research Council. Dr. Vilatela will receive € 1.5 million along the next 5 years to
TEM microscopy available
A FEG S/TEM microscope is now available at IMDEA Materials Institute. The system (Talos F200X, FEI) combines outstanding high-resolution S/TEM and TEM imaging with an energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) integrated system fully compatible with high-resolution 3D tomography. It is also
New incorporation – Professor Rigoberto Burgueño
Position: Visiting Researcher Ph.D. in Engineering Sciences (Structural Engineering) University of California, San Diego, USA. Professor of Structural Engineering, Michigan State University Research Interests Multiscale assessment and design of tailored materials, devices and structures.
New incorporation – Raquel Sanguine
Position: Research Assistant MSc Universidad Pontificia Católica de Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil Research: Solidification processing and properties of Zn-Al hypoeutectic alloys
New incorporation – David Maldonado
Position: Laboratory Technician BSc.: Telecommunications Engineering, Valencia University, Spain Contact: david.maldonado(AT)imdea.org
New incorporation – Dr. Jian Xu
Position: Research Associate PhD.: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium Research: Multiscale modeling of composites Contact: jian.xu(AT)imdea.org
New incorporation – Prof. Jiang Wang
Position: Visiting Scientist PhD: Central South University, India Research: Computational Alloy Design Contact: jiang.wang(AT)imdea.org
New incorporation – Juan Carlos Fernández
Position: Research Assistant MSc: Carlos III University of Madrid, Spain Research: Electric curing of CNT/epoxy resins Contact: juancarlos.fernandez(AT)imdea.org
Next Generation High Performance Epoxy-based Composites: Green Recycling and Molecular-level Fire Retardancy
The general objective of this project istwo fold: i) designing and developing of novel multifunctional high reactivity curing agents constituted of controllable functional cross-linking groups on the wall of beta-cyclodextrin structures (easily recyclable after end of lifetime) and ii) studying
European Powder Metallurgy Association (EMPA) awards Prof. José Manuel Torralba
Prof. José Manuel Torralba (Deputy Director of IMDEA Materials Institute) received the European Power Metallurgy Association (EMPA) Distinguished Service Award 2013 during the Euro PM2013 conference held past September in Goteborg (Sweden). The EPMA Distinguished Service Awards are presented
Screening of phase transformation kinetics of Ti alloys
Drs. Yuwen. Cui and Javier Segurado will carry out a research project in collaboration with the China Scholarship Council (China) to develop a high throughput diffusion multiple technique for screening of phase transformation kinetics in Ti alloys, which will be used
Highest grade for Silvia Hernandez´s PhD thesis
Silvia Hernandez defended her PhD thesis entitled “Cure, Defects and Mechanical Performance of Fiber-Reinforced Composites” on March 11th at the Civil Engineering School of the Technical University of Madrid (UPM). Her work was awarded the highest grade by the PhD committee. Dr.
R&D agreement with State Key Lab of Metal Matrix Composites of Shanghai Jiao Tong University
IMDEA Materials Institute and State Key Lab of Metal Matrix Composites has recently signed a two years colaboration agreement to promote joint research and development activities in the area of multi-scale modeling for functional materials and composites. In addition, this agreement opens a
Simulation of the mixed microstructure in new Q&P high strength steels
See MODELQP project description
3<sup>rd</sup> Generation Advanced High Strength Steels
See NEWQP project description
Eva Moreno completed her Master thesis with Honors
The research project “Grain size and temperature effect on mechanical behavior of an aluminum alloy”, have been supervised by the leader of the Physical Simulation Group of IMDEA Materials Institute, Dr. Ilchat Sabirov.
Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) confers Honorary Degree to Professor Subra Suresh, Dean of MIT School of Engineering. The ceremony will be held on January, 28th, at 11:00h am, in the Paraninfo of the UPM
Link to the complete text: UPM.es
Foro de Ciencia y Tecnología: Perspectivas y nuevos desarrollos en materiales avanzados y nanociencia
Tras el éxito de la primera jornada del Foro de Ciencia y Tecnología madri+d en Nuevos Materiales y Nanotecnología, la segunda jornada presentará, entre otras, las actividades de los Institutos Madrileños de Estudios Avanzados IMDEA Materiales e IMDEA
HIGHRATE project
This project will study high strain rate mechanical behavior of novel Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS). The results of these investigations will greatly contribute to understanding of mechanical behavior of the AHSS and help to reduce the dimensions of the AHSS components used in the automotive
Carbon nanotube “stitches” strengthen composites
The newest Airbus and Boeing passenger jets flying today are made primarily from advanced composite materials such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic (extremely light, durable materials that reduce the overall weight of the plane by as much as 20 percent compared to aluminum-bodied planes). Such
Success in call ITN 2016, Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
IMDEA Materials Institute has been awarded a European Industrial Doctorate (EID) to train 2 PhD students together with Hexcel Corporation and Micro Materials Ltd in the field of dynamic behaviour of composite materials for next generation aeroengines. Job vacancies will
New incorporation – Fernando Fernández
VIRMETAL project starts
Prof. Javier LLorca, Director of IMDEA Materials Institute, leads this prestigious ERC Advanced Grant from the European Union. Prof. Llorca and his research group will receive develop multiscale modeling strategies along the next 5 years to carry out virtual design, virtual processing and virtual
Prof. Javier LLorca receives the prestigious ERC Advanced Grant
Prof. Javier LLorca, Director of IMDEA Materials Institute, has obtained the prestigious ERC Advanced Grant from the European Union. Prof. LLorca will receive € 2.5 million along the next 5 years to develop multiscale modeling strategies to carry out virtual design, virtual processing
IMDEA Materials and Fokker collaborate to implement novel multiscale simulation strategy
The collaboration between IMDEA Materials and Fokker Aerostructures has just been showcased in NetComposites journal (link to the article in NetComposites). The bilateral project VIRTEST, headed by Dr. Claudio Lópes, will lead to an improved understanding of the material behavior and the
Computational Materials Science. The future is virtual
Our director, Prof. Javier LLorca explains new strategies for the design of novel materials by means of computational science (ES).
IMDEA Materials starts SIMUFOING project
SIMUFOING is an industrial contract between Industria de Turbopropulsores S.A. (ITP) and IMDEA Materials Institute to develop new simulation techniques that can be used to predict damage on plane engines due to the ingestion of hail and birds. See all projects in the Integrated Computational
PhD defense – Saeid Lotfian
Mr. Saeid Lotfian will defend his PhD thesis entitled "High Temperature Mechanical Behavior of Al/SiC Nanoscale Multilayers" next Monday 30th of June at 12:00 h in Carlos III of Madrid (video room 3.1.S08, Leganés campus (Madrid)). His work has been supervised by Dr. Jon Mikel
New incorporation – Dr. Edison Alfredo Bonifaz
Position: Research Associate PhD: University of Navarra, Spain Research: Multiscale plasticity Contact: edison.bonifaz(AT)imdea.org
New incorporation – Dr. Bin Tang
Position: Research Associate PhD: Northwestern Polytechnical University, China Research: Phase field simulation of high-temperature alloys Contact: bin.tang(AT)imdea.org
New incorporation – Alberto Jesús Palomares
Position: Research Assistant Research: Micromechanics of intermetallic materials Contact: alberto.palomares(AT)imdea.org
New incorporation – Prof. Mauricio Terrones
Position: Visiting Scientist (01/07/2013-31/07/2013) Penn State University, USA / Shinshu University, Japan Research: Synthesis and Properties of Novel Nanocarbons Link to the researcher profile
New incorporation – Marcos Angulo
Position: Laboratory Technician Contact: marcos.angulo@imdea.org
The Master thesis of Julian García obtains the maximum grade with Honors
The research project “Neurite: a finite difference continuum model of the electrophysiological-mechanical coupling in neurons under mechanical loading” has been co-supervised by Dr. Antoine Jerusalem and Dr. Jose María Peña of IMDEA Materials Institute and Polytechnic
Development of advanced NiAl-based in situ composites with tunable properties
See SUPRA NiAl-LOYS project description.



















