Processing, infiltration, capillarity, solidification and casting;
Metals, alloys, metal matrix composites and microcellular metals;
Dislocations, plastic deformation, damage and fracture.
Micromechanics and micromechanical characterization.

Research at the Laboratory for Mechanical Metallurgy addresses the science and engineering of structural metallic materials, with particular focus on advanced materials including composites, microcellular metals and high-performance alloys, as well as novel materials processing methods. Research spans the entire spectrum from materials processing to the exploration of links between the microstructure and the mechanical or physical properties of metallic materials for both structural and functional applications.
 A significant thrust in our research has over the years been on the infiltration process and the materials it produces, with focus on the fundamentals of infiltration together with the design and exploration of novel materials, including metal matrix composites and microcellular metals and alloys. Other main thrust areas are in multiphase metallic materials, including metal matrix composites, microcellular porous metals, multiphase alloys and micromechanical testing of individual phases in such materials. We study their processing and their mechanical behaviour, including their plastic deformation, fracture and embrittlement, and investigate phase-scale properties and phenomena that govern their micromechanical behaviour.
 We also conduct collaborative research with industry on alloys and intermetallics, with focus on physical properties, mechanical behaviour, physical metallurgy, micromechanics and microstructural optimization.

 In current work we place focus on the development of a direct liquid metal deposition process for the additive processing of aluminium alloys, the micromechanical behaviour of oxide inclusions in iron and its alloys, as well as titanium alloys and composites produced by a novel rapid sintering method. For more information on our research, click on the "lmm.epfl.ch" link that you'll find near the top of the column to the right of this text.