The aim of the specific research activities of the ExtreMat project is to undertake the scientific research and development of new key materials and production processes for application in extreme environments. As these new key materials are defined from the viewpoint of the operational environment and the required functions, the programme aims at an approach covering theoretical materials modelling and engineering, the corresponding atomic bulk, interface and surface processing, and functional design of these composite materials on the nano- and microscopic level. The synthesis of these engineered materials into multi-material compounds will lead to the specific components needed for each application.

The development and intensive use of modelling and materials design tools is required to understand and eventually to optimise the interaction of materials constituents from the nanoscopic to the macroscopic level. This knowledge-based approach will greatly reduce the amount of experimental work and allow a strongly focussed approach to materials synthesis.

In detail, the approach comprises:

• understanding of complex and extreme loading conditions and the corresponding response of materials;
• design and development of new materials by tailoring of the required composition and structure on atomic, nanoscopic, interfacial and mesoscopic scales;
• new processing routes for the synthesis of these radically new and specifically tailored materials;
• scaling to industrial production and application to component fabrication
  
  
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