Ralf Riedel

Ralf Riedel (born February 11, 1956) is a German professor of Materials Science at the Technical University of Darmstadt (TU Darmstadt) in Germany. He is known for his contributions to ceramics, polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs), and high-performance materials, which has advanced the understanding and application of ceramic materials in diverse fields such as aerospace, automotive, and energy technologies.

Early life and education

Riedel studied chemistry at the University of Stuttgart with his Diploma Thesis concerning "Versuche zur Reduktion von Aldehyden mit weißem Phosphor". From 1984, he pursued a Ph.D. in the field of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Stuttgart. In 1986, he graduated with his dissertation Weißer Phosphor als Edukt für die Synthese phosphororganischer Verbindungen.

After education, Riedel undertook postdoctoral research at Max Planck- Institute for Metals Research, Institute for Materials Research, PML, Stuttgart, where he expanded his expertise in materials processing and characterization techniques. Between 1986 and 1992, he worked on his habilitation concerning "Nicht-oxidische Keramiken aus anorganischen Vorstufen" under supervision of Prof. Dr. G. Becker and Prof. F. Aldinger.

Career

Riedel was establishing and leading the Dispersive Solids Group at the Institute of Materials Science, Technical University of Darmstadt (TU Darmstadt) as professor from 1993 until his retirement in 2022. His research in the Dispersive Solids Group focused on the development of polymer-derived ceramics, high- temperature materials, and functional ceramics for structural and electronic applications.

Ralf Riedel's career spans several decades and is marked by contributions to materials science, particularly in the development and application of polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs) as well as high pressure materials synthesis. His work bridges theoretical research and practical applications, impacting industries ranging from aerospace to electronics. Below is a detailed exploration of his professional journey.

Research contributions

Riedel´s early research focused on developing ceramic materials through innovative synthesis routes, Highlights of Riedel´s research at the Dispersive Solids Group are as follows:

Polymer-Derived Ceramics (PDCs)

Riedel is known for his work on PDCs. He has developed methods to design ceramics at the molecular level, enabling the production of materials with tailored properties. These advances have applications in high-performance coatings, lightweight structural materials, and energy storage technologies. His research into PDCs has been important in extending their use to fields like aerospace engineering and microelectronics.

High-Temperature Ceramics

Riedel's work on ceramics designed for high-temperature environments has advanced the understanding of the thermal stability, creep resistance, and oxidation behavior of ceramics under extreme conditions.

Ceramic Composites

In addition to PDCs, Riedel has contributed to the field of ceramic composites, where he has developed lightweight, high-strength materials by integrating ceramic matrices with other reinforcing materials. These composites are used in applications requiring exceptional mechanical properties, such as turbine blades and wear-resistant components.

Sustainability and Green Technologies

In recent years, Riedel has focused on using sustainable materials and processes in ceramics manufacturing, contributing to the development of environmentally friendly materials for energy-efficient systems.

Collaboration with Industry

Throughout his career, Riedel has worked closely with industrial partners to ensure the translation of his research into practical applications. He has collaborated with companies in sectors such aerospace, automotive and energy

Awards and honors

1999: Dionyz-Stur-Gold Medal for Merits in Natural Science, Slovak Academy of Science, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

2000: Fellow of "The American Ceramic Society" (USA)

2004: Elected Member of the "World Academy of Ceramics"

2005: Nomination as Guest Professor at the Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China

2006: Honorary Doctor (Dr. h. c.) of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

2009: Honorary Professor (Prof. h. c.) of the Tianjin University, Tianjin, P.R. China

2011: Edward C. Henry Award of the American Ceramic Society

2012: Tammann-Gedenkmünze of the Deutschen Gesellschaft für Materialkunde

2013: Fellow of the European Ceramic Society

2014 - 2017: Guest Professor at Xiamen University, China

2014: Fellow of the School of Engineering at The University of Tokyo, Japan

2016: Adjunct Professor at Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi´an, China

2018: Innovation Talents Award of Shaanxi Province, China (0.5 Mio CNY)

2019: JSPS Fellowship Award for Research, Japan

2020: International Ceramics Prize 2020 for "Basic Science" of the World Academy of Ceramics (5.000 €)

2021: Honorary Professor (Prof. h. c.) of the Xiamen University, Xiamen, P.R. China

2022: Elected Member of the International Institute for the Science of Sintering (IISS), Belgrade, Serbia

2022: JECS Trust Award as recognition of ceramists who have made an outstanding contribution to the development of the Journal of the European Ceramic Society by publishing their high‐quality papers in the Journal

Activities in Scientific Organizations

Ralf Riedel is an active member of several prestigious scientific organizations, including:

1996 - 2001: European Regional Editor of Applied Organometallic Chemistry

Since 1999: Member of the Advisory Board of the German Society of Materials Science (DGM

Since 2001-2019: Member of the Advisory Board of the „Fraunhofer-Institut für Grenzflächen- und Bioverfahrenstechnik (IGB), Stuttgart

Since 2001: Member of the International Editorial Board of "Ceramics International"

Since 2002: Associate Editor of the "Journal of the American Ceramic Society"

Since 2003: Member of the „International Advisory Board of the Integrated Centre for Advanced Materials and Molecular Science" of the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the Slovak Academy of Sciences

2005  -  2007: Member of the Editorial Board of the “Journal of the Ceramic Society of Japan”

2005  - 2011: Coordinator of the DFG-Priority Program (SPP 1181) “Nanoscaled Inorganic Materials by Molecular Design” (NANOMAT)

2005  - 2011: Member of the DFG-Senate Committee on Research Training Groups

2006  - 2010: Elected Member of the Nomination Committee of the World Academy of Ceramics

Since 2007: Member of the Editorial Board of the “Journal of the Chinese Ceramic Society”

Since 2007: Scientific Advisor of the German-Israeli-Foundation for Scientific Research and Development (GIF)

Since 2011: Editor of the Journal of the Ceramic Society of Japan

Since 01.02.2011: Coordinator of the EU-ITN (Initial Training Network) “FUNEA” (Functional Nitrides for Energy Applications)

2014 – 2018: Elected Member of the Advisory Board of the World Academy of Ceramics

2016 – 2021: Editor-in-Chief of the Journal “Ceramics International”

Since 2016: Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Ceramic Science and Technology

April 2018 – December 2027: Editor in Chief, Journal of the American Ceramic Society 

2020 - 2025: Member of the Intern. Adv. Board of the Inst. of Inorg. Chem., Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia

2020 – 2024: Coordinator of the DFG Graduate School GRK 2561 “MatCom-ComMat: Materials Compounds from Composite Materials for Applications in Extreme Conditions” (Budget: 3 Mio €)

2021 – 2024: Coordinator of the EU Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Action (RIA) LC-BAT-8-2020 “Sodium-ion and sodium metal batteries for efficient and sustainable next-generation energy storage” (SIMBA), Budget: 8 Mio €

2022 – 2026: Member of the International Advisory Board of the Center for Advanced Materials Application (CEMEA) of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS)

2023-2025: Associate Editor Nature Portfolio Journal Advanced Manufacturing

He has also served as a consultant for industrial and governmental research programs, ensuring the translation of academic advancements into practical applications.

Selected Publications

1.   Li Lu, Tonghui Wen, Wei Li, Qingbo Wen, Zhaoju Yu, Shasha Tao, Jincan Yang, Yalei Wang, Xingang Luan, Xiang Xiong, Ralf Riedel, Single-source-precursor synthesis of dense monolithic SiC/(Ti₀.₂₅Zr_0.25Hf_0.25Ta_0.25)C ceramic nanocomposite with excellent high-temperature oxidation resistance, J. Eur. Ceram. Soc. 44 (2024) 556-609.

2.   Honghong Tian, Magdalena Graczyk-Zajac, Alois Kessler, Anke Weidenkaff, Ralf Riedel, Recycling and Reusing of Graphite from Retired Lithium-ion Batteries: A Review, Adv. Mater. 2023, 2308494

3.   Liu, Jiongjie; Dong, Changyu; Lu, Xuefeng; Qiao, Zhuhui; Zhou, Feng; Liu, Weimin; Riedel, Ralf, Sn-containing Si₃N₄-based composites for adaptive excellent friction and wear in a wide temperature range, Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 42 (2022), 913-920.

4.   Shrikant Bhat, Leonore Wiehl, Shariq Haseen, Peter Kroll, Konstantin Glazyrin, Philipp Gollé Leidreiter, Ute Kolb, Robert Farla, Jo-Chi Tseng, Emanuel Ionescu, Tomoo Katsura, and Ralf Riedel, A Novel High-Pressure Tin Oxynitride Sn₂N₂O, Chem. Eur. J. 0.1002/chem. 201904529.

5.   Takashi Taniguchi, Dmytro Dzivenko, Ralf Riedel, Thierry Chauyeau, Andreas Zerr, Synthesis of cubic zirconium (IV) nitride, c-Zr₃N₄, in the 6-8 GPa pressure region, Ceramics international 45 (2019) 20028-20032.

6.   Reinold, L.M.; Yamada, Y.; Graczyk-Zajac, M.; Munakata, H.; Kanamura, K.; Riedel, R.; "The influence of the pyrolysis temperature on the electrochemical behavior of carbon-rich SiCN polymer-derived ceramics as anode materials in lithium-ion batteries", J. Power Sources 282 (2015) 409-415.

7.   Maged F. Bekheet, Marcus Schwarz, Stefan Lauterbach, Hans-Joachim Kleebe, Peter Kroll, Ralf Riedel, Aleksander Gurlo, "Orthorhombic In2O3: A metastable polymorph of indium sesquioxide", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 52 (2013) 6531-6535.

8.   S. Sen, S. J. Widgeon, A. Navrotsky, G. Mera, A. Tavakoli, E. Ionescu, R. Riedel, "Can carbon substitute for oxygen in silicates in planetary interiors?", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) 110 (2013) 15904 – 15907.

9.   E. Horvath-Bordon, R. Riedel, P. F. McMillan, P. Kroll, G. Miehe, P.A. van Aken, A. Zerr, P. Hoppe, O. Shebanova, I. McLaren, S. Lauterbach, E. Kroke, R. Boehler, High-pressure synthesis of crystalline carbon nitride imide, C2N2(NH). Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 46 (2007) 1476.

10.  A. Zerr, G. Miehe, G. Serghiou, M. Schwarz, E. Kroke, R. Riedel, H. Fueß, P. Kroll, R. Boehler, Synthesis of cubic silicon nitride. Nature 400 (1999) 340.