Stefan Gneiger, researcher in the field of casting technologies at the LKR Leichtmetallkompetenzzentrum Ranshofen (Light Metal Technologies Ranshofen) of the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, successfully defended his dissertation at the Department of Casting Technology at the University of Kassel under Prof. Martin Fehlbier on March 4, 2026. With his work on fire-resistant magnesium alloys, he is making an important contribution to the development of safe lightweight materials for industrial applications.
In his dissertation entitled “Development and characterization of fire-resistant magnesium alloys and their processing for applications in the aerospace and automotive industries,” Gneiger investigated new alloying strategies for magnesium – the lightest metallic construction material and thus an important material for lightweight design.
Since conventional magnesium alloys have comparatively low fire resistance, the focus of the work was on the development of intrinsically fire-resistant alloys based on the Mg-Al-Ca system and on the analysis of their properties and processability. The results show that calcium and rare earth elements can significantly improve oxidation and fire resistance through the formation of stable, multi-layer oxide layers.
In addition, it became clear that fire resistance depends heavily on the process-related microstructure. On this basis, process-specific alloying strategies for casting, forming, and additive manufacturing processes were derived. The results contribute to a better understanding of the high-temperature oxidation of magnesium alloys and support the development of safe magnesium materials for industrial lightweight construction applications.
We congratulate Stefan Gneiger on the successful completion of his doctoral studies and wish him all the best for his future scientific career!
Picture: GTK Kassel