Christian Thieme

Areas of research

The main research focus is the development of glasses and their transformation into glass ceramics. For this purpose, crystalline functional phases, which significantly influence the properties, need to be selectively precipitated from inorganic glasses. The process of material development begins with determining suitable glass compositions and extends to the fabrication from melts at temperatures, sometimes exceeding 1700°C. Subsequently, physical characteristics of the produced glasses are determined. To enable a targeted transformation of the glass into a glass ceramic, the crystallization behavior is investigated using thermal analysis and phase analysis. Based on these insights, the production of glass ceramics becomes possible. Analytical methods, especially electron microscopy, are employed to examine the often particularly small crystals. Building upon this, both the microstructure and consequently the macroscopic material properties are optimized.

Academic/ professional resume

since 2023

Group Leader Microstructure-Based Material Development at the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS, Halle (Saale)

2021 - 2023

Team Leader Glass and Crystallization at the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS, Halle (Saale)

2016 - 2021

Research Scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS, Halle (Saale)

2016 

Research Scientist at the Otto Schott Institute for Materials Research, Friedrich Schiller University Jena

2012 - 2016

Research Scientist and PhD Candidate at the Otto Schott Institute for Materials Research, Friedrich Schiller University Jena PhD on the topic "Crystalline Phases and Ceramic Materials with High and Low Coefficients of Thermal Expansion based on Alkaline Earth Zinc Silicates" at Friedrich Schiller University Jena

2007 - 2012

Study of Materials Science at Friedrich Schiller University Jena

Prizes and awards

2018

Hugo Junkers Prize of the State of Saxony-Anhalt

First place in the category "Applied Research" for the discovery of the first new negatively expanding silicates in over 50 years and the integration of these into innovative glass ceramics with low thermal expansion.

Publications

Ausgewählte Artikel in Fachzeitschriften mit wissenschaftlicher Qualitätskontrolle

Solid solutions based on BaZn2Si2O7 with thermal expansions from negative to highly positive – a review.

C. Thieme, C. Rüssel

CrystEngComm 24 (2022) 5663-5674

Phase stability determination of negative thermal expansion silicates by theory and experiment.

A. Erlebach, G. B. Hassine, C. Thieme, K. Thieme, C. Rüssel, M. Sierka.

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 23 (2021) 25533-25541

Determination of the crystallization mechanism of glasses in the system BaO/SrO/ZnO/SiO2 with differential scanning calorimetry.

K. Thieme, C. Thieme. 

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry 142 (2020) 1193-1206

Core-shell structures with metallic silver as nucleation agent of low expansion phases in BaO/SrO/ZnO/SiO2 glasses.

C. Thieme, M. Kracker, K. Thieme, C. Patzig, T. Höche, C. Rüssel. 

CrystEngComm 21 (2019) 4373-4386

The acceleration of crystal growth of gold-doped glasses within the system BaO/SrO/ZnO/SiO2.

C. Thieme, M. Kracker, C. Patzig, K. Thieme, C. Rüssel, T. Höche.

Journal of the European Ceramic Society 39 (2019) 554-562