Ralf Riedel (born 11 February 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 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 (Experiments on the reduction of aldehydes with white phosphorus). 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 (White phosphorus as a starting material for the synthesis of organophosphorus compounds). After education, Riedel undertook postdoctoral research at Max Planck- Institute for Metals Research, Institute for Materials Research, PML, Stuttgart in materials processing and characterization techniques. Between 1986 and 1992, he worked on his habilitation concerning Nicht-oxidische Keramiken aus anorganischen Vorstufen (Non-oxide ceramics from inorganic precursors) under the supervision of Gerd Becker and Fritz Aldinger.
Career Riedel established and led 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 with 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.
Research contributions Riedel's early research focused on developing ceramic materials through 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 on 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 as aerospace, automotive and energy. He has served on the advisory board of the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (IGB), an applied research institute.
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) 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 2012: Tammann-Gedenkmünze of the Deutschen Gesellschaft für Materialkunde 2013: Fellow of the European Ceramic Society 2014: Fellow of the School of Engineering at The University of Tokyo, Japan 2020: International Ceramics Prize 2020 for "Basic Science" of the World Academy of Ceramics 2021: Honorary Professor (Prof. h. c.) of the Xiamen University, Xiamen, P.R. China 2023: Elected Member of the International Institute for the Science of Sintering
Editorial activities Since 2016: an editor-in-chief of the journal Ceramics International Since 2016: member of the editorial board of the Journal of Ceramic Science and Technology Editor, Journal of the American Ceramic Society 2023–2025: Associate Editor, Nature Portfolio Journal Advanced Manufacturing
Selected publications Lu, Li; Wen, Tonghui; Li, Wei; Wen, Qingbo; Yu, Zhaoju; Tao, Shasha; Yang, Jincan; Wang, Yalei; Luan, Xingang; Xiong, Xiang; Riedel, Ralf (2024). "Single-source-precursor synthesis of dense monolithic SiC/(Ti0.25Zr0.25Hf0.25Ta0.25)C ceramic nanocomposite with excellent high-temperature oxidation resistance". Journal of the European Ceramic Society. 44 (2): 595–609. doi:10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2023.09.074. Retrieved 15 March 2026. Tian, Honghong; Graczyk-Zajac, Magdalena; Kessler, Alois; Weidenkaff, Anke; Riedel, Ralf (2024). "Recycling and Reusing of Graphite from Retired Lithium-ion Batteries: A Review". Advanced Materials. 36 (13) 2308494. doi:10.1002/adma.202308494. ISSN 0935-9648. PMID 38102959. Retrieved 15 March 2026. Liu, Jiongjie; Dong, Changyu; Lu, Xuefeng; Qiao, Zhuhui; Zhou, Feng; Liu, Weimin; Riedel, Ralf (2022). "Sn-containing Si3N4-based composites for adaptive excellent friction and wear in a wide temperature range". Journal of the European Ceramic Society. 42 (3): 913–920. doi:10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2021.10.047. Retrieved 15 March 2026. Bhat, Shrikant; Wiehl, Leonore; Haseen, Shariq; Kroll, Peter; Glazyrin, Konstantin; Gollé-Leidreiter, Philipp; Kolb, Ute; Farla, Robert; Tseng, Jo-Chi; Ionescu, Emanuel; Katsura, Tomoo; Riedel, Ralf (17 February 2020). "A Novel High-Pressure Tin Oxynitride Sn 2 N 2 O". Chemistry – A European Journal. 26 (10): 2187–2194. doi:10.1002/chem.201904529. ISSN 0947-6539. PMC 7065226. PMID 31671223. Taniguchi, Takashi; Dzivenko, Dmytro; Riedel, Ralf; Chauveau, Thierry; Zerr, Andreas (2019). "Synthesis of cubic zirconium(IV) nitride, c-Zr3N4, in the 6–8 GPa pressure region". Ceramics International. 45 (16): 20028–20032. doi:10.1016/j.ceramint.2019.06.263. Retrieved 15 March 2026. Reinold, Lukas Mirko; Yamada, Yuto; Graczyk-Zajac, Magdalena; Munakata, Hirokazu; Kanamura, Kiyoshi; Riedel, Ralf (2015). "The influence of the pyrolysis temperature on the electrochemical behavior of carbon-rich SiCN polymer-derived ceramics as anode materials in lithium-ion batteries". Journal of Power Sources. 282: 409–415. doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2015.02.074. Retrieved 15 March 2026. Bekheet, Maged F.; Schwarz, Marcus R.; Lauterbach, Stefan; Kleebe, Hans-Joachim; Kroll, Peter; Riedel, Ralf; Gurlo, Aleksander (17 June 2013). "Orthorhombic In 2 O 3 : A Metastable Polymorph of Indium Sesquioxide". Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 52 (25): 6531–6535. doi:10.1002/anie.201300644. ISSN 1433-7851. PMID 23650154. Retrieved 15 March 2026. Sen, Sabyasachi; Widgeon, Scarlett J.; Navrotsky, Alexandra; Mera, Gabriela; Tavakoli, Amir; Ionescu, Emanuel; Riedel, Ralf (2013). "Carbon substitution for oxygen in silicates in planetary interiors". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 110 (40): 15904–15907. doi:10.1073/pnas.1312771110. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 3791772. PMID 24043830. Horvath-Bordon, Elisabeta; Riedel, Ralf; McMillan, Paul F.; Kroll, Peter; Miehe, Gerhard; van Aken, Peter A.; Zerr, Andreas; Hoppe, Peter; Shebanova, Olga; McLaren, Ian; Lauterbach, Stefan; Kroke, Edwin; Boehler, Reinhard (19 February 2007). "High-Pressure Synthesis of Crystalline Carbon Nitride Imide, C 2 N 2 (NH)". Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 46 (9): 1476–1480. doi:10.1002/anie.200603851. ISSN 1433-7851. PMID 17221897. Retrieved 15 March 2026. Zerr, Andreas; Miehe, Gerhard; Serghiou, George; Schwarz, Marcus; Kroke, Edwin; Riedel, Ralf; Fueß, Hartmut; Kroll, Peter; Boehler, Reinhard (1999). "Synthesis of cubic silicon nitride". Nature. 400 (6742): 340–342. doi:10.1038/22493. ISSN 0028-0836. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
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