OpenFieldThe Ledebur-Bau at TU Bergakademie Freiberg is the world-renowned historic and cutting-edge home of the Institute of Iron and Steel Technology and Foundry Institute.
Named in honor of pioneering metallurgist Adolf Ledebur (discoverer of ledeburite), the Ledebur-Bau at TU Bergakademie Freiberg (founded 1765, the world's oldest mining university) houses world-class research foundries, vacuum induction melting furnaces, pilot rolling mills, and electron microscopy laboratories dedicated to advanced metallurgy, sustainable steelmaking, and metal circularity.
Admissions through TU Bergakademie Freiberg for bachelor’s, master’s, and Diplom-Ingenieur programs in Materials Science, Metallurgy, and Foundry Technology. International applicants require recognized bachelor degree in metallurgy or mechanical engineering and German B2/C1 or English C1.
Traditional five-year integrated engineering degree studying hydrogen direct reduction of iron ore, electric arc furnace metallurgy, continuous casting, and thermodynamic alloy simulation.
Two-year postgraduate research degree examining computer-aided casting solidification simulation, non-ferrous lightweight alloy metallurgy, and 3D sand-mold printing.
Funded doctoral research based in the Ledebur-Bau pilot plant, investigating kinetic reaction mechanisms of hydrogen reduction in iron ore pellets to eliminate CO2 emissions.
Postdoctoral research fellowship utilizing Ledebur-Bau’s high-temperature thermodynamic measurement reactors to investigate molten slag chemistry and inclusion engineering.
Six-month plant internship embedded within modern blast furnace and electric steelmaking operations, focusing on sensor instrumentation and molten steel degassing.
Applied project grant developing high-speed optical sorting and molten scrap refining methods to remove copper and tin contaminants from post-consumer recycled steel.
Director of Institute of Iron and Steel Technology · Ledebur-Bau Metallurgical Institute
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Olena Volkova directs thermodynamic and kinetic investigations of zero-emission steelmaking, pioneering hydrogen-based reduction and deoxidation.
View research profile ↗Director of the Foundry Institute · Ledebur-Bau Foundry Institute
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dirk Sachs explores spheroidal graphite cast iron nucleation kinetics and sand mold binder chemistry for heavy automotive and turbine castings.
View research profile ↗Head of High-Temperature Metallurgy Pilot Facilities · Institute of Iron and Steel Technology
Dr.-Ing. Sören Müller manages pilot induction melting furnaces and pilot rolling equipment within the Ledebur-Bau, researching slag-steel interfacial reactions.
View research profile ↗University profile compiled from official Ledebur-Bau | TU Bergakademie Freiberg academic bulletins and institutional directories reviewed on 2026-10-16. OpenField is an independent research guide.