The interplay of optimum materials selection and process-oriented plant design provides a basis for reliable operation and adequate lifetime without premature failures. To ensure this, it is essential for material developers and suppliers, design engineers, process engineers and also testing and inspection institutions to work together in close cooperation. With the Materials, Construction, Lifetime Section a forum has been created that offers experts from these different areas an opportunity for exchanging ideas and experience, working out solutions and initiating future developments.
The aim of the Section is to contribute to the safe, economic operation of apparatus and plant in chemical engineering and adjacent sectors by applying tried and tested concepts and developing innovative solutions. This also includes issues concerning the application of chemical engineering products for engineering solutions in other areas of industry.
The Section's activities involve:

• Ensuring optimum use of existing knowledge through the exchange of ideas and experience
• Cultivating awareness at an early stage of international developments in the field of materials, construction and plant engineering, and reacting to such developments accordingly
• Promoting close cooperation throughout the whole supply and operator chain
• Discussing R&D problems from science and technology
• Pinpointing knowledge gaps that hinder the solution of technical problems
• Developing recommendations and advising on ways and means of closing the gaps
• Initiating suitable research activities

Conferences, colloquia and workshops, continuing education courses, an Internet portal with extensive information together with comprehensive networking on a national and international level contribute towards fulfilling the interdisciplinary tasks of the Section.

Chair: Dipl.-Ing. Helmut Diekmann, Bayer Technology Services GmbH Leverkusen	Vice Chair: Dr.-Ing. Martin Schmitz-Niederau, Böhler Schweißtechnik, Hamm