Architectured materials, or archimats, are defined as materials whose properties are determined by their inner make-up, including composition and internal structure, at a length scale intermediate between the microstructural scale and the specimen dimensions. Architecturing provides an extra ‘degree of freedom’ in materials design. Even entirely dissimilar materials can be combined to an archimat in this way, thus delivering new functionalities not possible with traditional materials design. The field has reached a degree of maturity that warrants a dedicated symposium under the MSE Conference umbrella.
The symposium will focus on the following themes: