Franz Leitner Prize 2025 awarded to Jan Platl

Jan Platl has been awarded first prize in the PhD category of the Franz Leitner Prize 2025, for his research achievements in the field of welding. This prize is sponsored by the board of ASMET and the management of voestalpine Böhler Welding Austria GmbH and is awarded every two years following the decision of a jury. During his doctoral thesis at the Chair of Physical Metallurgy, Jan Platl investigated the crack mechanisms of high-alloyed additively manufactured tool steels and contributed significantly to the understanding of cracking formation and the development of the microstructure development during solidification. Jan Platl's work focused on high-resolution material characterization using atom probe tomography and in-situ synchrotron radiation. The award ceremony took place at the ASMET Forum in May 2025.