THEMATIC SECTION: 2ND INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS FOR ICME Scenario for Data Exchange at the Microstructure Scale G . J. Schmitz 1 & H. Farivar 2 & U. Prahl 2 Received: 4 January 2017 /Accepted: 20 January 2017 /Published online: 13 March 2017 # The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society 2017 Abstract Microstructures represent the key to interoperability between continuum models operating at the process scale and discrete models and tools describing atoms/electrons. They also provide the link between experimental materials characterisation and the virtual world. The present paper introduces a microstruc- ture state as the central information providing the link across different length scales and along the temporal evolution of a component. Different ways of generating and representing the microstructure state are categorized and related to different clas- ses of models acting on that state. A pragmatic way of digitally storing the microstructure state being based on the hierarchical data format HDF5 is proposed. Keywords Digital microstructures . Synthetic microstructures . Experimental microstructures . Microstructure simulations . HDF5 file format . Interoperability Introduction Microstructures and models for their description are situated between discrete electronic, atomistic and mesoscopic models and the continuum models at the process level. Models and data explicitly or implicitly addressing microstructures, their storage and their interoperation are thus very important. The definition of a suitable scenario for a seamless information exchange between models and simulation tools drawing on microstructures from both larger and smaller scales thus is crucial. A successful scenario may be based on the description and specification of a state, which essentially corresponds to the microstructure as defined in the present document. This state can be “evolved” in time by suitable models and tools “operating” on that state. Further, this state is the carrier of the properties, which can be determined by models/tools “extracting” the necessary or desired information from that state. The present article provides a scenario for data exchange between (i) different models/tools describing microstructures and their evolution, (ii) models/tools providing data especially for microstructure models/tools and (iii) models/tools drawing on microstructure information. The developed scenario for standardised data exchange at the microstructure level according- ly addresses the data exchange with (i) models at a larger scale, (ii) with microstructure models along the process chain and (iii) with models at smaller scales. The state description as detailed in the present article provides both a full spatial resolution character and a statistical information content, which are both necessary for interaction with models operating at the component scale and with electronic/atomistic/mesoscopic models. The Microstructure Overview and Definitions The definition of “microstructures as the carrier of material prop- erties” is widely accepted [1]. There is no process-property cor- relation. Instead two correlations (i) process-microstructure and (ii) microstructure-properties have to be considered. Identical processes may lead to different properties because the initial microstructure of the material was different. The first correlation * G . J. Schmitz g.j.schmitz@micress.de 1 Access e. V, Intzestr.5, 52062 Aachen, Germany 2 Steel Institute (IEHK), RWTH Aachen University, Intzestr.1, 52072 Aachen, Germany Integr Mater Manuf Innov (2017) 6:127–133 DOI 10.1007/s40192-017-0092-5