diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 9789ec67d..7b013fe5f 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ add_library(IO OBJECT "IO.f90")
 add_dependencies(IO DAMASK_INTERFACE)
 list(APPEND OBJECTFILES $<TARGET_OBJECTS:IO>)
 
+add_library(CHAINED_LIST OBJECT "list.f90")
+add_dependencies(CHAINED_LIST IO)
+list(APPEND OBJECTFILES $<TARGET_OBJECTS:CHAINED_LIST>)
+
 add_library(NUMERICS OBJECT "numerics.f90")
 add_dependencies(NUMERICS IO)
 list(APPEND OBJECTFILES $<TARGET_OBJECTS:NUMERICS>)
@@ -61,7 +65,7 @@ elseif ("${PROJECT_NAME}" STREQUAL "DAMASK_FEM")
 endif()
 
 add_library(MATERIAL OBJECT "material.f90")
-add_dependencies(MATERIAL MESH)
+add_dependencies(MATERIAL MESH CHAINED_LIST)
 list(APPEND OBJECTFILES $<TARGET_OBJECTS:MATERIAL>)
 
 add_library(DAMASK_HELPERS OBJECT "lattice.f90")
diff --git a/src/commercialFEM_fileList.f90 b/src/commercialFEM_fileList.f90
index f57f03467..f1651dea8 100644
--- a/src/commercialFEM_fileList.f90
+++ b/src/commercialFEM_fileList.f90
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 !> @details List of files needed by MSC.Marc, Abaqus/Explicit, and Abaqus/Standard
 !--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #include "IO.f90"
+#include "list.f90"
 #include "numerics.f90"
 #include "debug.f90"
 #include "math.f90"
diff --git a/src/list.f90 b/src/list.f90
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..516f001f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/list.f90
@@ -0,0 +1,171 @@
+module chained_list
+  use prec
+  implicit none
+  
+  type tPartitionedString
+    character(len=:),      allocatable :: val
+    integer(pInt), dimension(:), allocatable :: pos
+  end type
+ 
+  type, public :: tPartitionedStringList
+    type(tPartitionedString)    :: string
+    type(tPartitionedStringList),  pointer :: next => null()
+    contains 
+      procedure :: add            => add
+      procedure :: getFloat       => getFloat
+      procedure :: getFloatArray  => getFloatArray
+      procedure :: getStrings     => getStrings
+      procedure :: keyExists     => keyExists
+  end type tPartitionedStringList
+ 
+
+  contains
+    subroutine add(self,string,stringPos)
+      implicit none
+      class(tPartitionedStringList) :: self
+      type(tPartitionedStringList), pointer :: new,tmp
+      character(len=*), intent(in) :: string
+      integer(pInt), dimension(:), intent(in) :: stringPos
+
+      allocate(new)
+
+      new%string%val=string
+      new%string%pos=stringPos
+
+      if (.not. associated(self%next)) then
+        self%next => new
+      else
+        tmp => self%next
+        self%next => new
+        self%next%next => tmp
+      end if
+  
+    end subroutine add
+
+
+! gets float value, if key is not found exits with error unless default is given
+    function getFloat(self,key,default)
+      use IO
+
+      implicit none
+      real(pReal) :: getFloat
+
+      class(tPartitionedStringList), intent(in) :: self
+      character(len=*), intent(in) :: key
+      real(pReal), intent(in), optional :: default
+      type(tPartitionedStringList), pointer :: tmp
+
+      tmp => self%next
+      do 
+        if (.not. associated(tmp)) then
+          if(present(default)) then
+            getFloat = default
+            exit
+          else
+            call IO_error(1_pInt,ext_msg=key)
+          endif
+        endif
+        if (trim(IO_stringValue(tmp%string%val,tmp%string%pos,1))==trim(key)) then
+          if (tmp%string%pos(1) > 2) call IO_error(1_pInt,ext_msg=key)
+          getFloat = IO_FloatValue(tmp%string%val,tmp%string%pos,2)
+          exit
+        endif
+        tmp => tmp%next
+      end do
+    end function
+
+! reports wether a key exists at least once
+    function keyExists(self,key)
+      use IO
+
+      implicit none
+      logical :: keyExists
+
+      class(tPartitionedStringList), intent(in) :: self
+      character(len=*), intent(in) :: key
+      type(tPartitionedStringList), pointer :: tmp
+
+      keyExists = .false.
+
+      tmp => self%next
+      do 
+        if (.not. associated(tmp)) exit
+        if (trim(IO_stringValue(tmp%string%val,tmp%string%pos,1))==trim(key)) then
+          keyExists = .true.
+          exit
+        endif
+        tmp => tmp%next
+      end do
+    end function
+
+    function getFloatArray(self,key)
+      use IO
+
+      implicit none
+      real(pReal),dimension(:),allocatable :: getFloatArray
+
+      class(tPartitionedStringList), intent(in) :: self
+      character(len=*), intent(in) :: key
+      type(tPartitionedStringList), pointer :: tmp
+      integer(pInt) :: i
+
+      allocate(getFloatArray(0))
+
+      tmp => self%next
+      do 
+        if (.not. associated(tmp)) exit
+        if (trim(IO_stringValue(tmp%string%val,tmp%string%pos,1))==trim(key)) then
+          do i = 2_pInt, tmp%string%pos(1)
+            getFloatArray = [getFloatArray,IO_FloatValue(tmp%string%val,tmp%string%pos,i)]
+          enddo
+          exit
+        endif
+        tmp => tmp%next
+      end do
+    end function
+
+
+    function getStrings(self,key)
+      use IO
+
+      implicit none
+      character(len=64),dimension(:),allocatable :: getStrings
+      character(len=64) :: str
+
+      class(tPartitionedStringList), intent(in) :: self
+      character(len=*), intent(in) :: key
+      type(tPartitionedStringList), pointer :: tmp
+      integer(pInt) :: i
+
+      tmp => self%next
+      do 
+        if (.not. associated(tmp)) exit
+        if (trim(IO_stringValue(tmp%string%val,tmp%string%pos,1))==trim(key)) then
+          if (tmp%string%pos(1) < 2) print*, "NOT WORKKING"
+          str = IO_StringValue(tmp%string%val,tmp%string%pos,2)
+          if (.not. allocated(getStrings)) then
+            getStrings = [str]
+          else
+            getStrings = [getStrings,str]
+          endif
+        endif
+        tmp => tmp%next
+      end do
+    end function
+
+!    subroutine free_all()
+!      implicit none
+!                 
+!      type(node), pointer :: tmp
+!         
+!      do        
+!      tmp => first
+!         
+!        if (associated(tmp) .eqv. .FALSE.) exit
+!          
+!        first => first%next
+!        deallocate(tmp)
+!      end do                     
+!    end subroutine free_all
+
+end module chained_list