Press Archive

In the FOWINA project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS in Erlangen and the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC in Würzburg have developed novel color sensors with a special microlens arrangement. The sensors can be realized directly on the chip and combine multiple functions in a minimum of space. Their extremely slim design makes the sensors suitable for a wide range of applications, such as in mobile devices or color-adjustable LED lamps.

Humankind has already produced more than eight billion tons of plastic. Every year, we add another 80 million tons of plastic packaging to the total, only half of which is recycled. The rest ends up in a garbage incinerator or as trash that pollutes forests, meadows, lakes and oceans. Dr. Sabine Amberg-Schwab from the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC in Wurzburg is on to something that could solve the problem – a new class of material called bioORMOCER^®s.

Glass windows, which can also act as displays and play a current information, resource-saving lightweight membrane cushion construction with highly functionalized films or the future of packaging materials – at the "12 ICCG - International Conference on coatings on glass and plastics" in Würzburg, Germany 280 experts from industry and academia discussed these possible future trends. More than 30 exhibitors at the accompanying exhibition in the Würzburg Congress Center showed what can already be achieved with functional coatings today. Exhibitors included the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC with highlights such as electrically colorable windows, printed sensors and biodegradable coatings for compostable packaging films.

Precise volumetric glassware is essential equipment in the laboratory. They are permanently dimensionally stable, resistant to many chemicals and easy to clean. For the precise calibration/adjustment of laboratory glassware, Fraunhofer ISC’s Center for Device Development CeDeD has developed in cooperation with laboratory glassware manufacturers various semi-automatic devices that work reliably, quickly and mercury-free. These calibration devices are supplemented by a new development of the Fraunhofer ISC, the MFD (Marking Firing Device). This allows calibration marks on volumetric flasks to be burned in quickly and reliably without a furnace. The prototype will be presented for the first time at ACHEMA 2018.

Today‘s electromobility consumes large amounts of traction batteries, preferably high-performance lithium-ion batteries. These batteries contain valuable raw materials and should not be discarded as waste at the end of their life. Efficient recycling requires closed materials loops and a logistic solution capable of growing along with the increasing number of waste batteries from more and more electric vehicles. The research project »Automotive Battery Recycling 2020« which was launched earlier this year with EU-funding from EIT RawMaterials sets out to identify efficient recycling routines that are ecologically sound, economically viable and readily transferable to industrial scale. The overall aim is to improve the EU-wide recycling chain and add to a secure supply of raw materials through the recovery of valuable materials from waste streams.

Whether in use as starter battery in vehicles, as power back-up or for the storage of energy from renewable sources: Lead-acid batteries are among the oldest and most common battery systems in Germany. About 200 000 tons of them come to market each year. And their disposal is excellently organized: in Germany, waste batteries undergo a well-established recycling by manufacturers and processors. But the turnaround in German energy policy is posing new demands on electrochemical energy storage systems. Electric vehicles and stationary storage units for photovoltaic systems, for instance, look for long service lives and high power densities. The battery experts of the Fraunhofer R&D Center Electromobility Bavaria located at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC now joined forces with a consortium of partners from industry and research to shape up this old system and make it fit for the future.

No chance without them: High-performance batteries are the key to electromobility. And the market is growing. Europe expects to see a lot more of electric vehicles by 2030. The EU commission is promoting the development of high-performance batteries accordingly. Among the researchers working to make the vision come true are those of the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC in Würzburg, Germany. They take part in the collaborative project SOLID that was recently launched to develop a simple low-cost method for battery mass production via the sol-gel route. The aim is to provide industry with the much needed large-scale production option for safe high-performance lithium-based solid state batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries are subject to a myriad of negative influences during their life span. The mere production process itself and subsequent transport from the production site impose mechanical stress. Whether in power tools, electrically driven forklift trucks, cars or trains – their life will always be full of vibration, sudden impact or shock whenever obstacles have to be crossed, when they are dropped or simply when charging or discharging induces volume changes in their electrodes. In late 2017, the project “ReViSEDBatt“ was launched to investigate the effects of mechanical stresses on the cycle life and safety of lithium-ion batteries. The overall project goal is to optimize batteries so they can better cope with everyday stress.

At this week‘s annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, the winners were presented of the »Circular Materials Challenge«. The prize is awarded by the New Plastics Economy Initiative, launched in 2016 by the Ellen MacArthur Foundadion, to promote new ways to counter the oceans plastics pollution. Five projects were honored with this prestigious prize and share the one million dollar prize money. Among the winning projects is the work of Dr. Sabine Amberg-Schwab, senior scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC, who developed the bioORMOCER^®s. The Fraunhofer ISC, located in Würzburg, Germany, is one of the leadng R&D instititutions when it comes to sustainable materials, technologies or products that help tackle the world’s foremost challenges.

In the SoCUS project, the Fraunhofer R&D Center for Electromobility Bavaria is developing cost-effective sensor systems that can be integrated directly into the battery and can measure the state of charge more accurately than commercially available systems. The systems use ultrasound pulses to measure and evaluate the density of the negative anode which changes with the state of charge of the cell.

The WHO reports an estimated 429,000 malaria deaths each year. The disease mostly affects tropical and subtropical regions and in particular the African continent. The Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC teamed up with the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME and the Institute of Tropical Medicine at the University of Tübingen for a new test method to detect malaria parasites in blood. The idea of the research project “NanoFRET” is to develop a highly sensitive and reliable rapid diagnostic test so that patient treatment can begin as early as possible.

Competitiveness in the Lithium Industry – the Central Colocation Center (Metz, France) of EIT RawMaterials organised a workshop, 11-12 October 2017 in Würzburg, Germany, together with Core Partner Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC, that attracted roughly 100 participants from across the value chain; one half of them were non-EIT RawMaterials members. The panel of experts gave an opportunity to review the European potentials in Lithium in terms of mining, extraction and refinement, battery materials, and cell manufacturing.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC significantly expands its research and development activities in Würzburg in the areas of health, medical products and cell-based regenerative therapies. The Translational Center "Regenerative Therapies for Oncology and Musculoskeletal Diseases", hitherto a branch of the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart, became part of the Fraunhofer ISC on 1 August 2017. The Center is headed by Professor Heike Walles and was established at the Würzburg University Hospital. Along with the change of parent institute came a change of name: The former abbreviation “TZKME“ will be “TLZ-RT“ instead (for Translational Center Regenerative Therapies). Through the integration of the Translational Center, the Fraunhofer ISC in Würzburg expands by 47 members of staff.

Water is still the most important source of renewable energy in Bavaria, Germany, accounting for some 33 percent of all renewable energy produced in the region, as showed by the Bavarian Energy Map. But conventional hydroelectric plants, especially micro hydro generators, are a subject of controversy due to their low output volumes and their interference with the ecosystem. Fraunhofer researchers are working on an environmentally friendly alternative: in the future, innovative elastomer materials are set to convert the mechanical energy produced by flowing water in small rivers directly into electrical energy.

The Cooperative Research Project FLEX-G started on June 1, 2017 under the federal construction technology initiative named ENERGIEWENDEBAUEN funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi, funding reference 03ET1470A). The main goal of the research project is to investigate technologies for the manufacturing of translucent and transparent membrane roof and façade elements with integrated optoelectronic components. The focus lies on a switchable total energy transmittance (often referred to as the solar factor or solar heat gain, and “g-value” in Europe) and on flexible solar cell integration to significantly contribute to both energy saving and power generation in buildings.

Launch of a five-year, 6.1 million euros EU-Horizon 2020 project that aims to build a new type of powerful computer based on biomolecules

Cruising range is one of the greatest challenges for the rapid implementation of electromobility in Europe. Ten partners from industry and research organizations now join forces in the EU funded project ECO COM'BAT, coordinated by the Fraunhofer Project Group Materials Recycling and Resource Strategies, part of the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC, to develop the next generation of lithium-ion batteries – the high-voltage battery. Better performance is not the only goal for the new battery. Compared to conventional batteries the new type should be more powerful and with regard to the materials used even more sustainable. The main task here is the substitution of conventional, often expensive, rare or even critical materials.

As a true 3D lithography technology Two-Photon Polymerization (2PP) allows to fabricate arbitrarily shaped microstructures especially suited for innovative optical applications. Up to now the technology has not reached industrial scale due to its rather limited throughput level. Fraunhofer ISC pursues different strategies to accelerate the process. The Institute presents its R&D competencies and latest technologies for optical and microoptical applications at the German Pavilion on the Photonics West in San Francisco from 31 January to 2 February 2017.

The trend in architecture and facility management is towards »smart« buildings which, by means of integrated flexible electronics, automatically react on changing ambient conditions. These buildings are energy efficient and may have a number of comfortable features like solar cell modules integrated into façades or electrochromic windows, which change tint from clear to dark in strong sunshine. The implementation of novel usage concepts, however, still faces several challenges, mostly concerning the required service life of electronic components and their direct integration into building envelopes, especially when these are of lightweight construction or comprise flexible membrane roofing systems or façades.

Glass related R&D at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC covers a broad spectrum from specialty glass for technical applications to glass surface finishing with functional or decorative coatings. It also includes concept designs for the restoration and preservation of historic glass paintings or other glass items of cultural heritage. A recent project, for example, regarded the conservation of the glass façade of the public indoor swimming pool located at Stuttgart Feuerbach. At glasstec, held from 20th to 23th September 2016, the Institute will present this and other selected R&D results at the Fraunhofer booth D64 in hall 11.