Moving into its fourth decade, AchemAsia is setting out for new horizons: The International Expo and Innovation Forum for Sustainable Chemical Production will take place from 21-23 May 2019 in Shanghai, China. With an updated event profile, the eleventh edition focusses on topics that are especially relevant for the Chinese process industry, putting a strong emphasis on sustainability and innovation.

Harmful chemicals are often used in textile processing. That is why the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB is researching harmless biobased alternatives. The Institute is working on utilizing side streams from the animal feed manufacture for the production of chitosan. The biopolymer is supposed to be used as a sizing agent in the processing of yarns or for the functionalization of textiles. Fraunhofer IGB will present its work at the ACHEMA trade fair from June 11 – 15 in Frankfurt am Main.

With its almost infinite depth of field, so-called light field photography has been fascinating amateur photographers since commercial cameras have been on the market. It offers the possibility to change the focus range of the selected image section after it is taken, and to produce three-dimensional images. For video, light field photography is used only sporadically so far, in part because the necessary camera systems exist only at a handful of institutions. For a few days, Saarland University is one of them.

Fraunhofer IBMT is exhibiting on the world’s forum for process industry ACHEMA 2018 from June 11th-15th, 2018 in Frankfurt at saaris Saarland pavilion hall 5.1D89: Touchless, contamination-free level and flow measurement | High-power ultrasound | Low-cost fibre probe for analytics in unfavourable environment | LabBag® - Low-cost-3D-cell culture | „Stabil-Ice“ – biotech disposable for cells – ready-to-use out of the cold.

The exchange of information between lawyers and clients is protected by law. Whenever unencrypted e-mails are sent, however, this protection is undermined. And even with encryption in place, it is still possible to draw conclusions about who is communicating with whom, which should also be confidential, of course. Christoph Sorge, Juris Endowed Professor for Legal Informatics at the Saarland University, has been examining the matter. His team recently developed a web-based software system that protects the communication of lawyers and enterprises from third parties.

Upcycling of PET bottles and the recycling of flame-retardant plastics are worthwhile both for economic reasons and for protecting the environment. Fraunhofer LBF will present current research results at the Compounding World Expo 2018 in Essen, from June 27 to June 28, at booth 707. Another topics will be new procedures in process technology, under the keyword Industry 4.0. A monitoring system that is based on intelligent sensor nodes, for example for a twin-screw extruder, ensures that networked, autonomous work processes run reliably. With another patented procedure, the corrosiveness of plastic melts can be determined quickly, which also helps to prevent downtime in the future.

Many pharmaceuticals have the form of capsules in which there are globules that contain the active substance. Researchers at the Technische Universität Kaiserslautern (TUK) together with their colleagues from the Technische Universität Dortmund look into the production process of those globules. They use a so-called spheronizer that forms the globules. The researchers are working to improve this process and are investigating the parameters that might support globule formation. Therefore, they also use computer simulation.

At a lotus leaf, drops simply roll off, but a concrete wall is wetted by them. The reason for this lies in the condition of the surface. Tiny structures are the reason for drops not to adhere to the surface. Researchers at the Technische Universität Kaiserslautern (TUK) are investigating this effect using a 3D high-speed camera system. This helps them to see what happens when drops hit difference surfaces. The findings could help to reduce machine wear and tear or to keep plants free of contamination.

Fraunhofer IISB reports substantial progress in “Cognitive Power Electronics 4.0”, which merges proven power electronic system technologies and smart digital functionalities. The latest developments by Fraunhofer IISB are presented at PCIM Europe, the international leading exhibition for power electronics, intelligent motion, renewable energy and energy management, taking place from 5 to 7 June 2018 in Nuremberg, Germany, at booth 6-339.

In order to separate chemical mixtures into their single components, industry operators commonly carry out energy-intensive distillation, such as in crude oil refineries. Researchers at the Technische Universität Kaiserslautern (TUK) are developing a camera system that monitors this process. It measures whether there is a high degree of droplet formation, which can negatively affect the separation of components. In the future, this technology could take countermeasures whenever the relevant measurement data change – and can also save energy.