A broken bone failing to heal represents an enormous burden for patients. Fraunhofer researchers have worked alongside partners to develop a composite material to be used in the treatment of such non-union cases. The resulting implant is designed to significantly improve treatment success rates and speed up the healing process. The material is made up of a combination of a biodegradable polymer and bioactive glass and can serve as a main and supporting structure. Its aim is to inhibit the…

Honored with Georg Waeber Innovation Award 2023. A team from Rigaku SE and Fraunhofer IISB has established a new semiconductor material characterization method. They succeeded in developing an industry-ready X-ray topography system and in employing defect detection and quantification algorithms, achieving a unique material characterization method for silicon carbide (SiC) wafers. SiC is an excellent semiconductor for application areas like electric mobility, energy supply, industrial infrastructure up to sensors and quantum technologies. Now, Dr. Kranert and Dr. Reimann from Fraunhofer…

Molybdenum disulphide (MoS₂) is a highly versatile material that can function, for example, as a gas sensor or as a photocatalyst in green hydrogen production. Although the understanding of a material usually starts from investigating its bulk crystalline form, for MoS₂ much more studies have been devoted to mono and few layer nanosheets. The few studies conducted thus far show diverse and irreproducible results for the electronic properties of cleaved bulk MoS₂ surfaces, highlighting the need for a more systematic…

Finding the best material to make solar cells is a colossal task, but a research team at Osaka University has been using robotic systems and AI to make the search faster and more efficient. Solar energy is one of the most promising ways to power the world of the future. However, creating more efficient solar cells requires finding new and better materials. Now, in a study recently published in JACS Au, researchers at Osaka University have unveiled a solution: a…

… could help reduce costs. Researchers have developed a new method for 3D printing metal that could help reduce costs and make more efficient use of resources. The method, developed by a research team led by the University of Cambridge, allows structural modifications to be ‘programmed’ into metal alloys during 3D printing, fine-tuning their properties without the ‘heating and beating’ process that’s been in use for thousands of years. The new 3D printing method combines the best qualities of both…

In recent years, engineers at ETH Zurich have developed the technology to produce liquid fuels from sunlight and air. In 2019, they demonstrated the entire thermochemical process chain under real conditions for the first time, in the middle of Zurich, on the roof of ETH Machine Laboratory. These synthetic solar fuels are carbon neutral because they release only as much CO2 during their combustion as was drawn from the air for their production. Two ETH spin-​offs, Climeworks and Synhelion, are…

The low-cost FibeRobo, which is compatible with existing textile manufacturing techniques, could be used in adaptive performance wear or compression garments. Instead of needing a coat for each season, imagine having a jacket that would dynamically change shape so it becomes more insulating to keep you warm as the temperature drops. A programmable, actuating fiber developed by an interdisciplinary team of MIT researchers could someday make this vision a reality. Known as FibeRobo, the fiber contracts in response to an increase…

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have improved flaw detection to increase confidence in metal parts that are 3D-printed using laser powder bed fusion. This type of additive manufacturing offers the energy, aerospace, nuclear and defense industries the ability to create highly specialized parts with complex shapes from a broad range of materials. However, the technology isn’t more widely used because it’s challenging to check the product thoroughly and accurately; conventional inspection methods may not find…

“SpreeTec next”: Powder Bed-Based Additive Laser Manufacturing System to Give New Impetus to Lusatia Region. The Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS in Dresden will install a Europe-wide unique industrial 3D printer. The Additive Manufacturing system from manufacturer Farsoon is based on selective laser beam melting in a powder bed. It can produce substantial components with complex geometries from aluminum, titanium, nickel, iron, copper, and other metallic powders layer by layer. Fraunhofer IWS scientists are directing their research…

The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE has developed and successfully commissioned the world’s first medium-voltage string inverter for large-scale power plants. By feeding power into the medium-voltage grid, the “MS-LeiKra” project team has demonstrated that PV inverters are technically capable of handling higher voltage levels. The benefits for photovoltaics include enormous cost and resource savings for passive components and cables. The device lays the foundation for a new system concept for the next generation of large-scale PV power…

… might be used as a sustainable source of nitrogen. KIT researchers present new system for activation and catalytic transfer of ammonia – catalysis is based on main group elements. The ammonia molecule (NH3), a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen, is one of the most frequently produced chemicals worldwide and it is also used for the production of many other nitrogen-containing compounds. If amines could be produced by the simple addition of ammonia to unsaturated hydrocarbons, this would be a…

… nominated on TIME’s 2023 list of Best Innovations. This is the first time for a prototype stemming from a research center based in Italy to be acknowledged in TIME’s prestigious list. The prototype has been realized by Mario Caironi’s group at IIT in Milano; his research is supported by the ERC. From the research lab to TIME’s 2023 list of Best Innovations, IIT-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian Institute of Technology) makes a hit with the first ever-made rechargeable edible…

It’s viable to produce low-cost, lightweight solar panels that can generate energy in space, according to new research from the Universities of Surrey and Swansea. The first study of its kind followed a satellite over six years, observing how the panels generated power and weathered solar radiation over 30,000 orbits. The findings could pave the way for commercially viable solar farms in space. Professor Craig Underwood, Emeritus Professor of Spacecraft Engineering at the Surrey Space Centre at the University of…

With all the cameras, sensors and other devices designed for driver comfort and safety, today’s cars house more than 2000 electrical connectors. And these connectors need to provide uninterrupted electrical contact no matter how cold, wet or bumpy the ride. Materials scientist Frank Mücklich has developed a laser surface texturing procedure that makes the surfaces of the electrical contacts more stable and more efficient. In recognition of this work, the Saarbrücken professor has now been awarded the Albert Keil Prize…

The use of biomass for the bioeconomy has so far focused primarily on sugar- or starch-based raw materials, which are associated with high environmental costs in terms of land use and energy and resource consumption. Against this background, the aim of the “CAFIPLA” research project with the participation of the DBFZ was to use at least 80 per cent biogenic waste from households as mixed input biomass for the production of platform chemicals and for fibre recovery. To this end,…

Next-generation solar materials are cheaper and more sustainable to produce than traditional silicon solar cells, but hurdles remain in making the devices durable enough to withstand real-world conditions. A new technique developed by a team of international scientists could simplify the development of efficient and stable perovskite solar cells, named for their unique crystalline structure that excels at absorbing visible light. The scientists, including Penn State faculty Nelson Dzade, reported in the journal Nature Energy their new method for creating more durable…