Great diversity of nanotechnology at Research & Technology - research institutes show great things from the "dwarf world"
16.04.2012/21/23 Hanover - Nanotechnology is considered to be a key technology of the 27st century with diverse application potential. The expectations of the cross-sectional technology, which affects almost all industries, are correspondingly high. Research institutions, universities and institutes will therefore be presenting themselves with comprehensive nanotechnological solutions (nanos = dwarf in Greek) from the "dwarf world" at Research & Technology as part of HANNOVER MESSE from April 2012 to XNUMX, XNUMX.
Night frosts in April - or how the ice scraper becomes superfluous
Night frosts can occur even at the end of April. Frozen or steamed up windows are a nuisance for drivers. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST in Braunschweig have now found a solution to this problem. They have developed a process with which they can not only produce transparent, conductive - and thus heatable - nanometer-thin layers. Their surface layers bring another decisive advantage. The outer layer is low emitting. So it ensures that the disc cools down much more slowly. This prevents condensation from forming. The pane remains dry and free of ice.
So far, you have already used similar layers, which consist of tin oxide. However, these are still imperfect both mechanically and visually. Excessively high temperatures, such as glass bending, can cause cracks. Consequently, tin oxide layers are used industrially only to a limited extent.
“Our new layer consists of nanocrystalline indium tin oxide, also known as ITO, and is extremely stable,” explains Dr. Bernd Szyszka from the IST. "Temperatures of up to 900 degrees Celsius are not a problem, and even if you bend them severely - the layer stays as it is." The coating can therefore also be used in large-scale industrial plants.
New: Anti-ice equipment for plastic surfaces
Layers of ice are annoying for drivers, they are a safety risk in air traffic. Wings must be de-iced before take-off in order not to impair the aerodynamics of the wings. These are also heated with hot engine exhaust gases during the flight. This increases fuel consumption by up to 30 percent and also increases climate-damaging emissions. The Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart has therefore developed an anti-ice treatment for plastic surfaces together with partners in the joint project “Nanodyn”.
For this purpose, the scientists create water-repellent micro- and nano-structured layers on which water remains liquid even at temperatures below zero degrees and therefore does not even form ice. The reason: The layers do not offer the water that wants to freeze any crystallization nuclei on the surface, and it remains in a “supercooled” state. "And even if the water freezes, our anti-ice equipment reduces the adhesion of ice by more than 90 percent compared to the uncoated surface," says Dr. Michael Haupt, project manager from IGB.
Windows against winter depression
In the dark season, it comes increasingly to mental illness due to disturbances in the melatonin budget. Among other things, this hormone controls the sleep-wake cycle of humans. The blame is too little light. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC in Würzburg have developed special window glasses that have their maximum permeability in the range between 450 and 550 nanometers, ie in the blue range of visible light.
The blue component of the light in particular is apparently responsible for the optimal functioning of the melatonin level and thus for the “correct ticking” of the internal clock in the human organism. The coating of the glasses enables maximum transparency combined with optimal adaptation to the psychologically effective wavelength range. “The phenomenon arises that the glass is physically present, but the person in the room feels as if they are at a window that is permanently open - at least when it comes to controlling the melatonin balance,” explains Dipl.-Ing. Walther Glaubitt, Head of Competence Field Inorganic Materials at the ISC.
KIT shows large-scale virtual research project: Karlsruhe Nano Micro Facility
In addition to the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft with groundbreaking exhibits and developments on coated glass and plastics, numerous other universities, colleges and research institutions are represented in this area. This includes the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), which is also the University of the State of Baden-Württemberg and national research center in the Helmholtz Association.
At KIT, scientists at the Institute of Nanotechnology (INT), for example, are researching answers to important future questions such as: Can information be stored in individual molecules in future electronic memory chips? Which nanomaterials are considered as hydrogen storage in order to operate a vehicle with it? How can you design perfect lenses with nanostructures?
From the “dwarf realm”, the KIT is presenting the Karlsruhe Nano Micro Facility (KNMF) in Hanover this year, a virtual large-scale research device, the individual devices of which are located on the KIT Campus North. The KNMF is available to all users from national and international companies and research institutions. In the facility, technologies are bundled into a platform that can structure and characterize a variety of functional materials with micrometer and nanometer resolution.
This platform is unique in the world and is coordinated by three KNMF laboratories, which cover the fields of micro- and nano-structuring, microscopy and spectroscopy as well as synchrotron characterization. For many visitors to HANNOVER MESSE, this special technology platform could provide valuable assistance for their own research. The "dwarf world" is also good for some surprises in the future - not only for car and window panes.
Numerous other institutes and companies, for example the association NanoMicroWerkstoffe Nordrhein-Westfalen, or the joint stand “World of Nano”, complete the range of products and services relating to nanotechnologies in Hall 2. As a rolling exhibition and communication center of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research in front of Hall 2, the nanoTruck offers nanotechnology to touch.
On the Wednesday and Thursday of the fair, the tech transfer forum will be offering nanotechnological lectures: In two “nanotechnology slots”, the topic will be highlighted, especially with regard to the marketability of the latest research results. Market-ready solutions are summarized in the Nano-Guide and presented at SchauplatzNANO in Hall 5.
About HANNOVER MESSE
The world's most important technology event will be held from April 23 to 27, 2012 in Hanover. HANNOVER MESSE 2012 brings together eight leading trade fairs in one place: Industrial Automation, Energy, MobiliTec, Digital Factory, Industrial Supply, CoilTechnica, IndustrialGreenTec and Research & Technology. The central themes at HANNOVER MESSE 2012 are industrial automation and IT, energy and environmental technologies, industrial supplies, production technologies and services, and research and development. China is the partner country of HANNOVER MESSE 2012.
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