Researchers have manufactured Super-invar Fe64-Ni32-Co4 (wt %) alloy through wire-arc additive manufacturing(WAAM), revealing the association between the micro-structure and the value of the G (the temperature gradient)/R (the solidification rate) during the deposition process, and achieving the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of 0.265×10-6K-1 from 20℃ to 100℃. Published in Advanced manufacturing, the findings provide a reference for the fast fabrication of super-invar alloy components through WAAM, which promotes the applications of super-invar alloy in aerospace. Super-invar alloy, distinguished by…
A team from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has introduced a new method for megapixel-scale fluorescence microscopy through complex scattering media. This approach resolves high-resolution images from several tens of widefield fluorescence-microscope frames without requiring specialized equipment such as spatial-light modulators or intensive computational processing. By efficiently correcting distortions caused by light scattering, the technique allows for clear imaging of dense and challenging targets. Its compatibility with conventional microscopy setups, coupled with the use of established matrix-based techniques, makes it…
Piezoelectric coatings play a key role in the manufacturing of ultrasound microscopes that examine ever smaller semiconductor components and biological cell structures. However, the increasing demands on the quality and reproducibility of these coatings place high demands on the complex coating processes, which require many parameters to be precisely coordinated. In order to meet this challenge, Fraunhofer FEP is developing a digital twin of the coating process for piezoelectric thin films. This enables the digital mapping and optimization of the…
Together with Fiber Engineering GmbH, the DITF presents a process for the production of biodegradable plant pots. The products are cost effective and competitive. At the same time, the production process combats the spread of the invasive water hyacinth, whose biomass serves as the raw material for the plant pots. Combating an invasive species and reaping economic benefits at the same time? What sounds like a contradiction in terms has been successfully achieved by DITF scientists in a joint project…
Researchers at the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG), Germany, have developed a new method that makes it possible for the first time to image the three-dimensional shape of proteins with a conventional microscope. Combined with artificial intelligence, One-step Nanoscale Expansion (ONE) microscopy enables the detection of structural changes in damaged or toxic proteins in human samples. Diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, which are based on protein misfolding, could thus be detected and treated at an early stage. ONE microscopy was…
Production of fine chemicals such as those used in pharmaceuticals is typically complex and laborious. An interdisciplinary team of Fraunhofer researchers worked together across different projects to devise a method modeled on a cascade, in which multiple successive stages of synthesis proceed without interruption. This is made possible through the use of novel catalysts in specially adjusted flow-through reactors. The new method makes the process of manufacturing drugs more efficient and conserves energy. In this way, the modular technology platform…
Fraunhofer researchers and their partners have developed an innovative and eco-friendly method of producing soda, essential for a wide range of industries, in the Green Soda project. The process is based on bipolar electrodialysis of brine. Ion exchange processes and the addition of carbon dioxide result in green soda. The technology will also help to strengthen manufacturing in Germany as an industrial location. Sodium carbonate, also known as soda ash, is an essential material used in many different industrial sectors….
Nanomembrane allows efficient sieving of ions from liquids. Filters play an important role in many areas of life – from coffee filters to the purification of liquids. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research have now produced a filter made of a novel, mussel-like material. The filter, which is only around 20 millionths of a millimeter thick, is able to filter ions and molecules with high efficiency. Everyone knows it from their childhood days in the sandpit: sand…
A single step from ores to sustainable metals. Max Planck scientists design a process that merges metal extraction, alloying and processing into one single, eco-friendly step. Their results are now published in the journal Nature. Metal production is responsible for 10% of global CO2 emissions, with iron production emitting two tons of CO2 for every ton of metal produced, and nickel production emitting 14 tons of CO2 per ton and even more, depending on the ore used. These metals form…
The Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT in Aachen, Germany, has developed a process that reduces CO2 emissions in glass and optics production by up to 90 percent. The focus is on conducting a life cycle assessment (LCA), which systematically records the energy requirements and CO2 emissions of the manufacturing processes. This data is used to develop and implement optimization potential. Fraunhofer IPT is the only research institute in Europe to offer comprehensive analyses and research on the subject of…
… revolutionizes shaping processes in injection molding and die casting. The new UltraPLAS coating developed by Fraunhofer researchers has proven to be a ground-breaking solution to the challenges of primary forming processes. This advanced release and easy-to-clean coating is applied as a gradient layer using a cold plasma process and is suitable for materials such as tool steel, stainless steel and aluminum. The unique physical properties of UltraPLAS enable perfect molding of even nano-scaled and reflective surfaces. By reducing the…
The team’s novel approach involves a pre-treatment process that significantly enhances the performance of existing GAC systems. In a groundbreaking effort to tackle the pervasive issue of PFAS contamination in drinking water, a research team at New Jersey Institute of Technology has received funding from the Bureau of Reclamation’s Desalination and Water Purification Research program. This highly competitive grant, awarded to only eight projects out of over eighty applicants, supports their innovative project titled “Enhanced Coagulation for the Removal of…
Researchers at Fraunhofer IPM have developed a contactless flow measurement method based on magnetic fields. For the first time, they have been able to show the quantitative impact of the flow profile on the magnetic signal. This opens up new possibilities for improving the measurement method. The results were recently published in the “Journal of Applied Physics”. There are many manufacturing processes across various industries where flowing liquids play a key role. Controlling or automating such processes requires reliable data…
…that could lead to unprecedented separations. Researchers use new technique to overcome perceived limitation of membranes with pores of consistent size. Imagine a close basketball game that comes down to the final shot. The probability of the ball going through the hoop might be fairly low, but it would dramatically increase if the player were afforded the opportunity to shoot it over and over. A similar idea is at play in the scientific field of membrane separations, a key process…
Plastics made of polycarbonate are sought-after materials in industrial applications thanks to their versatility and high quality. However, recycling of plastic waste is still running up against limits these days, as mechanical recycling methods do not produce adequate qualities of recycled material for all applications. Together with chemical company Covestro Deutschland AG, Fraunhofer researchers have now developed a method that makes it possible to reclaim the substances originally used to make the polycarbonates. In catalytic pyrolysis, a controlled process of…
How should tablets, pellets and briquettes be composed to prevent them from breaking during transport? Which microstructure should have an industrial filter to show the highest solid separation efficiency? How long can chemical catalysts withstand high mechanical loads in a high-pressure reactor? Kaiserslautern researchers are investigating these questions with a computed tomograph system that can recognise the smallest material structures non-destructively. The technique may be used in various areas of application. The team will be presenting its work at the…
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