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| EmpaNews 40 published | 15. May 2013 |
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| Focus: Hard coatings, smart coatings |
| | Many chemical reactions and chemical processes take place on surfaces or within boundary layers. In order to understand this, the layers must be analyzed in as much detail as possible. We show, how Empa examines microstructures down to the atomic level, using self designed "super-microscopes" – and how these scientific results lead to the construction of new surfaces.
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| Innovation award for textile to prevent bedsores | 29 April 2013 |
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| Award-winning sheet |
| | Empa, in conjunction with the company Schoeller Medical AG and the Swiss ParaplegicCentre, has won the Innovation Prize at the international Techtextil trade fair. The award went to the jointly developed sheet for preventing bedsores, a solution that is both low-cost and effective for reducing pressure sores in bedridden patients. |
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| Joining Technologies and Corrosion Lab | 19 April 2013 |
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| Understanding boundaries |
| | "Joining Technology and Corrosion" laboratory since February 2012. Among other things, his team deals with solder connections, corrosion, local electrochemistry and the design of functional alloys, surfaces and boundary layers. Jeurgens originally became involved in this science because of his fascination with rocks. |
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| Industry cooperation in the field of Life Cycle Assessments | 4 April 2013 |
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| Empa researchers join Quantis to open new branch in Switzerland |
| | Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, will “spin-out” its service team in the field of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to Quantis, an international leading consultancy in LCA. The transfer will comprise five scientists, the consultancy projects, and will be the basis for a new company branch, based at Empa’s technology center glaTec in the Zurich metropolitan area. |
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| Novel gas catalysts | 3 April 2013 |
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| Ceramic foam cleans up exhaust gases |
| | The introduction next year of the Euro 6 exhaust-gas standard means that catalytic converters will become more expensive, above all for diesel vehicles. Empa is working on a catalytic substrate made of ceramic foam which, because of its structure, is more efficient and therefore more economic. Not only that – it also requires less noble metal coating. |
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| Study for the Swiss Hazardous Incident Ordinance | 22 February 2013 |
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| Risks of nanomaterials under the microscope |
| | Nanotechnology is continually increasing in terms of research, economic and social significance. However, working with synthetic nanomaterials also conceals risks. Empa has produced a study for the Federal Office for the Environment (Bundesamt für Umwelt, BAFU) in order to clarify whether special regulations should be incorporated into the Federal Hazardous Incident Ordinance with regard to human and ecotoxicity. The conclusion, based on present knowledge, was this: At present, the safety measures for chemicals are also sufficient for synthetic nanomaterials. |
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| Empa signs collaboration agreement with start-up | 18 February 2013 |
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| Flisom raises funding for 15MW flexible CIGS production plant |
| | Flisom, a Swiss company developing technologies for manufacturing of flexible thin film CIGS solar modules (copper-indium-gallium-(di)selenide), has secured funding to further develop its technology and build a production plant with an annual capacity of 15MW in Switzerland. Besides financial backing, Flisom also signed an agreement with Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, to provide R&D support on high-efficiency flexible CIGS solar cell technology. |
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