Our laboratory adds competences in challenging materials production, structuring and machining, and improved rapid thermal processing of materials. It combines understanding of safe fabrication of dry nanopowders in the several grams per hour scale, its mixing with other materials and transformation into compact materials. Furthermore understanding and know-how of electromagnetic wave - materials interactions are used for example for optimal microwave heating of complex multi-component materials and systems. A third activity takes care of in depth studies and analysis of dynamics of processing such as classical and laser machining processes, plasma dynamics for particle production and multi-component coatings for a variety of industrial applications. Optical materials will be added to our competences as growing activity. The three groups

• Processing dynamics and optical materials
• Nanocomposites fabrication and coatings
• Electromagnetic processing of functional materials
  
  

work in close collaboration and overlapping activities. Materials microstructure analysis is a binding and bridging activity in the laboratory. From the production of nano-particles through mixing to shaping, we cover the full range of research and development of novel composite materials. The focus lies in understanding of process dynamics, how to finalize the consolidation process, or how to cost and energy efficiently stabilize, or structure in a generative process the materials as final device or in devices.

• 13th Seminar on “Computer Modeling in Microwave Engineering & Applications“ March 7-8, 2011; Poster WPI
• Laser Center inauguration April 7. 2011 Poster  Flyer

• Mo 28.11.2011 1430-1530  Dr. Vera Trabadelo - "Study of the fracture behaviour of sapphire to optimize its grinding process" Empa Thun, Feuerwerkerstrasse 39, 3602 Thun  L503
  
  

Ramirez, M.G., Boj, P.G., Navarro-Fuster, V., Vragovic, I., Villalvilla, J.M., Trabadelo, V., Merino, S., Diaz-Garcia, M.A., Efficient organic distributed feedback lasers with imprinted active films, OpEx, Optical Society of America, Washington, Vol. 19, Issue 23, 2011, pp. 22443-22454.

Nicula, R., Stir, M., Wurm, A., Catala-Civera, J.M., Ishizaki, K., Vaucher, S., Zhuravlev, E., Schick, C., Microwave calorimetry using X-rays, Thermochimica Acta 526 (2011) 137-142.

Kollo, L., Bradbury, C.R., Veinthal, R., Jaeggi, C., Carreno-Morelli, E., Leparoux, M. Nano-silicon carbide reinforced aluminium produced by high-energy milling and hot consolidation. Mater. Sci. Eng. A 528 (2011) 6606-6615.

Heiber, J., Bloch, R., Bucher, R., Habegger, S., Lombardi, I., Wasmer, K,, Assi, F., Beck, A. A review of diamond wire wafering technology at Meyer Burger Ltd. in: Manufacturing the solar future: the 2011 production manual, ed. K. Reddig, Solar Media, 2011, pp. 78-85.

Vaucher, S., Stir, M., Ishizaki, K., Catala-Civera, J.-M. & Nicula, R. Reactive synthesis of Ti-Al intermetallics during microwave heating in an E-field maximum. Thermochimica  Acta 522 (2011) 151-154. 

Kurita, H., Kwon, H., Kawasaki, A. Fabrication of carbon nanotube reinforced aluminum matrix composite by spark plasma sintering and hot extrusion hybrid process. J. Japan Inst. Metals 75 (2011) 259-264.

Pittini-Yamada, Y., Perigo, E.A., de Hazan, Y., Nakahara, S. Permeability of hybrid soft magnetic composites. Acta Materialia 59 (2011) 4291-4302.

Bidiville, A., Neulist, I., Wasmer, K., Ballif, C. Effect of debris on the silicon wafering for solar cells. Sol. Energ. Mat. Sol. Cells 95 (2011) 2490-2496.