"Superman" bacteria offer a sustainable boost to chemical production

A tailored “Superman cape” for bacteria

13-Dec-2024 - The industry—particularly the pharmaceutical industry—is deeply reliant on bacteria in their production. Now, researchers present a “superman suit” to put on the bacteria, so that they can produce chemicals with less energy, fewer solvents, and reduced waste. Trillions of bacteria work in the ...

The ideal 3D printing setting for innovative gloves

A robust yet flexible glove coating

10-Sep-2024 - Protective gloves, such as those used for work, sport or household gardening, retrieve their protective function from a special coating. This coating provides abrasion resistance, makes the material waterproof and resistant to chemicals or oil, and even protects against cuts and punctures. Until ...

Plants instead of petroleum – making new bio-based material solutions tangible on a pilot scale

From laboratory to pilot scale - a rocky road

21-May-2024 - The INN PRESSME joint project, funded by the European Union with around 14 million euros, was launched three years ago. The aim of the 27 project partners from nine European countries is to establish a Europe-wide ecosystem for the development and production of plant-based, recyclable, and/or ...

Eco-friendly textiles without PFAS

"The technology is environmentally friendly and also has interesting economic potential"

17-Apr-2024 - Rain jackets, swimming trunks or upholstery fabrics: Textiles with water-repellent properties require chemical impregnation. Although fluorine-containing PFAS chemicals are effective, they are also harmful to human health and accumulate in the environment. Empa researchers are now developing a ...

Innovative coating against ice

Development leap achieved through the use of initiated chemical vapour deposition

29-Feb-2024 - The material delays the formation of ice crystals and reduces the adhesion of ice layers. Thanks to an innovative production method, the coating is very robust and adheres to numerous surfaces. Ice-repellent coatings have been around for some time, but until now they have been very sensitive and ...

Polymer-Based Tunable Optical Components

Interdisciplinary Research Team Develops Meta-Surface that Can Be Switched with Light

27-Feb-2024 - A material coating, whose light refraction properties can be precisely switched between different states, has been developed by an interdisciplinary research team from the Chemistry and Physics departments at the University of Jena. The team, led by Felix Schacher, Sarah Walden, Purushottam ...

Environmentally friendly alternative to PFAS-based coatings

21-Feb-2024 - The Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP) in Greifswald, Germany has developed a new method for the production of ultra-hydrophobic organosilicon polymer coatings. These coatings are an alternative to per- and polyfluorinated compounds (PFAS), which are still used in many ...

Microbes could help reduce the need for chemical fertilizers

A coating protects nitrogen-fixing bacteria: Start-up to commercialise coated bacteria for large-scale use in regenerative agriculture

21-Nov-2023 - Production of chemical fertilizers accounts for about 1.5 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. MIT chemists hope to help reduce that carbon footprint by replacing some chemical fertilizer with a more sustainable source — bacteria. Bacteria that can convert nitrogen gas to ammonia ...

Environmentally friendly non-stick coating replaces per- and polyfluorinated chemicals (PFAS) on everyday products

16-Oct-2023 - Whether it is pans, cutlery or packaging, per- and polyfluorinated chemicals (PFAS) have been used for coating in a wide variety of everyday products and processes for many years. Due to known risks of these substances to humans and the environment, at least a partial ban on the production and ...

'Nano inks' could passively control temperature in buildings, cars

First 'phase-change' inks developed that could transform the way we heat and cool

28-Mar-2023 - World-first ‘phase change inks’ that could transform how we heat and cool buildings, homes and cars – to achieve sophisticated ‘passive climate’ control – have been developed, with enormous potential to help reduce energy use and global greenhouse gas emissions. New research published in The ...