Using magnetic microparticles to mark objects unambiguously and tackle counterfeiting

‘Smart rust is cheap to make and ecologically sound’

10-Jun-2021 - We can only guarantee that objects are manufactured in an environmentally friendly, socially sustainable way and recycled correctly if all raw materials and intermediate products are marked unambiguously using a tamper-proof method. The current optical (barcode) and electromagnetic (RFID chip) ...

Nanoscale measurements 100x more precise, thanks to improved two-photon technique

08-May-2018 - Technique uses photons, fundamental components of light, to measure nanoscopic materials thinner than 100,000th the width of a human hair - with 30,000 fired per second and 500bn throughout Research will mean measurements 100x more precise than existing two-photon techniques - with the potential ...

Atomic blasting creates new devices to measure nanoparticles

18-Dec-2017 - Like sandblasting at the nanometer scale, focused beams of ions ablate hard materials to form intricate three-dimensional patterns. The beams can create tiny features in the lateral dimensions--length and width, but to create the next generation of nanometer-scale devices, the energetic ions must ...

Soft magnetic material characterizations get a harder look

15-Nov-2017 - In motors, generators and similar electric machines, the electrical current that powers them generates magnetic fields that magnetize some of the metallic components. Choosing the right magnetic material is crucial for designing efficient machines, so researchers from the Institute of Electrical ...

Fleet and fast

Test for nanomanufacturing quality control

08-Mar-2016 - Manufacturers may soon have a speedy and nondestructive way to test a wide array of materials under real-world conditions, thanks to an advance that researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have made in roll-to-roll measurements. Roll-to-roll measurements are ...

Chemical fingerprints confirm the saffron fraud

22-Jan-2016 - Saffron from Spain is one of the world's most superior varieties, but the majority of this product which is labelled and exported as such originates in other countries. Scientists from the Czech Republic and Spain confirmed this false labelling after analysing 44 commercial products. By using a ...

Ultra fast 100 percent examination under the microscope

12-Nov-2015 - Large-scale components with tiny details often have to be examined under the microscope for quality control. The demand for microscopic test methods is particularly high in the semi-conductor and electronics industry due to the high degree of miniaturization. However, the recording process is ...

»Green Chemistry« ensures sustainable materials cycle

05-Jun-2015 - This year biobased processes and procedures and bio-economy are in the focus of ACHEMA, which will take place in Frankurt from June 15 to 19, 2015. The Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC in Würzburg has set itself the goal of developing innovative materials and processes for ...

Technology that miniaturises measuring devices

14-May-2014 - VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed smart optical measuring devices with companies for uses that include optimisation of vehicle engines, reduction and monitoring of environmental emissions, and quality control of pharmaceuticals. The FABRY research project aimed at utilisation ...

Better remote-sensing explosive detectors

The beginning of the end of full-body scanners?

28-Feb-2014 - Standing in a full-body scanner at an airport isn't fun, and the process adds time and stress to a journey. It also raises privacy concerns. Researchers now report in ACS' The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters a more precise and direct method for using that "terahertz" (THz) technology to ...