EmpaNews November 2010

A visit to the FireTechnology Laboratory 08

Switzerland researchessmart materials 10

A young entrepreneurenters the market 20

Magazine for Research, Innovation and Technology TransferVolume 8 / Issue 31 / November 2010

EmpaNews

Towards tomorrow’snanoelectronics 04

02 // Editorial

More safety through fireA visit to the FireTechnology Laboratory 08

Good gradesfrom our readers

With this issue, you’re holding in your hands theeleventh edition of EmpaNews since we re-launched it as a modern research magazine

two years ago. It thus seemed like the appropriate time toask you – our readers – what you like and what you don’tcare for so much. We did exactly that with the last issue

but one. Now we have the results, andthey’re quite gratifying.

The vast majority of you (96 percent) rate EmpaNews as “good” to“very good”, and about 90 per centread (almost) every issue. In particular,articles about the latest research find-ings and innovative technologies aswell as reportages from the laboratoryin the sections “Research and develop-ment” as well as “Knowledge and tech-

nology transfer” are quite popular. You judge our mixof topics as diverse and varied, and the layout is viewedas being modern but at the same time serious. That’s allreason enough for us to follow the suggestion of onereader: “Keep up the good work!” That’s exactly whatwe intend to do, but not without first extending a warm“Thank you” for helping us along.

This current issue takes into account your desire forlab portraits with a visit to Empa’s Fire Technology La-boratory (page 8) where, as part of their job, fire expertsand engineers put products and components to the testwith flames. They’re not doing so in a blind destructivefrenzy; rather, they’re developing new fire-resistant prod-ucts. Speaking of new products, another promising sourceis nanoelectronics with examples being nanoribbonsmade of graphene, a modified (and recently Nobel-hon-oured) form of carbon with amazing properties (page 4).

And since it is our goal to provide intelligent readingmaterial, for once we’ve taken that task literally – andthus the current Focus section on “smart” materials.They’re also the topic of the National Research Pro-gramme NRP 62, which started early this year and inwhich Empa is quite successfully represented.

We wish you continued pleasant reading with EmpaNews, and we look forward to your suggestions andtips, which are always welcome – even without a survey.

Michael HagmannHead Communications

Cover

Empa researchers have succeeded in growinggraphene ribbons only a few nanometreswide on various surfaces. These ribbons areconsidered a prime candidate for futureapplications in electronics because they allowtheir properties to be tailored – depending ontheir width and edge shape. (Photo: Empa)

Table of contents // 03

On the road to successA young entrepreneur enters the market 20

Doing it with enthusiasm“Mechanics is always atthe leading edge.” 16

With strong Empa participationSwitzerland researchessmart materials 10

Research and development04 Towards tomorrow’s nanoelectronics

07 Energy-saving lamp wins

08 Fire in the building!

Focus: Smart Materials

10 Materials with brains

16 “Smart materials give engineers new degrees of freedom”

18 Spark in the dark

19 “First aid” plugs the leak

Knowledge and technology transfer20 “You don’t win a prize everyday”

Science dialogue22 Innovation Day for the textile industry

24 Events

Imprint

PublisherEmpaÜberlandstrasse 129CH-8600 DübendorfSwitzerlandwww.empa.ch

Text & DesignCommunication section

ContactPhone +41 44 823 47 [email protected]

Published quarterly

ISSN 1662-7768

04 // Research and development

Towards tomorrow’snanoelectronics

To fabricate ever smaller electronic components, new materialsare in great demand – for example, ultra-thin layers of carbonknown as graphene. As part of an international collaboration,Empa researchers are developing new methods to “grow” theselayers in a tailored way on surfaces. To “equip” them with desired properties, the Empa team is also investigating the de-tails of how the structures form – using, among other things,computational modelling.

TEXT: Beatrice Huber / PHOTOS: Empa

Graphene is a very unique material. It consists of a carbonlayer only a single atom thick in which the atoms arearranged in hexagons, resembling a honeycomb.

Graphene is harder than diamond, extremely tear-resistant andimpermeable for gases, and it’s also an excellent thermal conduc-tor. When rolled up, this material produces carbon nanotubes;when it’s stacked in layers, the result is graphite, which is wellknown, for instance as pencil lead.

In addition, because of its outstanding electronic properties,graphene is recognised as a possible material to substitute for siliconin semiconductor technology. It’s no wonder that graphene andrelated materials are currently among the hottest research topics.In fact, the Dutch physicist Andre Geim was just awarded the 2010Nobel Prize in Physics along with the Russo-British physicist Kon-stantin Novoselov for their groundbreaking work on graphene.Their research team was the first to successfully isolate free-stand-ing graphene layers, something that astounded the scientific com-munity because strictly two-dimensional structures should not ac-tually be stable.

Wanted: a silicon replacementToday, almost nothing happens in semiconductor technologywithout silicon. One example is the field-effect transistor (FET),the type of transistor most frequently used. Especially for the FET,graphene exhibits properties which could allow a tremendous leapin miniaturisation.

FETs generally have three terminals: the source, gate anddrain. The gate controls the transistor by allowing or inhibitingthe flow of current from the source to the drain. To do so, the gateeither builds up or closes a “channel” between the two other ter-

minals. Graphene now makes it possible to build this channel soit is just a single atomic layer thick, a decisive step towards thefurther miniaturisation of electronic components and thus to-wards nanoelectronics. Such thin channels are impossible to pro-duce with silicon, the most common base material in semiconductortechnology.

Turning Graphene into a semiconductorBefore graphene and related materials can be used in semiconduc-tor technology, however, several obstacles must be overcome. Forone: pure graphene is not a semiconductor. What are known asband gaps, which enable an insulating state, do not exist ingraphene. This means that graphene does not allow itself to be“turned off” but instead permanently conducts electricity.

Researchers in Empa’s nanotech@surfaces Laboratory areworking together with scientists at the Max Planck Institute forPolymer Research in Mainz (Germany) and other institutions ongraphene-like materials with band gaps whose size can be set veryprecisely. One candidate consists of ultra-thin graphene ribbons;another is “porous” graphene, a sheet-like polymer with “holes”of a controlled size and spatial distribution.

Structural model of a grapheneribbon with a zig-zag shape.

Research and development // 05

Progress towards easy manufacturingThe focus is on methods to produce these graphene-like materials,with their well-defined band gaps, as easily as possible and inways which are reproducible. “Here we’re employing a ‘bottom-up’ process, specifically molecular self-organisation,” explainsRoman Fasel, senior scientist in the nanotech@surfaces Labora-tory. “That’s because the conventional methods used until todayare not sufficiently precise.” Before components made of thesematerials can allow custom-engineered optical and electronicproperties, the graphene ribbons, for instance, must be extremelynarrow, considerably less than ten nanometres wide, and furthermust have well-defined edges. The “top-down” methods typicallyused until now cannot achieve these geometries. In those methods,the ribbons are “cut” from graphene layers, or nanotubes are slitopen lengthwise and unfurled.

Molecular self-organisation achieves the required precision.In this process, the molecular building blocks join together spon-taneously at chemically-defined linking sites and build up a regu-lar structure with the desired electronic properties. The buildingblocks consist of organic molecules, known as polyphenylenes,which possess halogens (bromine or iodine) at “strategically cor-

rect” positions. The geometry of these building blocks and howmany halogens are located at which positions then determinewhat the end product looks like, in other words, whether a ribbonor a sheet-like structure with pores is created.

Ribbons – just a single nanometre wideThanks to suitable building blocks, Empa researchers PascalRuffieux, Jinming Cai and Marco Bieri together with their colleaguesrecently manufactured atomically thin graphene ribbons with awidth of one nanometre and a length of up to 50 nanometres. “Theresult is that our graphene ribbons are so narrow that they have elec-tronic band gaps and now exhibit the switching properties of sili-con,” says Fasel in discussing the research findings.

But the Empa team didn’t stop there. Depending on whichbuilding blocks they used, graphene ribbons develop with variousspatial structures: straight, bifurcated or in a zig-zag shape. Thiswork was published last July in the renowned scientific journalNature. With the same methods, it was also possible to success-fully manufacture a porous graphene whose pores are only a fewatoms in diameter, and whose pattern repeats on a subnanometrescale. This material likewise has the desired band gaps.

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So that the new synthesis methods indeed become a reliabletool with which both graphene ribbons and porous graphene canbe manufactured with the desired properties, the reaction path-way must be understood to the last detail. “We want very specificknowledge of the reaction steps,” notes Fasel, listing some ques-tions of interest. Which processes are taking place here? Whichintermediate products are produced? What forces are involved?What role does the substrate play?

Reaction pathway elucidated with experimentsand simulationsIn order to answer questions such as these, the researchers com-bined empirical observations, in particular from a scanning tun-nelling microscope, with computer simulations. Findings just pub-lished in the scientific journal Nature Chemistry now describe thedetailed reaction pathway whereby “model building blocks” couplethemselves into a planar nanographene. This reaction runsthrough six steps with five intermediate products, two of whichare stabilised sufficiently on the surface so that they can be iden-tified with a scanning tunnelling microscope. And this was exactlywhat was predicted by the computer simulations.

So far, so good. But if these novel materials are to be usefulin electronic circuits, they must be manufactured on semiconduc-tor surfaces. And until now, scientists have fabricated grapheneribbons and porous graphene only on metal substrates. Besidesself-assembly directly on a semiconductor, an alternative is totransfer the materials from metal to semiconductor surfaces.“Right now we’re working at full speed on both approaches,” saysFasel, “and the initial results already look very encouraging.” //

Br

Br

BrBr

Br

Br Br

Br

Br

Br

1Under ultra-high vacuum conditions,the desired building blocks (in thispicture 10,10’-dibromo-9,9’-bianthrylmonomers) are applied to a goldsurface. In the first reaction step, thebuilding blocks are linked to formpolyphenylene chains. In the secondstep involving high temperatures,hydrogen atoms are removed and theresult is a planar, aromatic graphenesystem – graphene nanoribbons.

2Straight, bifurcated or in a zig-zagshape: by selecting suitable buildingblocks, graphene ribbons can besynthesised in the desired shape.

Literature references“Atomically precise bottom-up fabrica-tion of graphene nanoribbons”, J. Cai, P.Ruffieux, R. Jaafar, M. Bieri, T. Braun, S.Blankenburg, M. Muoth, A.P. Seitsonen,M. Saleh, X. Feng, K. Müllen, R. Fasel,Nature 466, 470-473 (2010)“Porous graphenes: two-dimensionalpolymer synthesis with atomic preci-sion”, M. Bieri, M. Treier, J. Cai, K. Aït-Mansour, P. Ruffieux, O. Gröning, P.Gröning, M. Kastler, R. Rieger, X. Feng,K. Müllen, R. Fasel, Chem. Commun.,6919-6921 (2009)“Surface-assisted cyclodehydrogenationprovides a synthetic route towardseasily processable and chemicallytailored nanographenes”, M. Treier,C.A. Pignedoli, T. Laino, R. Rieger,K. Müllen, D. Passerone, R. Fasel,Nature Chemistry, published online 7 November 2010DOI: 10.1038/NCHEM.891

2a 2b 2c

1 nm 15 nm 3 nm

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200°C 400°C

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Tungsten Lamp0.25

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Halogen LampFluorescent LampCompact Fluorescent Lamp

Break-even point Swiss electricity mix

burning period in hours

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Tungsten Lamp

Halogen LampFluorescent LampCompact Fluorescent Lamp

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Break-even point European electricity mix

C burning period in hours200 250 300 350 400 450 500 550 600


Energy-saving lamp wins

Since 1 September 2009, sales and import of incandescentlight bulbs, or more specifically tungsten lamps, have beenbanned in Switzerland. In addition, on the same day, the

EU’s prohibition on incandescent bulbs was adopted, a step-wiseelimination of this inefficient method of lighting. This legislation,however, has met with resistance in many places. In particular,the compact fluorescent lamp, often referred to as the energy-savinglamp, has been the focus of much criticism. One of the opponents’main concerns is the mercury they contain.

Roland Hischier, Tobias Welz and Lorenz Hilty of Empa’s Tech-nology and Society Laboratory have made a detailed investigationof traditional tungsten lamps as well as halogen lamps, conventionalfluorescent lamps and compact fluorescent lamps in order to findout which type of lighting is the most ecologically sound.

Many factors to considerUsing a life cycle assessment (LCA), also known as eco-balance,the researchers took into account the material and energy flowthroughout the entire lifetimes of these devices, all the way fromproduction, through use and then disposal. One way to expresstheir total ecological burden is in the form of eco indicator points(EIPs). The number of points is a measure for the total damage toour health and environment as well as the consumption of re-sources necessary for the manufacture of a product.

The analysis showed that mercury is not at all a great burden onthe environment. In fact, the power generation by a coal-fired powerplant emits the same amount of mercury into the atmosphere in onehour as is contained in 8,400 to 9,000 compact fluorescent lamps.

A more important factor, on the other hand, is the electricity mixused to operate the lamps. A tungsten lamp lit by hydroelectric powerhas less environmental impact than does a compact fluorescent lampwhich is lit up with the electricity mix prevalent in Europe. “By se-lecting electricity which is generated in an environmentally friendlyway, we can achieve more on an ecological basis than by simplyswitching over to compact fluorescent lamps,” according to Hischier.

But compact fluorescent lamps do also have an ecological ad-vantage in and by themselves. This is shown when determiningthe environmental break-even point, which is the time two differ-ent lamps must burn while having the same overall environmentalimpact. With the European electricity mix, which is generated toa large extent with fossil fuels, the tungsten lamp and compact fluorescent lamp reach their environmental break-even pointquite quickly, after only about 50 hours. This is because of thetungsten lamp’s considerably higher power consumption.

With electricity generated in Switzerland, this point is reachedafter 187 hours. Given an average operating lifetime for a compactfluorescent lamp of 10,000 hours (compared to 1,000 hours for atungsten lamp), the purchase of these lamps thus pays off ratherquickly from an ecological standpoint. //

Empa researchers have investigated the eco-balance of various lighting technologies.They considered not only the lamps’ own energy consumption using differentelectricity mixes, but also aspects related to their manufacture and disposal. Theclear-cut result: the energy-saving lamp comes out ahead.

TEXT: Peter Merz / PHOTOS: SecretDisc, Wikipedia

In the first 50 operating hours (European electricity mix, left) to the first 180operating hours (Swiss mix), the tungsten lamp is, ecologically seen, still superiorto its competitors. However, as the lamps burn longer, the relationship quicklychanges because of the tungsten lamp’s high power consumption; then thecompact fluorescent lamp produces the best results. (Illustrations: André Niederer)

Intersection A: Tungsten/Compact Fluorescent LampIntersection B: Tungsten/Halogen Lamp Intersection C: Tungsten/Fluorescent Lamp

Literature reference“Environmental Impacts of LightingTechnologies – Life Cycle Assessmentand Sensitivity Analysis”, T. Welz,R. Hischier, L. Hilty, EnvironmentalImpact Assessment Reviewwww.elsevier.com/locate/eiar


Empa has been burning for 40 years.In the Fire Technology Laboratory atDübendorf, the most varied componentsare turned into ashes. This is done notjust to gain knowledge about howmaterials and components behave whenburning, but also to optimise them.In future, even computer models shouldhelp predict the materials' behaviour inthe event of fire.

TEXT: Daniela Heiniger / PHOTOS: Empa

The smell of something burning tells you rightaway where you are. That’s even before you no-tice the furnace in the hall, where several men are

labouring to place a massive 3x3-metre pane of glass infront of it. Empa’s fire specialists are placing the last de-formation sensors on the glass, which is a component ofa new fire-resistant glazing. Then they attach the entiretesting unit – the mounting fixture including the glass –to the furnace.

And then everything’s ready to go. Giant flamesshoot out from the side walls of the furnace. After onlya short time there are some snapping, crackling sounds,and the glass takes on a milky discolouration. “This ef-fect comes about because the embedded fire-protectionlayers foam up. In this way they contain the heat,” ex-plains laboratory head Erich Hugi. Even after prolongedexposure to the flames, the panes stand up to the fire;just a few pieces on the side facing the furnace split off.

“Playing with fire” for more than 40 yearsDuring such a fire experiment, at least two team mem-bers follow the action from the test station while anotherdoes so at a monitor in the control room. They examinehow the heat in the flame chamber develops and howthe test object reacts. They document every change andnoteworthy event and also record everything on video.“The films support us during analysis. With them wecan, for example, track where and why the fire-resistantglazing no longer withstands the fire,” explains Hugi. Onthis day, the experiment runs without a hitch. Even atmore than 850 degrees Celsius, the glass stands up formore than 30 minutes, enough to be classified accordingto Euronorm standards.

Empa’s Fire Technology Laboratory has been play-ing with fire for more than 40 years. In this time, a greatdeal of expertise has been accumulated. That’s whyEmpa is in the position to offer its partners more thanjust a dedicated analysis of a fire experiment. “A test ob-ject always consists of multiple components,” notesHugi. “Often it’s only a single element that is responsiblefor failure in the case of fire. If this weak point is known,then we can perform targeted product optimisation.”1

Fire in thebuilding!

This expertise is a major reason for the long waiting listwhich illustrates why this Empa laboratory, with morethan 75 fire experiments per year, is booked up far inadvance.

Burning components – to make them betterOn the one hand, a successfully completed fire test isthe last step for Empa clients before they can put theirproducts to use in applications which have requirementsfor fire resistance. On the other hand, when viewed on alarger scale, the experiments also deliver insightful datawhich Empa scientists later apply to a variety of researchprojects with academic and industrial partners. At thisyear’s Structures in Fire Conference (SiF’10) in the USA,the team presented three papers. SiF addresses the be-haviour of structures and materials when exposed tofire, and has established itself as the international plat-form for researchers, engineers and fire experts.

Consider, for example, one project presented jointlyby the Empa Fire Technology Laboratory and the SwissFederal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). Itstudied fire-induced changes in the load-carrying capacityof a support which is made of fibreglass-reinforced poly-mers and which also has an embedded water coolingsystem. Thanks to the findings, it was possible not onlyto determine how long such wall elements can with-stand fire, but the experiment also delivered valuable in-formation about the failure mechanism. This data servesas a key performance input for a numerical model andhelps engineers to design construction projects sothey’re even more fireproof.

From building component manufacturersto the US NavyAs part of a project within the EU’s Sixth Framework Pro-gramme, Hugi’s group worked together with Empa’sStructural Engineering Laboratory as well as with Knauf,a German drywall specialist, on a modular, earthquake-and fire-proof building using lightweight constructiontechniques. “Houses must, of course, first of all offer pro-tection from further quakes,” explains Hugi. But becausefires frequently break out after earthquakes, the demandson fire protection are likewise very high. During variousfire experiments, Hugi and his colleagues investigated thebehaviour of a newly developed type of drywall in con-nection with a lightweight metallic structure when placedunder a mechanical load. Depending on modifications,the new drywall was able to carry more load than conven-tional types and held up as much as half an hour longer.

In addition, the Fire Technology Laboratory is apartner in a new project being organised by the US Of-fice of Naval Research. In order to make ships as lightand manoeuvrable as possible, naval engineers prefer toavoid heavy materials such as steel. However, becausethe first logical candidate as a replacement – aluminium– has in the past not proved to be sufficiently fire resistant,new lightweight construction materials such as fibre-rein-forced polymers are being tested. That’s anything but atrivial task, even for Hugi and his team. Even just settingup the instrumentation for a test object takes an entireweek. In addition, the Empa researchers must adapt theentire infrastructure to the required test conditions such

as attaching high-temperature heat-flow sensors and alsohandling cumbersome structural adaptations with creativ-ity and mechanical finesse. Nonetheless, all the effort wasworthwhile, according to Hugi, who adds, “In six fire ex-periments we gained considerable knowledge on howpanels deform. This information then helps us again to re-fine our numerical models.”

Predicting behaviour in a fireDuring these projects, it isn’t just a matter of determininghow long something can withstand a fire. In addition,comprehensive thermo-physical data about the materialsin use is continuously gathered. This knowledge con-tributes to a better understanding of the behaviour of theapplied materials in a fire. “As a result, we can developsuitable approaches for performing numeric calculations,”explains Hugi. The goal is to use computer models to pre-dict structural behaviour in case of fire. With this, com-ponents can be optimised with regard to their behaviourin fires, and the number of expensive fire experimentscan be reduced. //

2Fire experts must alsobe prepared for almostanything: suddenly part ofthe installation collapses.

3Meticulous preparationsin the Fire TechnologyLaboratory.

1Flames shoot up – a high-light after days of workon test objects andsetting up experimentalrigs in the FireTechnology Laboratory.

2


3

Materials with brainsMany materials change when exposed to external stimuli. If this reaction isuseful, reproducible and controllable, the material is categorised as being“smart”. Such materials have a considerable potential for practical applications.In order to exploit this, Switzerland is funding the National Research ProgrammeNRP 62 “Smart Materials”. Empa is participating with many projects.

TEXT: Beatrice Huber / PHOTOS: Empa

Virtually every material reacts to external stimuli by changingits physical, chemical or biological properties. This canlead to problems. Consider, for instance, train rails which

expand and bend out of shape during the extreme heat of summer.These changes, however, can also be a decisive advantage –specifically when materials adapt to their environment and thuscan better fulfil their functions, or perhaps start to do so in thefirst place. If the stimulus is removed, the materials return to theiroriginal condition; the reaction to external influences is thereforereversible. If a material also “behaves” controllably and repro-ducibly, and always exhibits the same reaction to the same stimulus,it’s characterised as being “smart”. Especially attractive are thosematerials for which the external stimulus involves little energy.There are many smart systems in nature. For instance, there’s thehuman lens, which is deformed by muscles more, less or not atall depending on where the focus of vision should be.

Materials react to all sorts of stimuliThe stimulus can be mechanical, as in the case with the lens, butalso thermal, electrical, magnetic or chemical. What are known asshape memory alloys (see “Ductile materials for mechanical ap-plications”) deform or reassume their original shape when ex-posed to changes in temperature. Hydrogels which release active

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An example of a smart material:In Empa’s Blimp, electroactivepolymers (black area) stretch orcontract when an applied voltage isturned on and off. The resultingflapping of the tail fin propels theairship forward.

Focus: Smart Materials // 11

Ductile materials for mechanical applications

Structures that can change their shape or stiffness on command are much sought after in technology and engineering. A stiff structureis first converted briefly into a soft state and then stiffened again into a new shape. Such materials, for example nickel-titanium shapememory alloys, already exist; however, they lose their stiffness only when heated, which requires considerable energy. A new approachuses electrostatic forces, which are much less demanding from an energy standpoint. These forces generate a “bonding” between thinlayers of dielectric material; when the forces are turned off, the adhesion disappears.In the project “New approaches to shape and stiffness changing materials”, Empa researchers are working together with ETH Zurich tostudy and optimise dielectric materials to obtain an optimal coupling of the layers with the addition of only small amounts of energy. Pos-sible applications include those in aircraft construction. A wing would no longer need mechanical flaps for steering; instead it wouldchange its own shape, guided by electric pulses. Rotors could also adapt themselves to varying aerodynamic situations.

12 // Focus: Smart Materials

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substances in a controlled fashion due to an external stimulus areinteresting for medical applications (see “Nanofibres for intelli-gent drug delivery”). Piezoelectric materials generate an electricvoltage when placed under pressure or tension and therefore areput to use in devices such as deformation sensors. Also includedamong smart materials are compliant systems. These are flexibleenough to allow large deformations but at the same time stableenough that they can withstand large loads (also see the article“You don’t win a prize ever day” on page 20).

National research programme withheavy Empa participationIn order to take advantage of the innovative potential attributedto smart materials, the Swiss Federal Council launched the Na-tional Research Programme NRP 62 “Smart Materials”. Within anNRP, researchers from various disciplines and institutions collab-orate on projects which focus on solving urgent problems. TheSwiss Federal Council selects the topics; the Swiss National ScienceFoundation (SNSF) manages the NRPs.

For NRP 62, 21 projects from a total of 79 submitted proposalswere approved and are being financed with 6.6 million Swissfrancs. With six of the 21 projects being led by Empa researchers,Empa was quite successful. What led to this success? For AndreaBergamini, who has long been working with smart materials andis heading up one of the projects (see “Ductile materials for mech-anical applications”), one reason is the long-term experienceEmpa has with such materials. He adds, “It’s easy to keep trackof everything going on at Empa, but even so we have numerousexperts from several disciplines who can collaborate on veryimaginative projects.”

Considerable potential for innovationTraditional systems such as industrial robots with hydraulicdrives or airplane wings with conventional stabilisers actuallyfunction quite well. But as the number of individual componentsincreases, so does the complexity of the system. The potential ofsmart materials lies, among other things, in the fact that a material

Novel catalysts for naturalgas vehicles

The scarcity of oil, climate change and stringent emission regula-tions, combined with a continuously growing global vehicle fleet,ask for a more efficient and widespread use of alternative fuels. Oneof these is natural gas, which emits lower levels of nitrogen oxideand CO2 than petrol or diesel. However, the exhaust from vehiclesfuelled with natural gas needs special treatment to remove tracesof non-combusted methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas.Until now, existing catalytic converters from petrol vehicles havegenerally been adapted to the emission profile of natural gas vehicles.In the project “Palladium-doped perovskite catalysts for natural gasvehicles”, the goal of Empa researchers is to develop new types ofconverters. These should require smaller amounts of precious metals(for example, palladium) and demonstrate increased long-term stability. For this purpose, the researchers are using perovskite metaloxides which react with the chemical composition of their environ-ment. These allow precious metal atoms to enter the crystal latticein an oxidising atmosphere and exit the surface in a reducing atmos-phere.


can take on the functions of several individual components. By re-ducing complexity, the systems become more reliable – there arefewer parts that can fail – and can be better integrated. Fabricationshould become easier with maintenance requirements consider-ably reduced.

It will even be possible to develop systems which were previ-ously pure fiction. An example is airships which fly noiselesslyand energy efficiently using “artificial muscles” (also see “Newfabrication technology for artificial muscles”). Electroactive poly-mers, here acting as artificial muscles, stretch or contract whenan electric voltage is turned on or off. In the case of Empa’s Blimp,a tail fin flaps back and forth to provide propulsion. Such an airshipwould simply be too heavy if made of conventional materials.

First-time cooperation between SNSF and CTIWhat's more, NRP 62 is introducing a completely new element. Forthe first time, the Swiss Innovation Promotion Agency (CTI) is part-nering with the SNSF. That agency promotes knowledge and tech-nology transfer between companies and universities in applied re-search and development projects. CTI also provides assistance tostart-up companies. With NRP 62, the Swiss Federal Council has fo-cussed specifically on Swiss industry because smart materials couldin future lead to a crucial competitive advantage. “NRP 62 is clearlyfocussing on creative scientific work and technical development ofnew materials and systems which fulfil the criteria “smart” are sus-tainable and offer an economic potential for the transfer to industry,”says Louis Schlapbach, President of the NRP 62 Steering Committeeand former Director of Empa, in explaining the goal of this NRP. “Ialso hope that young scientists and engineers will be educated sothey have a wide range of expertise in this area and can then workenthusiastically in an interdisciplinary manner.”

No directly marketable products are yet expected from NRP62. Even so, the direction is clear. “Among the goals is that manyprojects which are being fully funded in their initial phases by theSNSF are afterwards directed in a second phase towards specificapplications,” explains Schlapbach. “Then, in a third phase, theycan be implemented with a practical focus in conjunction with

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“Superelastic” tools forsurgery

Compliant systems essentially reproduce the be-haviour of conventional mechanical mechanisms.But because these systems exploit elastic deform-ations within the material, moving parts such asbearings and joints are no longer necessary.These systems offer major advantages for surgicaltools; sterilisation is simpler and more efficient be-cause compliant instruments have no gaps inwhich bacteria can settle. Accidental lesions areless frequent because the instruments have nohinges which can pinch and injure tissue. Andthanks to their inherent monolithic nature – the in-struments consist of only one piece – they requirealmost no manual steps during assembly andhence allow for cost-effective manufacturing.In the project “Superelastic compliant surgerytools”, the goal of Empa researchers is to developinnovative surgical tools based on compliant sys-tems made of superelastic shape memory alloys.


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Nanofibres for intelligentdrug delivery

Hydrogels can release drugs on demand in a con-trolled manner and are thus very interesting formedical applications. Those which react to heat orcold are especially attractive because temperaturecan be changed easily and in a non-invasive man-ner. The disadvantage of conventional hydrogels istheir relatively long response times, which can befrom minutes to days.In the project “Nanofibres for intelligent drug de-livery”, Empa researchers are working togetherwith the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Researchin Mainz (Germany) and ETH Zurich to developnovel types of nanofibres. These consist of two-component nanofibres with a drug-loaded intelli-gent core. Additionally, they plan to embed mag-netic nanoparticles which will allow accurate localheating by magnetic induction. The fabricatednanofibres could be embedded in advanced tex-tiles for therapeutic purposes. They will also openup additional non-medical applications such asclothing which can protect or cool the body.

industry partners within a CTI project, leading to the developmentof prototypes.” This is a promising perspective, says Empa's AndreaBergamini, adding, “For me as an engineer, NRP 62 is quite excitingbecause this research is very target-oriented, and we must takeinto consideration real-world conditions.” If it is successful, NRP 62should become a reference model for future cooperation betweenthe SNSF and CTI.

The NRP 62 is divided into four modules: “Smart shape trans-formers for macroscopic use”, “Stimuli-responsive materials forthe microscopic range”, “Smart drug delivery materials” and “Ex-ploratory research for smart materials”. The fourth module con-centrates on high risk/high reward exploratory research projectswithout a fixed field of applicability but which have enormous po-tential. Empa is heading up projects in all four modules; three inthe first and one each in the other three. The projects have a durationof 12 to 36 months. Thus, initial results will probably soon see thelight of day. //

Further information: www.nfp62.ch

The photos illustrating the projects donot originate from the projects.


Fluid core fibres as shock absorbers and dampers

Synthetic fibres account for more than 70 per cent of worldwide fibre production. In the project “Synthetic fibrewith fluid core for damping applications”, Empa researchers, together with ETH Zurich, seek to study the dy-namic instabilities of fibres made of polymer blends. As yet, there exists little basic knowledge about them.Better understanding should lead to the manufacture of a synthetic fibre with a fluid core by means of a melt-spinning process. The core’s structure and material will allow control of flow velocity, viscosity and friction “fromthe outside”, thus giving the fibre adaptive properties.Possible applications depend on the fibre’s detailed properties. For example, if the core is filled with a fluid whichhardens when it reaches a certain flow velocity, such a fibre could be used as an adaptive damping element or en-ergy absorber. Other possible applications include acoustic filters, flow dampers or shock-absorbing clothing. Thefibre could also be used as reinforcing fibres in ultralight composite materials or in bulletproof vests.

New fabricationtechnology forartificial muscles

So-called dielectric elastomer (DE) transducers con-sist of an electroactive polymeric compliant capaci-tor which undergoes large surface deformationswhen a voltage is applied. They are attractive as actuators with muscle-like mechanical properties.Such artificial muscles could, for example, be usedin robots or in wearable and/or portable orthoticsand prosthetics.In the project “Fabrication technology of smart di-electric elastomer transducers”, the goal of Emparesearchers is to develop thin, flexible and multi-layer films which can produce contraction motionunder external tension with relatively low activa-tion voltage and thus can be used as an artificialmuscle. The focus is on the development of aprocess for the fabrication of DE transducers withhigh robustness and reliability.

Photo: iStock


“Smart materials giveengineers new degreesof freedom”Great potential is being attributed to smart materials. EmpaNews spoke withEdoardo Mazza, head of Empa’s Mechanics for Modelling and SimulationLaboratory and co-initiator of the National Research Programme NRP 62“Smart Materials”, which just recently started up. We discussed these materialsbut also his research at Empa and ETH Zurich.

INTERVIEW: Beatrice Huber / PHOTO: Ruedi Keller

“Anywhere you have movement,anywhere you have life, mechanicsis involved.”


Smart materials – how would you describe them?Smart materials, examples being magnetorheological fluids or

electroactive polymers, have the ability to adapt. That means theyreact to external stimuli by changing their physical and mechani-cal properties. We want these effects to be reproducible, control-lable and ultimately useful. Expressed more directly, we call thesematerials smart if they do what we want them to do.

What potential do these materials have?Smart materials give engineers new degrees of freedom. They

enable completely new functionality and devices, or known andproven solutions can be optimised or made less expensive. Apartfrom piezoceramic components and shape memory alloys, at thispoint there are actually few products on the market which arebased on smart materials. Besides basic research, we also need in-novative and courageous industrial partners. Not all the materialsystems we are investigating will live up to their initial promises.On the way to these new products, however, we’ll face exciting,far-reaching and interdisciplinary challenges to which studentsand post-graduates will contribute solutions. This presents uswith excellent educational opportunities. This new generation ofscientists and engineers will certainly have great potential for thefuture of our society.

Concerning the National Research Programme NRP 62, whichyou co-initiated, six of the 21 approved projects are beingheaded up by Empa researchers. What led to this success?

Empa offers exactly what the NRP request for proposals de-manded: comprehensive knowledge in both materials science andengineering. For more than a decade, researchers at Empa havebeen working with smart materials. In addition, Empa sets its pri-orities towards making sure that basic research and its trans-formation into new products go hand-in-hand. This is completelyin the spirit of the NRP.

That’s also apparent in one special aspect of NRP 62. Forthe first time, the Swiss Innovation Promotion Agency CTIis involved as a cooperation partner. What does this meanfor you as an engineer?

The connection with CTI gives the project a concrete goal be-cause the findings should be implemented in some specific prod-ucts. For me as an engineer, that’s a very positive sign. The SwissNational Science Foundation and CTI represent two cultureswhich should increasingly enhance each other and not contradicteach other.

Your area of research, as the name of your laboratoryreveals, is mechanics. What do you find so fascinatingabout this discipline?

Some people say that mechanics is the mother of physics. Andwhile that’s quite an honour, it also makes this discipline soundperhaps somewhat outmoded. The fact is, mechanics is always atthe leading edge. It describes the causal connections betweenforces and motion or deformations. In other words, anywhere youhave movement, anywhere you have life, mechanics is involved.Knowledge of mechanics is essential for every modern area of re-search – whether nanosystems, smart materials, energy technol-ogy or biotechnology.

For quite some time you’ve also been a professor at ETHZurich. What does it mean for you to work simultaneouslyat ETH Zurich and Empa?

I’m delighted to have this unusual opportunity. It’s very in-teresting to work for both institutions, although sometimes notthat easy. Empa has very knowledgeable and experienced special-ists and, in some areas, very good infrastructure. Being there givesme better chances to collaborate with experts from complementarydisciplines. As for ETH Zurich, I greatly enjoy my teaching andworking together with my students. I greatly value the freedomwe have at ETH regarding research and the culture of continuouslearning. I see myself as a link which can make the positive aspectsof each institution useful for the other, as well.

How do the two institutions enhance each other?I don’t believe in a separation of the missions of the various

academic institutions in Switzerland. I see a wide degree of over-lap in the objectives concerning basic research, innovation, tech-nology transfer, and the education of our future leaders. Ofcourse, each institution pursues these objectives in a different waydepending on its internal organisation, infrastructure and, aboveall, on the people who work there. Collaboration among the insti-tutions makes it possible for society to benefit optimally from theresults they achieve.

You once said that you came to study in Zurich becauseof its international flair. Have you meanwhile found thatflair?

Zurich is a cosmopolitan city. You can sense its internationalflavour especially in some of the large corporations and researchinstitutions. I find this a valuable source of enrichment for researchand in general for society. The institutions of the ETH Domain, andhere also Empa, are committed to excellence. Today, excellencemust always be evaluated in global terms, and international compe-tition continues to get stronger. This brings to mind initiatives forexcellence in Germany or major research programmes in the FarEast. In order to retain the highest level of quality in research andeducation in Switzerland, collaborations such as those betweenEmpa and ETH Zurich are increasingly important. //

Personal background

Since 2006, Edoardo Mazza has been head ofEmpa’s Mechanics for Modelling and SimulationLaboratory and at the same time is Professor of Me-chanics at ETH Zurich. He previously studied me-chanical engineering there and also earned his doc-torate in mechanics. Following completion of hisPhD, Mazza switched over to industry and workedat Alstom Power where he was group leader in thesteam turbine R&D department. In 2001 he returnedto ETH Zurich as an assistant professor, in 2006 hewas appointed associate professor, and since 2010he has been a full professor.


Spark in the dark

Whether on wristwatch dials or for self-illuminated emergency exit signs,luminous substances have long been an integral part of our society.Empa researchers are now developing a new generation of such substanceswhich should light up whiter, more brightly and longer than ever before.

TEXT: Peter Merz / PHOTO: LumiNova

Until the mid 20th century, luminouspigments were blended with radium,which was then replaced by tri-

tium. It is only since 1998, that luminoussubstances, called “solid state lighting”,perform their job without radioactivity;they instead generally contain what areknown as afterglow pigments. These con-tinue to operate using the same principle:the crystal lattice of a carrier material suchas strontium aluminate is doped with atomsof a second substance.

The design of such pigments is predom-inantly calculated on a theoretical basis using a computer simulation, as is alsodone in Empa’s Solid State Chemistry andCatalysis Laboratory under the direction ofAnke Weidenkaff. “The development of such

substances is always a challenge,” she ex-plains. “At the early computer modellingstage you must investigate which atoms toembed so that the complicated physical lu-minescence mechanism functions proper-ly.” Only then can the doped atoms moveinto an energetically excited state when ex-posed to light. Then, in the dark when nofurther energy is being added, the atoms re-turn to their original state and in doing sorelease energy in the form of visible light.

Lighting up longer, more brightly and,above all, whiterCurrently, the best afterglow pigments,patented under the name LumiNova, arecreated on the basis of strontium aluminate.The patent holder and pioneer in this tech-

nology is Nemoto & Co., Ltd. of Japan. Thatcompany is now an indirect industry part-ner of Weidenkaff’s project through herwork with LumiNova AG (Switzerland), ajoint venture formed between Nemoto andthe Swiss company RC Tritec Ltd.

In this project, she and her team havebeen researching a new generation of after-glow pigments since February. The re-searchers’ primary goal is to improve thecharacteristics of the light’s duration andcolour. “These illuminants are an exception-ally energy-relevant topic,” remarks Wei-denkaff, who has a vision that “perhaps in fu-ture, thanks to them, there could even beroom illumination completely independent ofelectricity.” The Empa team expects to havethe first results by the end of the year. //


TEXT: Martina Peter

Ahole in an inflatable boat is only a disaster ifthe air escapes too quickly to reach the safetyof land. It’s somewhat less dramatic but

nonetheless uncomfortable to spend the night on aleaky air mattress. Even in this case, though, you canget some uninterrupted sleep if only the air leaks outslowly enough. In future, self-repairing layers ofporous material should ensure that the membranes ofinflatable objects are not only water and airtight butalso that they can plug up any holes on their own, atleast temporarily.

The idea behind this comes from nature. Bionicsexperts keep on discovering amazing principles ofconstruction which engineers can adopt for countlesstechnical solutions. This is also the case with self-repairing materials. The self-healing process of thepipevine (Aristolochia macrophylla), a liana whichgrows in the mountain forests of North America, gavethe biologists at the University of Freiburg, Germany,a decisive clue. When the lignified cells of the outersupportive tissues which give the plant its bendingstiffness are damaged, the plant administers “first aid”to the wound. Parenchymal cells from the underlyingbase tissue expand suddenly and close the lesion frominside. Only in a later phase does the real healingprocess kick in and the original tissue grows back.

Self-healing inflatable structuresThis principle is now being transferred to materials –more specifically, to membranes – in a bionics projectsponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Educa-tion and Research. An additional layer which foamsup whenever a membrane is damaged administers firstaid, following the model from nature, and plugs anyholes until proper repairs can be made. While re-searchers from the University of Freiburg under the di-rection of Olga Speck are busy studying the biologicaland chemical aspects of the model provided by lianaplants, Rolf Luchsinger and Markus Rampf at Empa’s

Center for Synergetic Structures are working on tech-nical solutions for polymer membranes. Luchsinger’simpetus, however, concerns neither inflatable boatsnor air mattresses but rather load-carrying pneumaticstructures for lightweight construction. His tensaritybeams serve as elements for quickly erected, light-weight bridges and roofing.

The study’s goal is to understand under whichconditions a hole plugs itself up if the foam expandson a membrane following damage. Within the scopeof his dissertation, Rampf is studying this process withthe help of an experimental setup which places a mem-brane under pneumatic pressure and then puncturesit with a nail. The researchers have already achievedsuccessful interim results. A two-component foam ofpolyurethane and polyester suddenly expands whenexposed to the excessive pressure which arises whenair rushes out of a hole.

“It works in the lab,” notes Luchsinger, “andwe’re achieving high repair factors.” What does thismean in the real world? Take the case of an air mat-tress with a volume of 200 litres. Given a certain-sizedhole, previously it was necessary to pump it up everyfive minutes; it now holds for eight hours – enoughtime to sleep through the night. “We now knowenough about the foam that we can enter into discus-sions with membrane manufacturers about commer-cialising this technology,” according to Luchsinger,when describing the next steps. //

“First aid” plugs the leak

1A membrane made ofpolyvinyl chloride-polyester(yellowish colour)is punctured with a2.5-millimeter diameterneedle, and at thatmoment the poly-urethane foam (brown)uddenly expands.(Photo: Empa)

2Cell repair in a pipevine(Aristolochia macrophylla).Parenchymal cells of thebase interior tissuesuddenly expand if thelignified cells of the outsidesupporting tissue aredamaged (a and b), andin a later phase (c)they eventually lignify.(Photos: Plant BiomechanicsGroup, University ofFreiburg im Breisgau)

1 2a 2b 2c

0.1 mm

50 μm 50 μm 50 μm

26 // Im Dialog

A new bed imitating the movements of healthy people whensleeping should help protect bedridden patients fromdecubitus ulcers, better known as bedsores, and at the sametime unburden health-care personnel. Behind this project,which recently won several start-up awards, is Michael Sauter,a mechanical engineer and young entrepreneur who inMay 2009 founded his own company “compliant concept”,supported by Empa’s glaTec technology centre.

TEXT: Martina Peter / PHOTO: Ruedi Keller

At first glance, a nursing bed forbedridden patients hardly seems tofit the image of this sporty young

man. During his dissertation, MichaelSauter was more interested in hockeysticks. And that’s not because of his ambi-tions in sports, which was actually more inmountain biking. Rather, in his area of re-search, compliant systems, he saw enor-mous potential in improving products of allconceivable types.

For example, hockey sticks. In an in-dustry project headed by Paolo Ermanni atthe Institute of Mechanical Systems at ETHZurich, he had the opportunity to incorporatehis ideas and develop a new concept ofbenefit to manufacturers of hockey sticks.And he was successful – since the 2006Olympic Games in Turin, his hockey stickshave been put to use not only in Switzer-land but also in neighbouring countries.

Together with other students, Sauterthen developed a new type of automobileseat which can adapt to the driver or pas-senger and the situation on the road. Then,according to Sauter, something suddenlypopped into his head: “There’s no goodreason why I can’t do the same thing withbeds...” He couldn’t get this idea out of hishead even after, following completion ofhis doctorate in 2009, researcher Flavio

Campanile brought him to Empa’s Mech-anics for Modelling and Simulation Labora-tory.

What works for a hockey stick alsoworks for … beds But it might have remained a mere idea,had Sauter not taken part in the VentureChallenge course, supported by the SwissInnovation Promotion Agency (CTI). Here,university graduates learn how to take in-novative technologies and convert theminto business concepts. At the course,something became clear to him – a bedwhich can adapt would be an enormoushelp for bedridden patients and health-carepersonnel. The problem is that in order tothwart the danger of bedsores or decubitusulcers, nursing staff must continuallychange a patient’s position. A new type ofjointless slatted bed frame made of smartmaterials and a mattress adapted for thepurpose could take over this task. Togetherthey should imitate the movements of ahealthy person by gently and firmly changingthe patient’s position.

The mechanical engineer was con-vinced that this was technically feasible.However, to gain the necessary medicalbackground and to determine whetherthere was actually any market for such a

new nursing bed, he needed the help ofhealth care experts. The decubitus special-ist Walter Seiler initially reacted cautiouslyto Sauter’s enquiry. “That’s not at all easy,and many others have already made at-tempts,” he thought. But after a visit withSauter he became enthusiastic. He was im-pressed by the fact that an engineer couldaddress and understand the issues dealingwith decubitus ulcers in such a comprehen-sive and systematic way.

“You don’t wina prize everyday”

20 // Knowledge and technology transfer

Extensive networkof partners

With the goal of developing new technologieswhich make everyday life a easier, “compliant con-cept” has entered into collaborations with numerousindustry partners: OBA AG, Festo AG, Fritz NauerAG, Bigla Care, wissner-bosserhoff GmbH, SarnaPlastec AG, Produ-Plast AG and Qualicut AG. Alsobelonging to this network are the Swiss ParaplegicCentre Nottwil, the University Hospital Basel and theHSR Hochschule für Technik Rapperswil.

Im Dialog // 27

The scientist-turned-entrepreneurSauter had not only discovered his topicbut also won over an experienced mentorwho then taught him how to better under-stand medical interrelationships, and thiseven though Sauter can’t stand the sight ofblood. He spared no effort in learning to ap-preciate the needs of those affected, evento the point where he worked as a traineein a health-care facility.

All this newly gained knowledge final-ly led in May 2009 to the founding of hisown company, “compliant concept”. Thisspin-off from Empa and ETH Zurich set upits offices on the Empa campus in Düben-dorf, in the glaTec technology centre. “InSwitzerland we have a fantastic set-upwhere you can get help with every aspect,”as he found out, “but you just have to goout and get it.”

This also meant that he had to addresshis weaknesses. For example, he had tolearn how to present his ideas in a persua-sive manner. For this, Mario Jenni,glaTec's Managing Director, acted as hissparring partner. Sauter was also able tocount on Jenni’s support in preparing con-tracts. Jenni praises Sauter as not just being a good listener but adds that he im-plements suggestions in a professional wayand is goal-oriented in doing so. “He’s got

a good sense for what the market wants,and already at this early stage he’s built upa large professional network.”

Being open to the inputs of othersalong with a large willingness to learn andability to pick up the required knowledgeare traits which characterise Sauter. MartinWyttenbach, a CTI Start-up coach, atteststo this young researcher’s impressive per-sonal development. He first got to knowhim when his project was accepted into theCTI Start-up programme. Since then, Wyt-tenbach has accompanied him as a coachand in helping his development as a youngentrepreneur. In this regard, Sauter mustaddress central issues including market po-sitioning, the business model, marketingand financing.

A prize-worthy ideaThe progress of this young company hasnot gone by unnoticed. With his team,Sauter has already won several prizes foryoung entrepreneurs. Just recently he re-ceived the CTI Medtech Award 2010; lastJanuary, Sauter was recognised with theVenture Idea 2010 award for having one ofthe ten most innovative business ideasoriginating from Swiss universities; and atthe end of 2009, “compliant concept” re-ceived the Heuberger Winterthur Young

Entrepreneurs Prize. However, as Sautersays, “You don’t win a prize every day, andmany times you simply have to persevere.”

While the central focus during the ini-tial stage was on the best product from atechnical standpoint, in the second phaseit shifted to the construction of a prototypebed. And here Sauter was able to show thatthe idea worked. A new nursing bed onlyhas a chance of becoming established if ithas demonstrable advantages over conven-tional beds in every respect, so tests wereconducted at the Swiss Paraplegic Centrein Nottwil. This is not only a question ofhow practical the idea of a “self-movingnursing bed” is, any future success also de-pends on seemingly unimportant detailssuch as how easy it is to clean.

Meanwhile, all efforts at “compliantconcept” are focussed on the question ofhow this bed system can be successfully in-troduced into the market. Sauter just recent-ly signed a letter of intent with a Germancompany, one of the three largest manufac-turers of nursing beds in Europe. In addition,he’s continually on the lookout for newpartners and investors, especially thosewith experience in the international marketingof medical equipment. //

Knowledge and technology transfer // 21

22 // Science dialogue

Roughly 250 participants took part in the Swiss Textile Fed-eration’s Innovation Day 2010 held in late August at theEmpa Academy. The motto was “Textiles stretch their limits”.

Guest speaker Jeroen van Rooijen, who has worked as fashion ed-itor for many magazines including Annabelle, Bolero and Z – dieschönen Seiten, dared to take a first look beyond these limits. Forinstance, when looking at the megacities where in future mostpeople will live, he saw some wonderful examples for the use oftextiles to address changing requirements. Climate change neces-sitates clothing with improved protective functionality, whereassustainability requires natural fibres and the recycling of materials.In addition, our increasing digital lifestyles demand interactive fashion.These trends present plenty of challenges for the Swiss textile in-dustry.

At Empa, work is being carried out on a number of projectsincluding some which combine textiles and electronics. ManfredHeuberger, head of the Advanced Fibers Laboratory, introducedhis research on textiles with additional functions thanks to metal-lised fibres. Lukas Scherer from the Protection and PhysiologyLaboratory discussed light-conducting fibres, for example for lu-minous textiles in photodynamic therapy, which could be usedfor, among other things, the treatment of tumours. //

SMAR 2011

From 8 to 10 February 2011, internationalexperts from science, engineering, infra-structure management and enterprises willgather in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, forSMAR 2011. This is the first ever MiddleEast Conference on Smart Monitoring, Assessment and Rehabilitation of CivilStructures. Empa’s Structural EngineeringLaboratory is organising the conferencewith support from The American Univer-sity in Dubai (AUD).

At the centre of attention are testingand monitoring technologies, methodsfor structural modelling and assessmentas well as the application of advancedmaterials for structural rehabilitation.SMAR 2011 will provide a forum for dis-cussing proven techniques as well as thelatest developments. In addition, theconference will provide a platform to ex-plore the potential for international co-operation. One of the keynote speakerswill be Ahmad Abdelrazaq, ExecutiveVice President of Samsung C&T KR, whowill review the development of modernmonitoring systems for extremely tallbuildings. Samsung led the consortiumwhich erected the Burj Khalifa in Dubai,which is currently the tallest building inthe world. http://smar.empa.ch/

Innovation Dayfor the textile industryTEXT & PHOTOS: Urs Bünter

Photo: iStock

Science dialogue // 23

World Resources Forum 2011

Being held for the second time, the World Resources Forum (WRF) will take place on19 to 21 September 2011. The event aims to transcend the current political focus onclimate change and bring the broader issues of global resource consumption and re-source productivity back onto the agenda. Not only politics but also the economyneeds a real-world basis for decision-making towards taking the next practical stepsto a sustainable economic world order. The basis of WRF 2011 is the Declaration onResource Governance, which describes a responsible approach to handling resources;this document was drawn up and approved at WRF 2009.

The World Resources Forum is directed towards scientists, politicians, research-orientedpractitioners, consultants, sustainability officers and other professionals working in the areas of sustainable development, resource efficiency, eco-innovation and climate change.The conference, organised by Empa, will be held in Davos where each year in January theWorld Economic Forum takes place. Interested parties can now subscribe to the newsletter;further information is available at www.worldresourcesforum.org

Visitors to the Innovation Day of the Swiss textileindustry at the Empa Academy marvelled at all sortsof creative and innovative items.

Innovation Dayfor the textile industry

Swiss NanoConvention 2011

The Swiss NanoConvention will bring together leaders from scienceand industry in the field of “nano”, key figures in innovation andtechnology, entrepreneurs, investors, administrators and politi-cians. The goal is to enable the efficient development, financingand regulation of innovative technologies. This requires accu-rate choices based on the most up-to-date information. Support-ing decision-makers in that crucial aspect, the Swiss NanoCon-vention 2011 will be a platform for connecting people, network-ing, debating and exchanging ideas – or even generating newones. Key players will be able to gather the best available infor-mation on the potential of one of the key emerging technologiesof the 21st century, and its opportunities for innovative develop-ments, products and services.

High-level speakers, both national and international, willprovide insights into current trends and share with you theirviews and opinions about future developments in the nano arena.In short: the Swiss NanoConvention is the prime showcase fornanotechnology in Switzerland, supported and jointly organ-ised on a rotating basis by the “who’s who” in the Swiss nanoscene. Staged annually in different regions of Switzerland, it isthe venue for meeting the great minds in nanoscience and -tech-nology.

Key topics include pressing issues such as securing a sus-tainable energy supply and a clean environment – the area of“Cleantech” –, providing novel nanomedical applications anddiagnostics as well as innovative functional materials and theirnumerous industrial applications. Another focus will be the po-tential risks associated with free nanoparticles, and how societysees and handles these issues.

The Swiss NanoConvention 2011 will take place on 18 and 19May in the Congress Center TRAFO in Baden. The event will beorganized by Empa, the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) and ETHZürich. A satellite event with emphasis on SMEs will be held bythe Swiss Innovation Promotion Agency CTI on the second day,and NanoPubli, an event geared toward the general public, willtake place in parallel. www.empa.ch/swissnanoconvention

Events23 November 2010Women in science, why so few? Lecture by Prof. Petra Rudolf,University of Groningen, The Netherlands Empa, Dübendorf

25 November 2010Carbon nanotubes: Unique nanomaterialswith a broad field of applicationsFor interested parties from industryEmpa, Dübendorf

23 to 28 January 2011 5th International Symposium“Hydrogen and Energy”For interested parties from science and industryStoos Seminar Hotel, Switzerland

8 to 10 February 2011 SMAR 2011First Middle East Conference on Smart Monitoring,Assessment and Rehabilitation of Civil StructuresAmerican University in Dubai (AUD), United ArabEmirates

For details and further events:www.empa-akademie.ch

Your way to accessEmpa’s know-how:

I’m delighted to see thatin Empa, Switzerlandhas an internationallyrenowned institutionwhich can build bridgesbetween research andapplications, evenin collaboration withdeveloping countries.

Jean-Daniel GerberDirector of the State Secretariatfor Economic Affairs (SECO)

“

Opinion

Jean-Daniel Gerber

[email protected] +41 44 823 44 44www.empa.ch/portal”

Documents

EmpaNews November 2010