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EMPA, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology


Results 21 - 40 of 286.


Materials Science - Innovation - 29.08.2023
Rechargable revolution
Rechargable revolution
The Empa spin-off BTRY wants to revolutionize rechargeable batteries: Their thin-film batteries are not only safer and longer-lasting than conventional lithium-ion batteries, they are also much more environmentally friendly to manufacture and can be charged and discharged in just one minute. For now, the battery is very small, but the founders have big plans for it.

Materials Science - Chemistry - 22.08.2023
New epoxy resin resists flames and reduces waste
New epoxy resin resists flames and reduces waste
Researchers have developed an epoxy resin that can be repaired and recycled, in addition to being flame-retardant and mechanically strong. Potential applications range from coating for wooden flooring to composites in aerospace and railways. Epoxy resins are tough and versatile polymers. In combination with glass or carbon fibers, they are used, for example, to manufacture components for aircraft, cars, trains, ships and wind turbines.

Physics - Chemistry - 15.08.2023
Carbon-based quantum technology
Carbon-based quantum technology
Quantum technology is promising, but also perplexing. In the coming decades, it is expected to provide us with various technological breakthroughs: smaller and more precise sensors, highly secure communication networks, and powerful computers that can help develop new drugs and materials, control financial markets, and predict the weather much faster than current computing technology ever could.

Environment - Microtechnics - 03.08.2023
Friendly visitor
Friendly visitor

Environment - 10.07.2023
Widespread illegal trade of hazardous chemicals
Widespread illegal trade of hazardous chemicals
Researchers from Switzerland and China have studied the global trade in highly hazardous chemicals subject to a global treaty - the Rotterdam Convention. The results are sobering: Nearly half of the total trade volume of these chemicals crosses national borders illegally, calling for strong international and national action.

Materials Science - Electroengineering - 04.07.2023
The chameleon effect
The chameleon effect
Is it possible to 3D print biodegradable sensors and displays? Researchers from Empa's Cellulose & Wood Materials laboratory have developed a cellulose-based material that allows just that. The mixture of hydroxpropyl cellulose with water, carbon nanotubes and cellulose nanofibrils changes color when heated or stretched - without the addition of any pigments.

Microtechnics - Environment - 26.06.2023
FireDrone supports the fire department
FireDrone supports the fire department
Researchers from Empa and Imperial College London are developing a heat-resistant drone that can analyze the source of danger at close range in the event of a building or forest fire. This allows firefighters to optimize the strategy of a high-risk operation before entering the danger zone. Where others rush out, they have to go in: Firefighters put themselves in dangerous situations during rescue operations - sometimes right in the midst of a sea of flames.

Innovation - Materials Science - 20.06.2023
Swim and run without changing
Swim and run without changing
Just in time for summer: The Swiss start-up Swijin is launching a new sportswear category with its SwimRunner - a sports bra together with matching bottoms that works as both swimwear and running gear and dries in no time.

Health - Innovation - 15.06.2023
A 'spy' in the belly
A ’spy’ in the belly
To ensure that wounds remain tightly sealed in the abdomen after surgery, researchers at Empa and ETH Zurich have developed a patch with a sensor function. The polymer patch warns before the occurence of dangerous leaks on sutures in the gastrointestinal tract take hold, while closes the areas on its own.

Environment - 12.06.2023
How much microplastics is there in Swiss rivers and lakes?
How much microplastics is there in Swiss rivers and lakes?
Plastic particles less than five millimeters in size, also known as microplastics, often settle far away from their point of origin. researchers have now developed a model that can be used to calculate the concentration of microplastics in Swiss lakes and rivers. Every year, 14,000 tons of plastic end up in Swiss soils and waters, in part in the form of microplastics: Particles in the micro to millimeter range.

Health - Pharmacology - 01.06.2023
Rapid test for sepsis
Rapid test for sepsis
In the case of blood poisoning, the bacteria in the blood must be identified as fast as possible so that a life-saving therapy can be started. researchers have now developed "sepsis sensors" with magnetic nanoparticles that detect bacterial pathogens within a short period of time and identify suitable candidates for antibiotic therapies.

Microtechnics - Innovation - 23.05.2023
An aviary for drone research
An aviary for drone research
They maintain and repair buildings, observe natural phenomena and transport goods: Drones and robots could play a major role in our lives in the future. With the DroneHub, a kind of aviary is to be created in the NEST research and innovation building on the Empa campus in Dübendorf, where researchers will explore and further develop the interaction of drones, infrastructure and natural habitats together with industrial and academic partners.

Health - Life Sciences - 09.05.2023
Ultra-long protein fibrils give clues on dementia risk
Ultra-long protein fibrils give clues on dementia risk
During the course of Alzheimer's disease, protein fibrils appear in the spinal fluid of affected individuals. researchers, together with the Department of Neurology at the Cantonal Hospital in St. Gallen, have now visualized the wide spectrum of protein aggregates from oligomers, protofibrils to fibrils in the spinal fluid.

Environment - Materials Science - 25.04.2023
Circuit boards from renewable raw materials
Circuit boards from renewable raw materials
Can ecologically sustainable circuit boards for the electronics industry be produced from cellulose fibers? Empa researcher Thomas Geiger looked into this question. He is now part of a multinational EU project called Hypelignum". Its goal: biodegradable electronics. For many years, Thomas Geiger has been conducting research in the field of cellulose fibrils - fine fibers that can be produced from wood pulp or agricultural waste, for example.

Environment - Microtechnics - 18.04.2023
Delicate, diligent, transient
Delicate, diligent, transient
Their task is to monitor the condition of ecosystems, for instance in the forest floor - and crumble to dust when their work is done: bio-gliders modeled on the Java cucumber, which sails its seeds dozens of meters through the air. researchers have developed these sustainable flying sensors from potato starch and wood waste.

Environment - Earth Sciences - 03.04.2023
Emissions of banned ozone-destroying chemicals increasing
Emissions of banned ozone-destroying chemicals increasing
A new analysis has found rapidly increasing emissions between 2010 and 2020 of five ozone-depleting chemicals whose production for most uses had been banned under the Montreal Protocol. The emissions of these five chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, occur in part from leakage during the synthesis of ozone-friendly alternatives to CFCs.

Environment - 21.03.2023
Lower energy consumption thanks to daylight-saving time
Lower energy consumption thanks to daylight-saving time
The abolition of daylight saving time is a frequently - and hotly - debated topic. Often, only the aspect of electricity consumption due to artificial lighting is considered. In a new study, researchers have analyzed whether daylight saving time also has an impact on the energy needed to heat and cool office buildings, and what role climate change might play in this.

Life Sciences - Computer Science - 07.03.2023
Novel computer components inspired by brain cells
Researchers at Empa, ETH Zurich and the "Politecnico di Milano" are developing a new type of computer component that is more powerful and easier to manufacture than its predecessors. Inspired by the human brain, it is designed to process large amounts of data fast and in an energy-efficient way. In many respects, the human brain is still superior to modern computers.

Innovation - Materials Science - 28.02.2023
Go-ahead for digitally manufactured concrete staircase
Go-ahead for digitally manufactured concrete staircase
The next unit at NEST, the research and innovation building of Empa and Eawag, goes by the name of STEP2. For about two years, partners from research and industry have been working on various innovations in the fields of circular economy, digital and industrial fabrication, building envelope and energy systems, turning them into products ready for market entry.

Materials Science - 21.02.2023
Health risk of graphene residues investigated
Health risk of graphene residues investigated
Researchers have studied residues from the incineration of graphene-containing plastics. Conclusion of the study: Burned composite materials containing graphene nanoparticles can be considered harmless in case of acute exposure. Due to its exceptional properties, graphene is now added to a wide range of plastics.