Press and Media

Synthetic rubber is indispensable today, especially for car tires and technical rubber goods. Until now, the raw materials for its production have largely been obtained from fossil sources. Under the leadership of the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP, four Fraunhofer Institutes are now developing alternative, bio-based raw material sources for synthetic rubber, which will enable completely new types of rubber for car tires. The three-year project is being funded by Fraunhofer with 3.25 million euros and starts in April 2024.

Press release IAP

Metals can be processed into wires by cold forming - an extremely complex process. However, the lubricants needed for this often do not meet the requirements of the end processors. As part of the KMU-innovativ project "Polyschmierung", five partners from industry and research have developed a new class of polymer lubricants that make the process significantly more environmentally friendly and economical. They are already being used successfully by industry. The project was funded with around 680,000 euros by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) via the Project Management Agency Karlsruhe (PTKA).

Press release IAP

Adhesives are almost always based on fossil raw materials such as petroleum. Researchers at Fraunhofer have recently developed a process that allows to utilize keratin for this purpose. This highly versatile protein compound can be found, for instance, in chicken feathers. Not only can it be used to manufacture a host of different adhesives for a variety of applications, but the processes and end products are also sustainable and follow the basic principles underlying a bio-inspired circular economy. The project, developed together with Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, addresses a billion-dollar market.
 

Press release IGB

How can e-fuels and biosurfactants for industry be produced from exhaust gases and wastewater? An interdisciplinary consortium coordinated by Fraunhofer UMSICHT is addressing this question in the newly launched BEFuel project. The focus is on coupled bioelectrochemical production – i.e. the combination of electrochemical synthesis and biotechnological synthesis using microorganisms.  


Press release UMSICHT

The many issues for which Fraunhofer IGB develops coating processes do not stop at small laboratory systems. Thanks to our excellent facilities, we are also able to carry out scaling concepts such as the continuous treatment of fiber and roll materials (foils, nonwovens).


Press release IGB

The SynLink research project deals with the production of renewable fuels, such as methanol or long-chain hydrocarbons. This means considering the entire value chain from both a technical and an economic perspective – from production of synthesis gas using renewable electrical energy and carbon dioxide, and its subsequent chemocatalytic conversion into fuel, right through to practical application tests on cars and trucks – and demonstrating that a technology readiness level (TRL) of 5–6 has been achieved. Within the project, Fraunhofer CBP was tasked with carrying out long-term experiments for methanol production on a pilot scale with a TRL of 5–6.


Press release CBP

Tape2Grape is a 100 percent biobased multifunctional grafting tape for fruit and ornamental trees, which can be equipped with individual biological ingredients. Tape2Grape is biodegradable and therefore makes an important contribution to holistic, ecological agriculture.  


Press release IGB

They protect pizza boxes against grease penetration, make outdoor clothing weatherproof, and are also found in groundwater and in the human body: perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFASs for short. Some representatives of this large group of chemicals are now classified as hazardous to health or even carcinogenic. The European Union now wants to ban a number of critical PFAS and is promoting the development of substitute materials for PFAS in four large collaborative projects, such as the EU project ZeroF. In this project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC is working with industrial companies and research institutes to develop solutions for PFAS-free food packaging and textiles.     

Press release ISC

The Fraunhofer Chemistry Alliance presents itself at ACHEMA 2022

At the world's leading trade fair for the process industry, ACHEMA in Frankfurt am Main, the Fraunhofer alliance for the chemistry lead market will present itself to the industry as a strong partner thanks to its combined expertise. From August 22 to 26, 2022, the participating institutes will showcase their current joint research activities, which focus on several areas. These include the digitalization of chemical processes, further development of green chemistry, facilitation of scale-up, safety and regulatory issues, and the efficiency of chemical processes as well as the development of a circular economy.

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