Press releases

How can microstructural defects that affect the overall performance of an electrolyzer be located non-destructively? Until now, this has been difficult as common methods are non-imagining. Here the "VACE-LIT" method developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials IMWS offers a solution.

In the EU-funded project "Ultimate GaN", 26 partners from nine European countries conducted joint research on the next generation of gallium nitride (GaN)-based power semiconductors. The consortium of industry and research partners developed compact, cost- and energy-efficient components based on gallium nitride, which open up new possibilities especially in the fields of smart mobility, smart grids and 5G communication.

Bioprinting aims at producing biological or biologically functional tissue in the laboratory. Using a 3D bioprinter, bioink is printed layer by layer to fabricate a complex three-dimensional object. In the future, such biobased 3D structures are to be used, for example, as in vitro test systems in pharmaceutical research and personalized medicine in the production of customized vascular and organ components. To turn this vision into reality, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS are developing new bioinks that are suitable for various applications.

Producing high-purity elastin in medical quality is the founding idea of "matrihealth" GmbH. The spin-off of the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS, known as a founding project under the name of "matriheal" since 2020, now becomes an independent company based in Halle (Saale). The four founders, Dr. Marco Götze, Tobias Hedtke, PD Dr. Christian Schmelzer and Dirk Schuster, want to produce elastin quickly, cost-efficiently and in a scalable manner. They can thus offer market-specific elastin solutions for medical products, food, cosmetics and for research purposes, among others.

For 30 years, employees of the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS in Halle (Saale) have been conducting research on microstructure diagnostics and design as well as microstructure-based technology development. On November 2, 2022, the institute's anniversary was celebrated at a festive colloquium with guests from business, politics, and science. Among the well-wishers were the Minister for Science, Energy, Climate Action and the Environment and Deputy Prime Minister of the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt, Professor Armin Willingmann, Professor Reimund Neugebauer, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, and the Mayor of the City of Halle (Saale), Egbert Geier.

Dr.-Ing. Maik Feldmann took over as Head of the Business Unit "Polymer Applications" at the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS on October 1, 2022. As such he is also responsible for the area of "Polymer Processing" at the Fraunhofer Pilot Plant Center for Polymer Synthesis and Processing PAZ in Schkopau. Along with his new position, he will take up a professorship in plastics processing at the Merseburg University of Applied Sciences.

Jointly with Korean scientists, the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS has been conducting research on the import of green hydrogen since 2020. The Fraunhofer Innovation Platform for Hydrogen Energy at the Korea Institute of Energy Technology FIP-H2ENERGY@KENTECH will now provide the foundation for a more enhanced cooperation with partners in South Korea. The signing ceremony during the 3rd Germany-Korea Hydrogen Conference on 27th September 2022 in Berlin sealed this cooperation.

Mouth-to-nose protection has become commonplace during the Covid-19 pandemic. But many of the available products are not tailored for such uses. In the “Next Generation Protective Textiles (NGST)” project, ten Fraunhofer institutes are working on improved solutions that combine high protection with improved wearer comfort.

Sustainable alternatives are needed to reduce the use of petroleum-based polymers. A promising approach is provided by the international OrangeOil project, in which the Fraunhofer IMWS, among others, is also involved alongside the SKZ Plastics Center. The aim is to develop a bio-based epoxy resin system from orange peels - a residual material from the production of juice and jam.

The encapsulation of solar cells is of great importance for the overall performance of a solar module. Only if this has a seamless finish, protection of the solar cells from environmental influences can be guaranteed. In a new project, Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics CSP and its partners are investigating the ideal degree of cross-linking for module reliability in order to increase the stability, reliability of supply, system performance and productivity of photovoltaic systems.