The new Innovative Materials (number 4) has just been released
Transparent cellulose film to replace traditional plastic packaging
Food packaging is important to protect foodstuffs and prevent waste. However, thin plastic films are difficult to recycle and often end up in the wrong place after use. The Finnish research institute VTT says it has now developed a solution for the waste problem of plastic packaging: cellulose.
HiRes Concrete Slab
The HiRes Slab is a thin, double-curved concrete slab constructed in such a way that material is applied only where it is structurally needed; exactly where the forces must be dissipated by the shell construction. This approach results in a material saving of 70 percent compared to a standard reinforced concrete slab.
A fabric that ‘hears’ your heart’s sounds
A team at MIT Rhode Island School of Design has designed an ‘acoustic fabric’ woven with a fiber made from a flexible piezoelectric material. When the fibers are bent, or mechanically deformed, they emit an electrical signal that allows the fabric to convert sound vibrations into electrical signals.
PET plastic directly from biomass
EPFL1 scientists have developed a new PET-like plastic that can be easily made from the unusable parts of plants. The plastic is tough, heat resistant and has a good barrier against gases such as oxygen, making it a promising candidate for food packaging. Due to its structure, the new plastic can also be chemically recycled and broken down into harmless sugars in the environment.
Recycled glass waste as sand replacement in 3D printing
Researchers from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed the capability to use recycled glass in 3D printing, opening doors to a more environmentally sustainable way of building and construction. The results of the study were published early this year in the Journal of Building Engineering.
Brick Award 2022
Every two years, Wienerberger presents the Brick Awards and rewards the most creative examples of modern and innovative brick architecture. The company wants to inspire both architects and enthusiasts from outside the field to explore new building forms. The tenth edition took place on June 9th.
GEVEL 2022 ‘Inception’: new ideas on facades
GEVEL 2022 trade fair was held in the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht from 31 May to 2 June. This year the organization had chosen the theme ‘Inception’, derived from the film of the same name from 2010. In it, a team manages to break into people’s dreams to implant ideas. In this context, the theme of inception had to be understood as ‘beginning, beginning, start’: a first step towards a new era. According to the organizers – just like in the film – it is about the power of the idea. A single idea can change the world and rewrite all the rules.
