The new Innovative Materials 2024 volume 4 has just been released
Glass Bricks
Building materials that allow buildings to be assembled – and taken apart – as easily as possible; is that possible? Now, scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a new type of reconfigurable masonry made from 3D-printed, recycled glass that could be simply disassembled at the end of its life and easily reused in a new configuration.
Lightweight 3D-printed aluminium pressure vessel
Hydrogen is an interesting fuel for the future. Various sectors, including the aviation industry, are working on solutions to replace current fuels with hydrogen in the future. For example, the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus aims to produce hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft (‘ZEROe’) in fifteen years. However, technical problems still need to be overcome, for example in the area of hydrogen storage.
ThinCorr: advanced measuring and modelling of thin-film corrosion
The ThinCorr project aimed to improve the understanding of the corrosion resistance of metallic systems under atmospheric conditions. With the project, it becomes easier to select suitable materials for the transport and civil sectors and to validate new material developments and surface preparations.
Solar panels made of (more) sustainable materials
Sustainability and sustainable use of materials are expected to have a major impact on the future of renewable energy. Currently, solar panels still use raw materials and materials that cannot be recycled at all or only partially. Within the ‘E2 – E-Quadrat’, Fraunhofer’s CSP developed a solar module in which the non-photovoltaic components are made of biodegradable, recyclable materials or renewable raw materials.
Iron as a cheap storage medium for hydrogen
By 2050, more than 40 percent of Switzerland’s electricity needs are expected to come from solar energy. However, there is enough sun in the summer, but not in the winter. One solution could be to produce hydrogen from the surplus solar energy in the summer, but this would have to be stored for the winter, which is difficult and expensive. ETH Zurich has now developed a safe and cheap storage technique to store hydrogen seasonally.
