Empa
The CO2-binding society as a goal
Politics
Empa Eawag
Tanja Zimmermann and Martin Ackermann want to provide answers to the current climate crisis with new initiatives and ambitious goals. In this interview, Eawag Director Ackermann and Empa Director Zimmermann explain why this is primarily a water crisis, what is needed to tackle it and what can be produced from the greenhouse gas CO2.
Soldering wounds with light and nano thermometers
Research
Empa
Not every wound can be closed with needle and thread. Empa researchers have now developed a soldering process with nanoparticles that gently fuses tissue. The soldering technique is expected to prevent wound healing disorders and life-threatening complications from leaking sutures. The team recently published the promising method in the journal Small Methods and applied for a patent.
The big clean-up in the atmosphere
Politics
Empa
If we want to achieve our climate goals and prevent irreversible changes to the Earth's climate system, we not only need to curb our greenhouse gas emissions, but also remove excess man-made CO2 from the atmosphere. This is the aim of a new large-scale research initiative by Empa, Mining the Atmosphere. Peter Richner, Deputy Director of Empa, explains how to do this while creating a completely new economic system in the process. A new NEST unit, Beyond Zero, is also dedicated to CO2-negative technologies, as is the current issue of the research magazine Empa Quarterly.
Charging electric cars without any cables
TechTransfer
Empa
Eight stakeholders from business, science and the public sector launched the first project for wireless charging of electric vehicles in Switzerland at the end of November 2023. The project team is investigating the technical feasibility of inductive charging under everyday conditions, determining the advantages and disadvantages compared to conventional charging systems and clarifying the approval process. Empa is part of the project team, which is supported by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE).
Improving the manufacturing of salt batteries
TechTransfer
Empa
Empa will collaborate with Battery Consult AG, a research and development company specializing in salt battery technology, and the Swiss Innovation Park Biel/Bienne (SIPBB) in the LISA project (Laser Joining of ceramic-metal in SaltBatteries), which is co-funded by the Swiss Innovation Agency Innosuisse. The project aims to revolutionize battery manufacturing and contributes to the cost effectiveness and sustainability of new energy storage solutions.
Bacteria, stay out!
Research
Empa
Hospital germs and pathogens are not always transmitted directly from person to person. They can also spread via germ-contaminated surfaces and objects. Empa researchers, together with the chemical company BASF, Spiez Laboratory and the Technical University of Berlin, have now developed coated textiles that inhibit or even kill pathogens. They could be used as antimicrobial curtains in hospitals in the future.
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