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The Fraunhofer Group MATERIALS integrates the expertise of 15 Fraunhofer Institutes working in the field of materials science.

Fraunhofer materials research covers the entire value chain, from new material development and improvement of existing materials through manufacturing technology on a quasi-industrial scale, to the characterization of properties and assessment of service behavior. The same research scope applies to the components made from these materials and the way they function in systems. In all these fields, experimental studies in laboratories and technical institutes are supplemented by equally important numerical simulation and modelling techniques – across all scales, from individual molecules up to components and process simulation. As far as materials are concerned, the Fraunhofer MATERIALS group covers the full spectrum of metals, inorganic non-metals, polymers and materials made from renewable resources, as well as semiconductor materials.

The Group's expertise is concentrated specifically in the fields of energy and environment, mobility, health, machine and plant construction, building construction and living, microsystems technology and safety. Innovative systems are developed using materials and components customized for specific applications, and based on the assessment of the behavior of a material or component under specific conditions of use. Strategic forecasts promote the development of novel, future-oriented materials and technologies.

Fraunhofer MATERIALS

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14.8.2018

DAB+ software library upgrade improves in-vehicle reception of digital radio

Erlangen, Germany: With its DAB+ software library, the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS offers a software defined radio solution that enables the implementation of digital radios with DAB+ (Digital Audio Broadcasting) functionality. Available now, the update to the established library uses efficient spur suppression technology to significantly improve the quality of digital radio reception. It moreover enhances the reception sensitivity of the radio receivers. In turn, this extends the range of coverage for broadcasters and increases the number of channels that can be received in vehicles.

3.8.2018

Cooperation for sustainable fertilizer industry

Mainstreaming Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia as raw materials for the fertilizer industry: With this goal in mind, the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS in Halle (Saale) and the OCP Group of Morocco, the world's largest exporter of phosphates, will cooperate even more closely in the future. The two institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work jointly on solutions for a sustainable fertilizer industry.

1.8.2018

Marking breast implants with tomato DNA to prevent counterfeiting

For years, a French company sold breast implants made of cheap industrial silicone components. Headline news when it broke in 2010, this scandal is still keeping the courts busy today. Now, a research team at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP has come up with a method to prevent this sort of fraud. It gives manufacturers the opportunity to counterfeit-proof implants – by tagging them with encapsulated tomato DNA.

1.8.2018

Brustimplantate mit Tomaten-DNA fälschungssicher kennzeichnen

Jahrelang hat ein französisches Unternehmen Brustimplantate aus billigem Industrie-Silikon verkauft. Der Skandal, der 2010 erstmals für Schlagzeilen sorgte, beschäftigt bis heute die Gerichte. Ein Forscherteam des Fraunhofer- Instituts für Angewandte Polymerforschung IAP hat jetzt ein Verfahren entwickelt, das derartigen Betrug verhindert. Künftig können Hersteller Implantate fälschungssicher kennzeichnen – mit Hilfe von verkapselter Tomaten-DNA.