Press releases

Users of poly- and perfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFAS), also known as "forever chemicals", are under pressure due to regulatory proposals from the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). This also affects the use of fluoroelastomers, whose economic significance is enormous. Fraunhofer experts initiated the "HATE-Fluor" project at the beginning of February. Together, they want to develop high-performance elastomer compounds to replace fluoropolymers in certain technical applications. Various industries can benefit from this, including manufacturers of semi-finished and finished parts as well as companies in mechanical engineering industry, medical engineering, clean room and semiconductor technology, chemical process technology and electrical applications.

The development of high-quality, halogen-free flame retardants (hffr) for recycled plastics to meet increasing recycling quotas is a major challenge. The Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF is looking for partners for the new project "hffr-Up2Cycle". The main objective of this project is to upgrade PCR materials with halogen-free flame retardants (hffr) and to investigate these materials through the simulation of closed-loop processes for plastics containing flame retardants in the sections of electronics, automotive, construction and cable applications. The project is aimed at OEMs, manufacturers of plastic components, raw material suppliers, compound developers and industry associations.

Current bio-based plastics are limited to short-life applications, such as packaging, as they have insufficient long-term properties. The new project "Bio-based polyesters for demanding long-term applications" by Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF aims to improve the long-term properties of biopolymers through tailored additivation enabling their use in technical applications. Therefore, the researchers are looking for partners along the value chain that would like to substitute petro-based plastics with bio-based solutions for durable products.

Hydrogen fuel cells are a promising solution for the future of electric mobility, especially in the commercial vehicle industry. But how can the challenges associated with their implementation be overcome while increasing the efficiency and reliability of these technologies? Fraunhofer researchers will share the latest findings and approaches from reliability assessment in an online event on April 15.

To ensure Germany remains competitive as a location for the foundry industry, the German Foundry Association (Bundesverband der Deutschen Gießerei-Industrie e.V. - BDGuss has recently outlined several measures, including reducing energy costs, conserving resources, reforming environmental legislation, and achieving climate neutrality. Therefore, the interdisciplinary congress for high-performance cast components "InCeight Casting C8" will take place from March 5 to 6, 2025 combining experts and decision-makers from the foundry industry to exchange ideas on design and product development, structural durability, non-destructive component testing, casting technology and simulation - with the aim of developing high-performance and sustainable components. The program and registration are now available online.

The mechanical recycling of plastics faces several challenges, both technical and regulatory. From a technical point of view, there are questions about the availability of recyclates, ways to improve the quality and evaluation of recyclates, and its long-term properties in demanding applications. From a regulatory perspective, there is a need to comply with and develop regulations and guidelines, increase recycling rates, and promote recycling technologies. These challenges require innovative approaches and close cooperation between industry, research. and politics. The 7th "Forum Plastic Recyclates" on March 26 and 27, 2025 in Darmstadt will address these issues, in context of mechanical plastics recycling, and has established itself as an important industry meeting platform with a high degree of practical relevance. The conference program and online registration are now available.

All organic substances, including plastics such as polypropylene (PP), undergo auto-oxidation in the presence of oxygen. This happens millions of times faster at the high temperatures of compounding and injection moulding. The result for PP is a degradation of the polymer chains, i.e. a reduction in molecular weight, which means that products made from these plastics can no longer be recycled. Antioxidants added during the manufacturing process slow down this degradation. Without these additives, many everyday objects could not be produced in a usable form. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF have further improved the rheological online tests so that the exact additives can be determined more quickly, and the costs optimised.

At a time when environmental sustainability is paramount, recyclates are of central importance in industry. Due to EU regulations and waste reduction targets, their use has increased significantly. However, a major challenge is to ensure that post-consumer recyclates meet safety standards, especially in terms of flame retardancy. Upgrading with effective halogen free flame retardants is essential. Teams of experts at the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF are working intensively on EU regulations and the need for halogen free flame retardancy in specific applications. The focus is on technical and strategic considerations from which many industries can benefit. Fraunhofer LBF will present the results at the Plastics Recycling Show Europe, Amsterdam, June 19-20, 2024, booth A22.

Lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles lose their charging capacity during the use. Therefore, they are no longer suitable for vehicle operation from a ca-pacity loss of 20 percent, as the range and fast-charging capability are reduced. However, the remaining capacity of 80 percent is sufficient for a stationary storage application. In the CIRCULUS research project, several Lithium-ion trac-tion batteries already in use are being converted into a stationary storage sys-tem. The innovative lightweight design of the overall system ensures that the system can be dismantled according to type. This minimizes the sorting effort, resulting in high-quality material flows and thus implementing a functional and sustainable circular economy. Fraunhofer LBF will be presenting the results of the CIRCULUS research project at the Plastics Recycling Show Europe, Amster-dam, June 19-20, 2024, booth A22. Visitors will gain a comprehensive insight into Fraunhofer LBF's wide-ranging expertise in recyclates.

For the first time, the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Circular Plastics Economy CCPE will present the topic ‘Sustainable Geosynthetics for Landscaping’ at ACHEMA 2024 alongside the topic ‘Advanced Recycling’. We cordially invite you to visit us at the trade fair in Frankfurt (Hall 6.0 – Research and Innovation | Booth D49).