09.12.2010 | Wissensvermittlung der anderen Art
Eine Forscherin und ein Forscher der Empa bestritten gemeinsam mit weiteren VertreterInnen aus Wissenschaft und Industrie die erste «TecNight», eine Initiative der Schweizerischen Akademie der Technischen Wissenschaften...
06.12.2010 | Die Empa gratuliert Alfred Rösli zum 90. Geburtstag
Am 7. Dezember feiert Alfred Rösli seinen 90. Geburtstag. Der ETH-Bauingenieur war von 1947 bis 1973 mit einem Unterbruch an der Empa tätig. 1955 promovierte er an der Lehigh University in Bethlehem (Pennsylvania) und...
24.11.2010 | Zukunftstag an der Empa in Dübendorf
Am 11. November fand in der ganzen Schweiz der Nationale Zukunftstag statt – ehemals unter Tochtertag bekannt. Die Empa war eine von vielen Firmen, die sich daran beteiligten. Am Standort Dübendorf wurde der Zukunftstag...
Nov 18, 2010 | New high performance insulating render developed at Empa
Empa scientists have developed a high performance render which boasts a thermal insulation value three-times better than convention render thanks to so-called aerogels. The new material offers an elegant method of...
Nov 16, 2010 | 11th Empa Textile Conference presents “New Raw Materials for Textiles”
Nothing escapes the attention of research and development scientists, and now is the turn of industrial garments and household textiles! Manufacturers can now take advantage of new raw materials, fibers and membranes,...
Nov 15, 2010 | Magazine for Research and Innovation
Empa has taken off – from 7 to 8 July, the “Solar Impulse” aircraft successfully made its first night flight, and the pilot, André Borschberg, was “wrapped up” almost completely in Empa technology. His suit, designed for...
Nov 8, 2010 | Empa researchers clarify reaction pathway to fabricate graphene-like materials
Graphene is a promising material for tomorrow’s nanoelectronics devices. Precise and upscaleable methods to fabricate graphene and derived materials with desired electronic properties are however still searched after. To...
3 nov. 2010 | Publication de la SATW sur le rôle des métaux rares pour les technologies d’avenir
Notre société est dépendante de métaux rares comme jamais: téléphones portables, écrans plats, appareils photo numériques, automobiles et centrales éoliennes seraient aujourd’hui quasiment irréalisables sans ces matières...
2 nov. 2010 | Les «Journées de la technique» sur le thème de la mobilité durable
La contribution de l’Empa aux «Journées de la technique a rencontré un vif intérêt. Consacrées cette année au futur de l’automobile, cette manifestation a abordé des thèmes tels que l’électromobilité et les voitures...
Oct 19, 2010 | Empa evaluates environmental friendliness of light sources
In a new study, Empa researchers have investigated the ecobalances of various household light sources. In doing so not only did they take into account energy consumption, but also the manufacture and disposal processes....
Oct 13, 2010 | Empa knowhow used in the NRLA alpine transit route
Among those celebrating the breakthrough of the longest rail tunnel in the world on October 15th 2010 were Empa engineers and researchers. Their task was to ensure that the tunnel remains dry for the next hundred years –...
Oct 12, 2010 | Computer model to calculate noise levels along the Swiss rail network
Working together with an international project team, Empa’s acoustic specialists have developed a computer model which allows them to calculate noise levels along the entire Swiss rail network. The program describes how...
17.09.2010 | E-Scooter-Testtag an der Empa in St. Gallen
Am Dienstag, 21. September, haben Zweiradfans wiederum Gelegenheit, auf dem Gelände der Empa in St. Gallen verschiedene elektrische Zweiräder, so genannte E-Scooter, auszuprobieren. Organisiert wird der Testtag von der...
Sep 14, 2010 | CO2 emissions from hybrid and natural gas fuelled vehicles
If you are looking for an environmentally friendly automobile, think about getting a hybrid car or one running on natural-gas. In terms of CO2 emissions both perform significantly better than gasoline or diesel fuelled...
9 sept. 2010 | Innovation Day de l’industrie textile
Le 5e Innovation Day de la Fédération Textile Suisse TVS était placé sous la devise «Le textile quitte ses frontières». Les idées novatrices présentées ont fourni de nombreux thèmes aux discussions animées des quelque...
Sep 2, 2010 | CTI Medtech Award 2010 goes to Empa Spin-off
Further recognition for Empa’s spin-off enterprise “compliant concept”: on August 31st in Bern the team’s work, “An Intelligent Bed System for the Prevention and Therapy of Decubitus Ulcers” was honored with the CTI...
Aug 27, 2010 | The ecobalance of Li-ion rechargeable batteries for electric cars
Battery powered electric cars will most likely play a major role in future of mobility. What was not known so far, however, was how environmentally friendly the manufacture, operation and disposal of the rechargeable...
Aug 10, 2010 | EmpaNews 31 published
To fabricate ever smaller electronic components, new materials are in great demand – for example, ultra-thin layers of carbon known as graphene. As part of an international collaboration, Empa researchers are developing...
Aug 9, 2010 | Empa researchers discover why implant coatings detach – and a method to prevent it
Extra-hard coatings made from diamond-like carbon (DLC) extend the operating lifetime of tools and components. In artificial joints, however, these coatings often fail because they detach. Empa researchers found out why...
Jul 28, 2010 | More efficient photocells thanks to nanostructured surfaces
Empa researchers have succeeded in growing sea-urchin shaped nanostructures from minute balls of polystyrene beads using a simple electrochemical process. The spines of the sea urchin consist of zinc oxide nanowires. The...
27.07.2010 | «NachwuchsforscherInnen» im Empa-Sommercamp
Molekulares Kochen, Münzen verkupfern und «Mörtelhände» herstellen – dies waren nur einige der spannenden Versuche, die die Kinder der Empa-Mitarbeitenden während einer Woche zum Staunen brachten. Bereits zum siebten Mal...
Jul 21, 2010 | Materials for tomorrow's nano-electronics
In the recent issue of Nature, scientists from Empa and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research report how they have managed for the first time to grow graphene ribbons that are just a few nanometres wide using a...
Jul 20, 2010 | «Technology Briefing» at Empa
Thanks to nanoparticles, modern surface finishing products such as paints and varnishes are easier to use, last longer and offer effective substitutes for problematic biocides. The time is ripe to exploit these...
Jul 15, 2010 | «Nature Biotechnology» publishes the complete genome of Empa’s «violin fungus»
An international team including Empa researcher Francis Schwarze has sequenced the genome of the common split gill mushroom, Schizophyllum commune, a widely distributed fungus which grows on and decomposes wood. The...
Jul 5, 2010 | Empa researchers «design» therapeutic coatings of silver
Empa researchers have demonstrated how they can adjust process conditions to influence the properties of novel plasma polymer coatings containing silver nanoparticles. Tailor-made films can be generated through a...
Jun 28, 2010 | TA-SWISS Study on the potential for biofuels in Switzerland
An interdisciplinary team headed by Empa researcher Rainer Zah has been studying the sustainability of second generation biofuels and has calculated how much fuel might be saved in Switzerland through the use of these...
Jun 22, 2010 | Mirko Roš Award
John F. Mandell, Professor Emeritus at the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Montana State University in Bozeman, USA, received the award for his most valuable and sustained contribution to materials...
Jun 20, 2010 | Empa study on fuel consumption due to car air conditioning systems
Automobile air conditioning systems do not run “free of charge”. In fact in the hot parts of the world they can account for up to thirty per cent of fuel consumption. Even in Switzerland, with its temperate climate, the...
Jun 17, 2010 | Process for manufacturing nanoelectronic “mini-circuits” developed
The tale begins with a feasibility study on the manufacture of colored fluorescing thin films for optical safety applications. An EU project on the development of novel gas sensors followed. In the meantime, Empa...
Jun 8, 2010 | Empa Science Apéro devoted to «the King of Sports»
For months now players and teams have been preparing intensely for the World Cup through physical and mental training, and analysis of opponents’ tactics. However, a footballer’s “working clothes” also play an important...
04.06.2010 | Nano! Nutzen und Visionen einer neuen Technologie
Nanoprodukte sind dabei, zahlreiche Marktsegmente zu erobern. Wie bei allen neuen Technologien stellt sich die Frage: Welche Risiken birgt «Nano»? Ist es etwa gesundheitlich bedenklich, Produkte mit Nanopartikeln zu...
Jun 3, 2010 | 43rd Science Apéro on Earthquake Security in Switzerland
Although the risk of a severe earthquake occurring in Switzerland is regarded as being only moderately probable, history shows that the possibility exists. What is more – very few buildings in this country are built in a...
10 mai 2010 | EmpaNews 29 paru
Comment – du moins dans les sciences physiques et naturelles et dans les sciences de l’ingénieur – naissent les connaissances scientifiques nouvelles? Souvent par l’observation de cet «objet du désir», vient ensuite...
6 mai 2010 | Véhicule communal à hydrogène à Bâle: bilan intermédiaire
L’exploitation du véhicule communal à hydrogène dans les rues de Bâle montre que le «Bucher Schörling CityCat H2» consomme moitié moins d’énergie et est nettement plus silencieux que les balayeuses conventionnelles à...
May 6, 2010 | Applied research by armasuisse and Empa
Empa researchers and experts from armasuisse have developed novel socks which reduce the chances of blisters forming on the wearer’s feet. The prototype footwear, made of various fibers, reduces friction at the toes and...
May 6, 2010 | 18th International Transport and Air Pollution Symposium
Our desire for mobility is enormous, but the consequences of this trend are already known – traffic levels are rising, and without countermeasures air pollution would increase sharply. Technologies and practical measures...
04.05.2010 | Science City – Energie, die vom Himmel kommt
In der Science-City-Veranstaltung der ETH Zürich am Sonntag, 9. Mai, beschäftigen sich zahlreiche Forscher mit Energie, die vom Himmel kommt. Der Empa-Solarzellenforscher Frank Nüesch gibt einen Einblick in die...
29 avr. 2010 | Partenariat stratégique pour la technologie des piles à combustibles
L’Empa se lance sur de nouvelles voies dans la coopération avec l’industrie avec la conclusion d’un partenariat de recherche et de développement avec l’entreprise de Winterthur Hexis AG. L’objectif de ce partenariat est...
23 avr. 2010 | L’Empa va réduire massivement ses émissions de CO2 d’ici 2012
L’Empa prend des mesures pour accroître son efficience énergétique et réduire nettement ses émissions de CO2. Le remplacement de sa centrale de chauffage à Dübendorf doit permettre de réduire de 70 pour-cent les...
Apr 21, 2010 | Empa measures concentration of volcanic ash on Jungfraujoch
Empa continuously monitors the make-up of the air on Switzerland’s Jungfraujoch and has been able to provide important information about changes in the concentration of harmful substances caused by the volcano...
25.03.2010 | Vorsorgeraster für synthetische Nanomaterialien
Welche Nanopartikel sind für Mensch und Umwelt unbedenklich? Bei welchen sollten Schutzmassnahmen ergriffen werden? Um das Risiko synthetischer Nanomaterialien strukturiert abschätzen zu können, stellt der Bund...
24.03.2010 | Gemeinsame Infoveranstaltung von Empa und SUPSI im Tessin
Gebäude sind für rund die Hälfte des Energieverbrauchs und des CO2-Ausstosses in der Schweiz verantwortlich. Während Neubauten dank moderner, ökologischer Baustandards relativ wenig Energie für Heizung und Beleuchtung...
Mar 19, 2010 | Empa scientists investigate transport of nanoparticles in the human body
The question of whether or not nanoparticles have an effect on the human body – and if so, how – is still largely unanswered. There is little information, for instance, on whether pregnant women exposed to these minute...
Mar 9, 2010 | Flexible and yet strong: compliant systems
Empa researchers once wanted to build aircraft wings based on compliant systems, which would continually change shape in response to the air flow resistance, obviating the need for rigid flap and rudder surfaces. A range...
05.03.2010 | Programmvielfalt auf EmpaTV
Vor rund eineinhalb Jahren ging EmpaTV, der Podcastkanal der Empa, online. Seither sind zahlreiche weitere Video- und Audio-Beiträge hinzu gekommen. Anfang März gabs ein kleines «Jubiläum»: Der 100. Podcast wurde...
27 janv. 2010 | EmpaNews 28 paru
En principe, il «existe» plus que suffisamment d’énergie sur la Terre, le Soleil nous la livre franco domicile. Pour l’utiliser, il suffit en fait de la capter et de la transformer, en électricité par exemple. C’est...
Jan 26, 2010 | Harmful Nitrogen Compounds in the Atmosphere
Nitrogen oxides, which are found in automobile exhaust gases, are injurious to health. Ammonia produced by agricultural activity pollutes the soil and damages other ecosystems. The one day meeting on “Nitrogen Compounds...
20.01.2010 | Erster «Swiss Nanotech Report» vorgestellt
Der «Swiss Nanotech Report 2010» liefert erstmals einen umfassenden Überblick über die aktuellen Entwicklungen im Nanotech-Bereich am Wirtschafts- und Forschungsstandort Schweiz. International gehört die Schweiz zu den...
14.01.2010 | Empa-Spinoff «compliant concept» bei «Venture 2010» ausgezeichnet
Das Team des Empa-Spinoff «compliant concept» eilt von Erfolg zu Erfolg. So auch bei «Venture», dem grössten Businessplan-Wettbewerb der Schweiz. Die Wissenschaftler um Michael Sauter sind unter den zehn Preisträgern mit...
Jan 11, 2010 | Prototype for a new living concept
On 12th January 2010 the «Self» living module was presented publicly for the first time at the Swissbau exhibition in Basel. «Self» is a novel, highly innovative module for working and living which is self-sufficient in...