2012|13 Annual Report Fraunhofer IGB

Fraunhofer Photocatalysis Alliance Nine Fraunhofer Institutes are involved in this alliance, the aim of which is the development of more effective and higher- performance photocatalysts for application to various surfaces such as glass, ceramics, plastics or metals. Vacuum plasma processes, sol-gel techniques and water-based paints are used to develop self-cleaning layers that break down organic com- pounds and destroy microorganisms. In order to determine the photocatalytic activity of a layer quickly and reliably, the Fraunhofer Photocatalysis Alliance is engaged in developing analytical methods for both chemical-physical and microbio- logical evaluation – the latter being Fraunhofer IGB’s remit within the alliance. www.photokatalyse.fraunhofer.de Fraunhofer Polymer Surfaces Alliance POLO® The Fraunhofer Polymer Surfaces Alliance POLO® pools the core competences of seven Fraunhofer Institutes in using func- tional surfaces, barrier layers or thin ﬁlms to develop polymer products with new or improved properties. POLO® was one of the ﬁrst Fraunhofer alliances, and products such as coat- ings on foils as a barrier against oxygen and humidity, as well as anti-microbial polymer surfaces, have already been success- fully conjointly developed and marketed. The Fraunhofer IGB’s Dr. Christian Oehr has been a member of the alliance’s board of directors since its inception, and has contributed signiﬁ- cantly to its success. www.polo.fraunhofer.de Fraunhofer Cleaning Technology Alliance The alliance covers the entire spectrum of cleaning technol- ogy, including special cleaning technologies like laser, plasma or mechanical jets, speciﬁc-cleaning planning of plants includ- ing cleanroom technology, and the recycling of cleaning and process media, including the recovery of energy and material streams. The Fraunhofer IGB’s expertise includes plasma clean- ing and plasma coating, and assessment using surface analyti- cal and microbiological methods. Further competences are the conditioning and recycling of cleaning and process media as well as cleaning and hygienic aspects in design. www.allianz-reinigungstechnik.de Fraunhofer Water Systems Alliance (SysWasser) SysWasser’s mission is to develop sustainable solutions for water and wastewater treatment, utilization, reuse, and man- agement, as well as sustainable water infrastructure systems and adapt them for use in practical applications, taking into consideration relevant social, economic and environmental aspects. The participating institutes provide a wide range of expertise on water treatment technologies, water infrastruc- tures, system control and measurement techniques, automa- tion and resource management, which enables the alliance to develop and implement system solutions based on a variety of technologies. The alliance’s spokesperson since December 2012 is Dr. Harald Hiessl of the Fraunhofer ISI and its manag- ing director is Professor Dieter Bryniok of the Fraunhofer IGB, where the SysWater ofﬁce is based. www.syswasser.de 20 PROFILE

2012|13 Annual Report Fraunhofer IGB

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