Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGBWe develop processes to give surfaces new functions
At Fraunhofer IGB, my work focuses on a classic issue in interfacial engineering: coatings on surfaces and materials. These aren’t just any layers – they’re functional and ultra-thin ones (in the nanometer range. specifically) and functional layers. Functional means that we can equip surfaces of a wide variety of materials with specific desired properties, tailored to the project in question. The tools technology we use to achieve this include low pressure plasmas, which can be used to depositapply extremely fine coatings from a surrounding gas phase.
For large formats, we draw on roll-to-roll processes (or R2R for short) that enable us to process and make use of films or non-wovens over large areas. For example, we can apply a water-repellent layer without losing the original properties of the films (such as UV resistance or impact strength).
What excites me most about my work at Fraunhofer IGB is the combination of basic and applied research. This allows me to follow the progress of a project from the initial idea to the final implementation with our clients.
Georg Umlauf