New materials reshape the future economy

◆ a team is building a "super material" with traditional materials such as copper and silver, which has produced strange characteristics that can not be realized by existing materials. One of its applications is related to acoustic and electromagnetic stealth in the military field, but it is still in its infancy

◆ some teams use materials found in space to make percussion instruments, which can get sounds they have never heard before

◆ a team is developing a self-healing cement

◆ he particularly mentioned the impact of the application of new materials on travel and energy, and stressed that 65% of the members of the cluster are small and medium-sized enterprises

Xinhua news agency, Beijing, March 20, new media special telegram Spain's "abessay" website recently published an article saying that new materials will build the future economy. This prospect lists the industry as one of the industries with the greatest growth potential in the next decade. The full text is excerpted as follows:

In the technological revolution, the innovation applied to the research and development of new materials with specific properties has made a great leap. Laboratories, technology R & D centers, new technology departments of large companies and booming start-ups are trying to find materials other than graphene, which will contribute to the next step of innovation. They represent the vanguard of a feat of unknown economic influence. This prospect ranks the industry as one of the industries with the greatest growth potential in the next decade.

Synergies between the public, academic and private spheres are crucial. An example of this is the Catalan advanced materials R & D cluster. It covers universities, technology R & D centers and companies. Its roadmap follows the innovation and R & D strategy with industrial application, so as to obtain high added value of advanced materials.

"The application of new materials is key in many areas, including medical treatment, environment, architecture and smart city," said ona bunby, the project manager of the R & D cluster In particular, he mentioned the impact of the application of new materials on travel and energy, and stressed that 65% of the members of the cluster were small and medium-sized enterprises. Catalonia's advanced materials industry ecosystem consists of 589 companies with an annual revenue of 2.5 billion euros and about 9800 employees.

"Catalonia advanced materials R & D cluster" identifies four major trends challenging the industry: population change, resource constraints, decarbonization and digitization. The introduction of industrial products with higher recyclability, new technologies and manufacturing processes and the adoption of more efficient energy solutions have led to the demand for new materials.

Integrate multiple technologies

Along this line of thought, the work of imdea Materials Research Institute in Spain was carried out. This is a research institution promoted by the autonomous region of Madrid. The autonomous region of Madrid is also actively promoting public-private cooperation in the field of new materials.

Jose Manuel toralva, head of imdea Materials Research Institute, said they currently have a wide range of projects, including medical treatment, automobile, aerospace and energy. In terms of transportation, they are developing silicon nanofibers to replace carbon in batteries, so as to make batteries more environmentally friendly and have larger storage capacity. The Institute also created a research and development branch, floatech. Using 3D printing technology, they are developing materials with shape memory. In the medical field, they are developing bioabsorbable implant materials. The Institute said that in recent years, the field of new material technology is developing by leaps and bounds.

In Spain, many projects are looking for answers in this regard. One of the most advanced areas is "super materials". Manuel Jose Freire, a professor of electromagnetism at the University of Seville, said his team was building a "super material" from traditional materials such as copper and silver. Thanks to the geometric properties of the elements that make up the new material and their relative positions, this "super material" produces strange properties that can not be realized by existing materials.

The most advanced applications of this new material are related to the telecommunications sector (improving the performance of satellite antennas), medicine and optics. In these fields, it is used to manufacture high-resolution microscope or airborne optical monitoring system. The lenses developed by Freire's team can improve the quality of medical MRI images. Another notable application is related to acoustic and electromagnetic stealth in the military field, but it is still in its infancy.

In the future, armored vehicles and frigates may be covered by "super materials". In addition to this application, it is also worth mentioning its application in urban earthquake prevention, because "super materials" can deflect seismic waves. "Spain is one of the countries that have made outstanding contributions to the research and development of 'supermaterials'. We will cooperate with kymeta, founded by British Professor George palicaras, which produces microwave communication antennas based on the concept of' supermaterials'," Freire said

Using space resources

A fledgling futuristic feat comes from the space race to regain momentum and innovative projects such as hypate. The idea is to make percussion instruments from materials found in space. "With the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)," said amparo Borelli, a researcher at the Polytechnic University of Valencia A cooperative laboratory provided us with what we call this percussion instrument. They copied the material on the moon or Mars and mixed it with ceramic particles. With this instrument, we can get a sound we haven't heard before. Musicians and researchers are working together to promote this project. At this stage, all possibilities exist. "

With these new materials, Borelli said, "tableware or tools can also be made locally in settlements on other planets, as well as glasses, tables or wrenches to meet the basic and necessary daily needs of the future". Since it costs 1 million euros per kilogram of material to put into orbit in a space mission, this is no small matter. They will try to use microwave radiation to make ceramic materials to achieve the required high-temperature production conditions, which is more energy-saving than using traditional kilns. With very little energy, high temperatures can be achieved through a new kiln that processes these new materials and is powered by solar panels.

Another future material is gallium nitride, which is believed to change the electronics industry. Diego Rodriguez, director of space and science of Spanish aerospace enterprise Sener, said: "we have made great efforts to develop new RF amplifiers for telecommunications satellites using gallium nitride. The characteristics of this semiconductor are extremely important, and our goal is to be able to transmit more data, because the development of the Internet is increasing the demand for broadband services."

Promote material innovation

The construction industry is also seeking to support its future development through material innovation. An example is a self-healing cement developed jointly by researchers idule karzicorta and Edurne elkizia of tecnalia in Spain. Karzikolta said that this material can repair the cracks in itself. To achieve this, they introduced a kind of "glue" that can bridge cracks into the cement. This "glue" consists of hardener and resin and is injected into silica capsules. Other substances can also be added to these microcapsules so that they can provide the necessary properties for the material, such as being able to accumulate heat and reduce heat consumption in buildings. This "glue" can also be used for gypsum board walls or road works.

Meanwhile, in the smartincs project in Europe, Mercedes Sanchez, a researcher at the University of Cordoba in Spain, and other scientists are developing new materials from different angles that can prevent aging over time. He said that bacteria can be added to concrete to obtain biological concrete, so as to develop products to fill cracks. "Self repairing materials are particularly useful for protecting monuments or infrastructure damaged by extreme conditions, such as platforms operating at sea, where repair work is difficult." Sanchez said.

In this research and development direction, there is also a new type of plastic informally called "terminator" by researchers. Cidetec developed this groundbreaking project using self-healing plastics. The organization says it can repair itself within 24 hours, and its main advantage is that it can extend its service life with this ability.

Also interesting are new materials that can purify water and air. According to the World Health Organization, about 7 million people worldwide die from diseases related to air pollution every year. This is why there is a strong interest in such materials today.

Jorge Rodriguez, a professor of inorganic chemistry at the University of Granada, said his team was studying materials that could selectively capture nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide and more toxic gases, such as some chemical weapons. To this end, they used a network of porous organometallic compounds composed of building block components (like Lego blocks) to realize a porous scaffold structure. Molecules can be selectively placed in these cavities, and can be designed according to different combinations and needs. In addition, they recently established a porous materials company in cooperation with the University of Valencia to produce and sell this new material. (source: reference message)