Materials Research at VTT Anne-Christine Ritschkoff Jari Koskinen

Materials Research at VTT

Anne-Christine Ritschkoff

Jari Koskinen

VTT TECHNICAL RESEARCH CENTRE OF FINLAND

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VTT’S MISSION

VTT produces research services that enhance the international

competitiveness of companies, society and other customers at the

most important stages of their innovation process, and thereby

creates the prerequisites for growth, employment and wellbeing.


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THE OPERATING MODEL AND THE STRUCTURE

VENTURES

Commercialisation ofresearch output,venture activities

and spin-offs

EXPERTSERVICES

Consulting services,testing, certification

Man

agem

ent,

su

pp

ort

pro

cess

es

STRATEGIC RESEARCH

Management of theself-financed and

jointly-funded research

BUSINESSSOLUTIONS

Management of the contract

research

Ad

visory b

oard

s

C U S T O M E R S

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

ProjectsCompetence management

(7 knowledge clusters and 46 knowledge centres)


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VTT´s staff profile

STAFF STRUCTUREResearch scientists 59%Other research staff 22%Planning, office and IT personnel 15%Management 3%

EDUCATION OF STAFFDoctors 16%Licentiates 7%Other university degree 52% College level and polytechnic 23%Basic level 2%

Number of personnel: 2 780


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VTT´s turnover by type of income Turnover 217 M€ in 2006


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VTT´s materials research

• Materials research has a very strong role in the technical research at VTT

• estimated volume in 2006

• 300 man years• 30 M€ annual turnover• total volume covers over 10% of VTT´s

research activities• Materials research in Finland

• estimated volume

• 2500 man years• 200 M€ annual turnover

Staff in materials research

Professors:

Senior researchers

Researchers / graduate students:

Undergraduate students (full-

time):

Technical staff:

Secreteriat:


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VTT´s FOCUS AREAS OF FRONT END RESEARCHPlatforms for new ideas and technologies

Convergingnetworks

Social media and software

Functional and nanomaterials

Sensors and sensor networks

Intelligentsystems and

machines

Systems biologyICT-based service

technologiesDigital

built environment

BiorefineryZero-emission energy systems

Novelty by combination

New technologies

Digital world

Sustainable development

Horizontal focus areas leading to change in several industries

Human-technology interactionApplication-oriented system and software development

Business models and technology

Manufacturing and integration methods

for electronics and optics


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VTT Technology focus areas

APPLIED MATERIALSNew materials for

machinery, buildings and consumer productsUpgraded fibre-based products

Performance of products and structures under extreme exposures

BIO- AND CHEMICAL PROCESSES

Food processingDrugs and diagnostis

ENERGYEnergy systems and economics

Nuclear energyDistributed energy

Energy and emissions in transport

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIESHigh performance telecom

Data refinement

INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS MANAGEMENTOperating research

Plants & production systemsVehicles & machines

Industrial management

TECHNOLOGY IN THE COMMUNITYSafety and security

Building performanceTransport systems and networks

MICROTECHNOLOGIES AND ELECTRONICSHigh performance sensors and instruments

Heterogenous integration


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Applied materials research• Focus areas:

• Materials for machinery, buildings and consumer products, upgraded fibre-based products, performance of products and structures under extreme exposures

• Business drivers, impacts and potential• Quest for more carefree, durable, safe and economical products in various industrial and

consumer applications• Demand for sustainable growth, reduction of environmental impact: less materials, durable

materials, recyclable materials, beneficiation of natural fibre-based raw materials• Broadening of range of application of existing products and systems

• Technology focus and scientific goals• Materials for machinery, buildings and consumer products: new and modified materials and

methods to bond materials into composites and structural systems• New fibre-based products; added value wood products• Performance of products and structures under long-term or extreme exposures

• VTT's strengths and opportunities• Long tradition of product development and performance assessment of materials and products in

various applications and assessment of products under • Wide range of experimental equipment and facilities for the development• Close contacts with customers


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Nanomaterialsfor manufacturing industrial

and consumer products

Functional Materialsfor manufacturing industrial


Materials for buildings and living

Building materials and productsMaterials at home and at work

Materials in machines and in process plants

StructuresStructures and structural systems in

buildings, infrastructure, machinery etc.

AppliedMaterialsResearch

Fibres and polymersfor manufacturing industrial



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Materials research at VTT is clearly bound to industrial needs

Current materials research areas• Materials for energy and process industry

• degradation, fracture mechanisms, life cycle management of materials

• Materials for building and construction• wood based and concrete materials• coatings, paints and adhesives• hybrid nanocomposites

• Materials for electronics industry• electrically functional plastics• batteries and fuel cells, energy storages

• Metal-ceramic materials• thermal spraying• surface treatments and welding by laser technology

• Functional materials and coatings• functional materials in printing• functional materials for paper and boards• functional nanostructured materials• binders for coatings, adhesives and composites• natural polymers and wood based materials• stimuli responsive polymer concepts

Examples of future areas of research• New material solutions

• new material solutions for energy technology• nanostructured materials for harsh conditions

• Natural based and environmentally feasible materials

• composite technology• biocomposites

• Functional and intelligent materials• bioactive material solutions• bioispired materials• self-healing concepts for joints and coatings

• Electronics applications• nanoelectronics, nanophotonics and

nanolithography• quantum computation and quantum information


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Ub (kV/mm) PP 1 % 2 % 3 %

AC 103 ± 9 116 ± 8 135 ± 9 112 ± 12

LI 164 ± 15 192 ± 12 196 ± 6 163 ± 15

Nanocomposite Polymer Capacitor Film:

• Aim is to develop novel ways to control the electrical characteristics of polymer-based materials:

• to improve the thermal stability of electromechanical materials (piezoelectric charge endures at high temperatures)

• to reduce the dielectric constant of materials (nano- and microporous in hybrid polymers)

• to improve insulation properties against high voltage

Nanomodified Hybrid Polymers

Polyaniline 1-3 wt-% increases AC- and LI- breakdown strength of capacitor grade polypropylene thick films (t=150 µm) while increasing the permittivity by 10%. Energy of the capacitor εr , U2


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Adhesion proteins for highly defined surface modifications

Genetic engineering can be used to modify and functionalize the adhesion protein. AFM image shows individual molecules of a one-molecule thick layer of avidin-protein fixed to the adhesion protein.

10 nm

Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) image of a one-molecule thick surface assembled layer of protein. The dimension of the repeating unit is 6 nm.

Microbial adhesion proteins self-assemble at interfaces and can be used for producing one-molecule thick highly ordered surface layers.


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Functional composites from wood based materials and biopolymers

• Combining of wood and wood-based fibres with different materials

• plastics• concrete• mortar• ceramics

• Innovative hybrid composites with intelligent fibre-based functionality

• monitoring, indicating, detecting, actuating• porosity gradients• multi-layered, low density materials with adequate

mechanical properties• improved acoustic properties• improved fire and thermal resistance

• Justifications• cladding materials with multi-layer structures• interior decorative films or boards with fire

resistance and acoustic properites• mobile elements with good sound absorbing

properties• flooring materials


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Functional thin coatings for wood and fibre-based materials

GOALS•Scratch resistance, wear resistance: to increase the utility value and durability of wood and fibre based products by organic-inorganic hybrid coatings•Surface modification: to modify surface properties in order to tailor printability (water and oil absorption) and soil repellancy properties of fibre based products •Barrier properties: to produce barrier properties such as controlled moisture behaviour, gas permeability and UV-shield•Formability: to develop elastic, durable binding solutions for mouldable fibre based products such as cardboards •Application: to preliminarily clarify cost effective application methods for promising coatings and treatments

Surface free energy affects e.g. to soil repellancy, cleanability and printability of surfaces. Surface energy can be affected by chemical structure and topography of surface.

Adhesion of nanostructured hybrid sol-gel coatings to organic matrix is greatly increased by covalent bonding


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Smart Filter - adaptable pore size

• Fiber filters coated by PNIPA polymer

• At temperatures <TLCST. The volume of polymer is expanded state ( the polymer binds water molecules). Fibers are "thick" and pores are "small". The system is highly hydrophilic.

• At temperature >TLCST , the polymer rejects water molecules out and the volume of the polymer decreases dramatically. Now the fibers are "thin" and pores are "large". The system is hydrophobic.

Now we have a filter with adjustable pore size! The washing can take place easily.

T < LCST T > LCST

hydrophilic

hydrophobic

H2O

PNIPA

UF-PS100-MEMBRANE

0

200

400

600

800

20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70

Temperature, oC

Flux

, kg(

m2 hb

ar)

T 4. up, SII-13

T 4. down, SII-13

Pnipa295.xls


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Contact information

Anne-Christine Ritschkoff, PhD.

Co-ordination of Applied Materials Strategic Research

[email protected]

Jari Koskinen, PhD.

Technology Manager Advanced Materials

[email protected]

Documents

Materials Research at VTT Anne-Christine Ritschkoff Jari Koskinen