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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...