A new serum that promotes eyelash growth has been developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP in Potsdam-Golm. It is considerably less expensive than conventional eyelash sera, very well tolerated, and a purely natural product. Mine Kaya has received a SEPAWA award for the excellent research she conducted as part of her bachelor’s thesis.

The Fraunhofer IAP and the Italian company esse CI are uniting their expertise in surface chemistry and machine engineering in order to clearly expand the opportunities provided by flame treatment and to extend the range of surface properties.

When ultra-thin transparent varnishes are applied onto transparent foil tapes, defects in the coating can now be made visible immediately during the coating process. This is possible thanks to an inline detection system that uses fluorescence dyes. The method has been developed by three institutes from the Fraunhofer Polymer Surfaces Alliance POLO®. High-tech applications, such as ultra-barrier films for OLEDs, benefit since the inline process control prevents production errors and avoids unnecessary complaints. The dye/camera system can also prove the authenticity of fluorescently labelled materials. The system will be presented at the plastics trade fair K 2016.

For nearly 25 years, biomaterials from renewable raw material have been a priority field of research at the Fraunhofer-Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP in Potsdam-Golm. Research to date has focused on plant-based raw materials such as cellulose, starch, and lignin. Now the researchers are also developing biomaterials from proteins. Two new departments are involved with this field.

On July 15, 2016, Dr. Simone Raatz (MdB/SPD), Deputy Chair of the Committee for Education, Research, and Technology Assessment, visited the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP at its Wildau site. She acquainted herself with the research group and the research professorship being jointly established by the IAP research division for Polymeric Materials and Composites (PYCO) and the Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau (TH Wildau). Their collaboration will focus on more efficient production methods for lightweight materials, their recycling, and repair, e.g. for aerospace, the automotive industry, and wind power facilities.

On 23 June 2016 the Fraunhofer Conference Center was inaugurated in the presence of Brandenburg’s Minister of Science Dr. Martina Münch, Fraunhofer Chairman Prof. Dr. Georg Rosenfeld, and the President of the University of Potsdam Prof. Dr. Oliver Günther. The new building is ideal for events with up to 250 participants and is available for conferences, workshops and network meetings.

The aim of the "Fraunhofer Technology Platform Microencapsulation TPM" is to give more visibility to microencapsulation technology and to take even better advantage of its versatile potential. The platform connects research institutions and companies that are active in the field of microencapsulation or are interested in this type of technology. It is jointly supported by the Fraunhofer Institute of Applied Polymer Research IAP (Potsdam-Golm) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT (Pfinztal), as well as the Fraunhofer Research Group "Particle Technology and Raw Material Innovation" at the Nuremberg Institute of Technology. Eight companies are currently participating in the project, including BASF, Clariant, Follmann, Lanxess, Lonza, the August Koehler Paper Mill and Symrise. On June 16, 2016 the very successful project will be extended for a seventh round and another two years.

Developing wall paints and varnishes presents a big challenge for manufacturers. One reason is that samples merely enable them to estimate what the dispersion behavior in the reaction container will be. By teaming up with PDW Analytics GmbH, Fraunhofer researchers are now for the first time able to monitor the production of paints, varnishes and adhesives continuously and in real time – allowing them to design more efficient processes.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP in Potsdam-Golm will present an industrial-scale pilot plant, which develops printed electronics according to customer specifications, at the LOPEC Exhibition for the Printed Electronics Industry in Munich from April 6 to 7, 2016. Ink-jet printing is used to produce organic solar cells or OLEDs on glass or film. Even inexpensive perovskite solar cells that currently measure only a few square millimeters can be scaled up to an industry-relevant scale. For the first time in Germany all of the organic and inorganic layers can be printed using just one facility - saving time and money.

High performance carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) have firmly established themselves in modern airplanes. Repairs, however, are very laborious and often even impossible. Most of the time, the entire component has to be replaced. The PYCO Research Division at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP in Potsdam, Germany, has developed a simple, cost-effective and energy-efficient way to make sustainable repairs. Moreover, entire components can be completely recycled in a process in which the expensive carbon fibers are reclaimed. Researchers will present their developments at JEC World in Paris from March 8 to 10, 2016 in Hall 5a, stand D52.