Safety in chemistry and materials technologies
Issue no. 5 of 1. November 2010
Safety in chemistry and materials technologies
Issue no. 5 of 1. November 2010
3D illustration of a TATP molecule
The explosive triacetone triperoxide (TATP) is easy and cheap to produce and is used in terrorist attacks. It cannot be detected by the usual explosive detectors.
BAM’s scientists have developed a method that enables a simple, quick and reliable detection of TATP. The first, highly selective antibodies against TATP were produced for the procedure.
These antibodies enable the development of explosive detectors which do not give “false alarms“ for other substances.
Contact:
Dr. rer. nat. Michael G. Weller
Department I Analytical Chemistry; Reference Materials, Division I.5 Bioanalytics
Phone: +49 30 8104-1150, email: michael.weller@bam.de
Workshop Flyer
In the Workshop from 15 to 16 November 2010 new methods and results will be presented which provide unambiguous answers to the questions about the production and ageing history of the Dead Sea Scrolls!
The scrolls rank among the most important cultural treasures of mankind. They contain Biblical texts written between the 3rd century BC and the year 68 AD.
Most scrolls are badly damaged and only preserved in small fragments. Many more of the 17,000 parts could not be categorized until today.
The team, which consists of scientists from the Israeli National Museum Jerusalem, the Technical University of Berlin and BAM, have analyzed a large number of original fragments. Radiographic (micro XRF, ESEM) and vibrational spectroscopic methods (IR, Raman) were used in the tests.
Information on the event: Flyer (PDF)
Contact:
Dr. rer. nat. Oliver Hahn
Network for interdisciplinary preservation of cultural goods in Germany (N.i.Ke.)
Phone: +49 30 8104-3821, email: oliver.hahn@bam.de
The chairman of the Berlin-Brandenburg regional association of VDI, Ulrich Berger (left), and BAM’s president Manfred Hennecke (right) signed the agreement
The Berlin-Brandenburg Association of German Engineers (VDI) and BAM signed an agreement of cooperation on 25 October 2010 to further extend the network between their various working groups and industry in the field of safety in technology and chemistry. The idea is to improve research performance transfers.
In future, the two organisations will jointly support new generations of scientists and develop strategies that make engineering professions in science more attractive.
The VDI is one of the most important networks and knowledge markets for engineers and scientists world-wide and is acknowledged in the professional world and by the public as the leading lobbyist for engineers and technicians.
The Berlin-Brandenburg regional association is one of 45 VDI regional associations. It is responsible for looking after approximately 6,000 members and all those interested in engineering.
Contact:
Dr. rer. nat. Ulrike Rockland, Spokeswoman
BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing
Phone: +49 30 8104-1003, email: presse@bam.de
GfT prize award certificate
Dr.-Ing. Charles-Alix Manier earned his Ph.D. in the BAM Division VI.2 Scanning Probe Microscopy, Tribology and Wear Protection. He was distinguished for his achievement with the GfT promotion prize at the 51st Tribology Conference of the Association for Tribology (GfT) on 27 to 29 September 2010.
Coatings are commonly used in industry. In particular, the automobile industry benefits from great improvements in thin film coatings on mechanical parts.
In his thesis Charles-Alix Manier showed that the slip-rolling resistance of tempering steels coated with a carbonitridic zircon thin film was increased to above 3,000 MPa of Hertzian contact pressure without endangering the wear protection reserve. His results have disproved the current opinion held by the state of the art that only DLC thin films can be applied to these stresses and thin films are not suitable for these loads because of the ”egg shell effect“. However, if metallurgical cohesion between the thin film and steel is properly developed and there is sufficient compressive residual stress in the thin film, the coating can „withstand“ these loads.
BAM Dissertation Series Band 60 Slip-rolling resistance of novel Zr(C,N) thin film coatings under high Hertzian contact pressures
Contact:
Dr.-Ing. Mathias Woydt
Division VI.2 Scanning Force Microscopy, Tribology and Wear Protection, Working group Tribological
Optimisation; Failure Analysis; Extreme Exposure
Phone: +49 30 8104-1811, email: mathias.woydt@bam.de
Test samples: firework rockets
For over a year BAM has been testing New Year’s Eve Fireworks according to the European Directive 2007/23/EG. This directive, to be implemented throughout Europe by 2017, is the basis for a Europe-wide uniform testing of firecrackers, rockets or firework batteries for their safe handling.
Has anything changed for us New Year’s Eve fireworks users? Are the fireworks just as safe now as they used to be? BAM will answer all these and other questions about the topic of testing and safety of fireworks in Europe at its press conference.
Tuesday, 14 December 2010, 15:00 hours at the
BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing
Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin
Building 8, Visitors’ Centre in the library (car entrance from Mörchinger
Straße)
Additionally, particularly beautiful rockets and firework batteries, new on the market, will be fired.
Contact:
Dr. rer. nat. Ulrike Rockland, Spokeswoman
BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing
Phone: +49 30 8104-1003, email: presse@bam.de
BAM Newsletter No 5/2010
Submission deadline: 27 October 2010
Publication, including excerpts, is free.
Figures will be provided on request.
Manuscripts to be sent to:
Press Office
BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing
Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin
Phone: +49 30 8104-1013, fax: +49 30 8104-3037, email: presse@bam.de
http://www.bam.de
Responsible: Dr. Ulrike Rockland (spokeswoman)
Phone: +49 30 8104-1003, email: ulrike.rockland@bam.de
Editorial management and layout: Daniela Samol
Phone: +49 30 8104-3056, email: daniela.samol@bam.de
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