Abstract
SINTEF Materials and Chemistry and the Functional Ceramics and Nanomaterials Group offer research related to synthesis and applications of inorganic materials and hybrid organic-inorganic systems. Functional oxides and nanostructured materials play a key role in modern society, while usually small in volume. Future perspectives include large-scale applications in environmental protection, energy management, medicine and information and communication technology. Well-known technologies such as paints, textiles, mobile phones and drug delivery can be improved by applying our knowledge. This is exemplified below. Nanosized organic inorganic hybrid polymers (HP) are appropriately modified by a suitable choice of starting compounds to improve properties like scratch resistance, weather resistance, UV resistance, chemical resistance, antioxidation and low VOC in thermosets and thermoplastics. Nanosized ceramic powders are produced in our laboratory by wet-chemical methods, where complex stoichiometry can be obtained together with well controlled morphology. Especially, different techniques applying atomization of liquids, e.g. (flame) spray pyrolysis, are very versatile techniques to produce complex, nanosized powders in larger quantities. The technique of microencapsulation has been widely used to enclose various types of chemicals in a particulate material. Typical applications may be found in life science, biotechnology and food industry, cosmetic, chemical and pharmaceutical industry. Novel encapsulation methods have been developed via membrane processes to synthesize nanosized polyelectrolyte and hybrid capsules for applications as corrosion protective coatings and in medicine.
