Julian Lotz

Dr. Dr.-Ing. Leonie Beek, head of chemical technologies for textile & fiber innovations at ITA Institut für Textiltechnik der RWTH Aachen University, has been awarded the highly prestigious Paul Schlack Prize 2025 for her dissertation on the Bionic Oil Adsorber (BOA) – a floating textile system designed to remove oil from water in a sustainable, cost-effective way. 🌊 💯 Developed in collaboration with researchers from ITA, the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, and Heimbach Group, the BOA offers an innovative response to oil spills. “I am very honored to receive the 2025 Paul Schlack Prize,” says Beek. “It confirms that bionics can deliver creative solutions with real market potential – from everyday challenges to major problems. The award motivates me to keep pushing forward with the BOA and other bionic innovations.” Imagine a boat accident near the shore of a lake: several liters of diesel fuel spill into the water. Within an hour, the Bionic Oil Adsorber could remove up to four liters of oil – enough to clear a film covering roughly 100 square meters. 👍 The BOA consists of a floating container fitted with a textile element that extends into the water. The textile selectively absorbs the oil film and channels it to a collection container, where the oil separates naturally and can be recovered. The container is then emptied and reused. Unlike conventional oil-absorbent nonwoven fabrics, which are single-use and must be incinerated after deployment, the BOA is fully reusable, generates no waste, and avoids the need for environmentally harmful dispersants. It is also cost-effective: at an estimated ten cents per liter of oil removed, the process is five to thirteen times cheaper than conventional alternatives. The BOA’s design takes inspiration from the floating fern. The plant’s leaves rapidly absorb oil thanks to fine hairs that bind hydrocarbons, while their waxy surfaces repel water. Transferring this principle to a novel, superhydrophobic textile, the research team created a material that can be manufactured flexibly in different sizes and shapes depending on the site of use. “This year, I had the opportunity to supervise another thesis on the BOA, which resulted in a demonstrator at the next stage of scaling,” Beek reports. “Each step brings us closer to market launch.” 😀 📸: Andreas Schmitter

313

3 Kommentare

🌱 From Plant Sugars to Sustainable Plastics ⚡ The push to replace fossil-based plastics with bio-based alternatives requires new #reactor concepts. Tobias Harhues and his team at RWTH Aachen University have developed a Swiss-roll tubular electrochemical reactor (SRR) and a Mixer Electrode Reactor (MER) and compare their conversion performance of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) from #biomass into 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) – a key building block for the #sustainable #plastic PEF, a greener alternative to PET. 🔍 What’s new? Two novel tubular reactor designs were tested: Mixer Electrode Reactor (MER) – boosted mixing but suffered from uneven electric fields. Swiss-roll Reactor (SRR) – rolled-up electrodes ensure uniform electric fields, higher yields, and over 10× higher space–time yields than traditional planar designs. 💡 Why it matters: SRR achieved up to 73% FDCA yield at low current density. Space–time yield reached 437 mol FDCA/m³·h, far exceeding conventional setups. Uses cost-effective, scalable materials like nickel foam. With better efficiency, simpler scaling, and compatibility with biphasic electrolytes, the SRR could accelerate the shift toward renewable, CO₂-neutral chemical production. 📄 Full study open access #OA: https://is.gd/6yJSFy Tubular electrochemical reactors for the biphasic oxidation of HMF to FDCA, Electrochemistry Communications (2025). #Sustainability #Bioplastics #Electrochemistry #Biomass #GreenChemistry #CircularEconomy #PEF #Innovation

111

3 Kommentare

+++ The face behind the research: Richard Peters, our forestry expert 🌳 +++ To fight climate change effectively, we need the right trees to be planted in the right way.  That’s exactly what Richard L. Peters from the TUM School of Life Sciences is working on, our #EngineerofOptimism in forest science.  As part of our 100-year International Oak Forest Project, he is studying the effects of different site conditions on the growth of oaks. These trees are planted in concentric circles, using the so-called #Nelder design. The goal is to find out how well oaks can store carbon and how resilient, biodiverse ecosystems can be created. This is not a quick fix, but long-term work. And that’s exactly what matters in forest research: thinking ahead, staying optimistic, and planting the seeds for a better future.  👉 What drives Richard Peters? Watch the video to find out. #forestry #climateaction #oakforest #TUmuenchen #EngineersofOptimism #audienvironmentalfoundation

82