International networking: the NanoCarbon Annual Conference 2017

The NanoCarbon Annual Conference 2017 focused on the current uses of various nanocarbon materials

On 21 and 22 February 2017, around 115 participants from 17 countries exchanged ideas about the latest developments and uses of nanocarbons at the international NanoCarbon Annual Conference, which occurred for the third time this year. Since 2015, this event has been organised at the end of February every year by the Cluster Nanotechnology and the Network NanoCarbon.

The international nanocarbon community meets at the NanoCarbon Annual Conference to present the latest developments and uses of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), carbon nanohorns (CNHs) and graphenes to a wide specialist audience, and hold extensive discussions. The subsequently generated tight network of innovative medium-sized industries, with representatives from the fields of research and development, offers all participants the opportunity to play a part in this technology of the future, while developing new products based on the highly innovative nanocarbon materials to bring onto the market.

This year, the focus topics of the two-day event were new uses for nanocarbons in heating foils and textiles, use for improving batteries, and use in carbon fibre-reinforced compounds.

The event took place in the Audimax at the University of Würzburg for the first time this year. Parallel to the event, an accompanying exhibition took place in the generously designed atrium in front of the auditorium, where producers of nanocarbon materials and device manufacturers demonstrated their products to the interested specialist audience.

Moreover, the many different contributions to the poster exhibition triggered intensive discussions. The participants presented researchers from the Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e. V. (IPF) with the Poster Award.

A further highlight was the evening event on the first day; a boat ride on the Main, which created an ideal backdrop for a rich exchange of ideas among the participants, and for generating new ideas for projects.

After the outstanding reception from all participants in the event, the NanoCarbon Annual Conference has been planned to take place in the Audimax at the University of Würzburg once more, on 27 and 28 February 2018.

• "Thank you for organising a very successful event!" - BAuA, Deutschland

•  "The Annual Conference NanoCarbon 2017 in Würzburg was very interesting and well organized. I have already saved the date for next year conference, which I would like to attend." - Advanced Technology Partners, Italy

• "And un grand merci beaucoup for the conference. I did enjoy (and benefit)!" - Nawatechnologies, Frankreich

• "I want to personally thank you for organizing the great event in Würzburg. We appreciated your dedicated assistance and warm support by you and your team during the whole event, making our stay enjoyable." - ANF Technology, Estonia
• "Many thanks for the organisation of successful Annual Conference, it was very interesting for me and supportive for our work." - IFW, Deutschland

Deutschlandfunk also reported on the NanoCarbon Annual Conference. Two reports about heating applications with CNTs can be recalled online (1, 2).

Poster Award: Gratulations to the winners of the Poster Award! 

Place 1: Jinji Luo, Beate Krause, Petra Pötschke, Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V. (IPF), Melt mixed p- and n-type polymer - SWCNT composites for thermoelectric modules

Place 2: M. Morais, M. Schönwald, I. Mikonsaari, C. Hübner, Fraunhofer Institut für Chemische Technologie (ICT), Alignment of carbon nanoparticles in composites with electric fields

Place 3: T. Nacken, C. Halbig, S. Wawra, C. Damm, S. Romeis, J. Walter, S. Eigler, W. Peukert, Lehrstuhl für Feststoff- und Grenzflächenverfahrenstechnik (LFG), Graphene Oxide: Quantitative determination of the lateral breakage behavior in suspension under stressing

Further information:  The conference documents, including the abstract book as well as released presentations will be made available to the interested community via download against a small handling fee from the middle of March onwards. (Contact: Sonja Pfeuffer, sonja.pfeuffer@nanoinitiative-bayern.de, Phone: +49 931 31 - 89372). 

The Network NanoCarbon which is managed by the Cluster Nanotechnology is an open network for the development of marketable nanocarbon products. The network partners are experts in the field of production, processing, application and disposal of these materials, i.e. for the entire life cycle of these products. In the focus of the network activities are small and medium-sized enterprises aiming to accelerate the technology transfer.

For further information about the Network NanoCarbon please refer to www.nanocarbon.net (Contact: Dr. Stefanie Bertsch, stefanie.bertsch@nanoinitiative-bayern.de, +49 931 31 -89376).