Objective
Polymers are increasingly used as a lightweight and more sustainable alternative to traditional materials like steel. However product developers are not using the polymer materials to their full potential since they don’t fully trust the models of strength and longevity. Having information about the material properties in the bulk of the components during the product development stage will provide this trust. Based on decades of experience from x-ray characterization and instrumentation, our team has developed an x-ray diffraction method to generate this bulk data for semicrystalline polymers.
Through the ERC PoC project we will improve the technology by extending the measurement to 3D maps of the sample from the current 2D capability. The increased time in 3D scans will be alleviated through the use of focusing optics to improve the effective opening angle from the x-ray generator and with energy resolving 2D detectors with optimized absorption efficiency in the used energy range.
In the project we will furthermore implement the technology in the development process of already selected companies through proto sales of a minimum viable product. The sales will be based on a business model of providing the information from diffraction measurement to the customer as a service rather than through a sale of hardware. This business model lowers the barrier of entry both for the customers and for us as a startup. The lower barrier will help us reach a broader market of SME producers of polymers and aid in the establishing the technology as a generally recognized technique.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept GrantsHost institution
2800 Kongens Lyngby
Denmark