Collection

Interdisciplinary: Materials, Technologies and Strategies for a Circular Economy

Submission status
Closed
"Watch the interview with guest editor Benjamin Balke, head of division functional materials at the Fraunhofer Research Institution IWKS here and read more here. The goal of the Topical Collection is to build a bridge between the different areas of research that all strive to protect our environment and increase sustainability. Especially when working on recycling and resource protection, researchers need to look at the big picture and take into account potential interrelations. In order to develop more sustainable alternatives to scarce resources for example, researchers are not only looking at chemical properties of the material, but one also has to take into account the environmental and social impact a new material would have, how it performs during its application and finally how a circular economy can be achieved at its end of life. Material sciences are especially essential for tackling some of today’s biggest challenges, such as climate change, sustainable energy and environmental protection. Materials are at the core of every technology and every innovation. If we understand their properties, we can think about developing new and smart materials that fulfill also environmental criteria, such as non-toxicity, no use of scarce resources and recyclability. Or in short: Tackling the challenges of the energy transition will not be possible without a materials revolution."

Editors

Articles (4 in this collection)