HZB makes new contacts with Argentinian Neutron Beams Laboratory
Photo (from left to right): Dr. Javier Santisteban, scientific director of LAHN, Thomas Frederking, administrative director of HZB, Karina Pierpauli, CEO of LAHN, and Prof. Dr. Bernd Rech, scientific director of HZB. They came together to sign the agreement in Berlin.photo: Silvia Zerbe
Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) has signed a cooperation agreement with the Argentinian Neutron Beams Laboratory, LAHN (Laboratorio Argentino de Haces de Neutrones). Through this cooperation, HZB will be advising Argentinian researchers on the construction of two neutron instruments. Also planned is an exchange programme for researchers from both countries.
LAHN plans to build an instrument for residual stress analysis and for neutron tomography at its research reactor RA-10. The researchers from Buenos Aires will be receiving advice from HZB scientists who are world-renowned for their many years of expertise in the development of neutron experiments. As one of the first concrete measures, a postdoc from Argentina will be arriving at HZB at the beginning of 2018 and will receive training from the experts on site.
Visiting HZB for the signing of the agreement at the end of September 2017 were the LAHN CEO and engineer Karina Pierpauli and the scientific director Dr. Javier Santisteban. The two guests visited the experimental halls of the research reactor BER II and met for discussions with HZB managers and neutron researchers. “Through this cooperation with LAHN, we are increasing the knowledge transfer and forging ahead with the internationalisation strategy of HZB,” says Dr. Catalina Elena Jimenez, the responsible spokesperson for internationalisation in the HZB management office.
Cooperation partners: Laboratorio Argentino de Haces de Neutrones
- Battery research with the HZB X-ray microscopeNew cathode materials are being developed to further increase the capacity of lithium batteries. Multilayer lithium-rich transition metal oxides (LRTMOs) offer particularly high energy density. However, their capacity decreases with each charging cycle due to structural and chemical changes. Using X-ray methods at BESSY II, teams from several Chinese research institutions have now investigated these changes for the first time with highest precision: at the unique X-ray microscope, they were able to observe morphological and structural developments on the nanometre scale and also clarify chemical changes.
- Hydrogen: Breakthrough in alkaline membrane electrolysersA team from the Technical University of Berlin, HZB, IMTEK (University of Freiburg) and Siemens Energy has developed a highly efficient alkaline membrane electrolyser that approaches the performance of established PEM electrolysers. What makes this achievement remarkable is the use of inexpensive nickel compounds for the anode catalyst, replacing costly and rare iridium. At BESSY II, the team was able to elucidate the catalytic processes in detail using operando measurements, and a theory team (USA, Singapore) provided a consistent molecular description. In Freiburg, prototype cells were built using a new coating process and tested in operation. The results have been published in the prestigious journal Nature Catalysis.
- Perovskite solar cells: TEAM PV develops reproducibility and comparabilityTen teams at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin are building a long-term international alliance to converge practices and develop reproducibility and comparability in perovskite materials. The TEAM PV project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany.