Publication Server of Albstadt-Sigmaringen University
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Zusammenarbeit für die Energiewende
No full textDie Kooperation zwischen der Hochschule Albstadt-Sigmaringen und Theben Smart Energy verbindet wissenschaftliche Ausbildung mit praktischer Umsetzung und stärkt so die regionale Innovationskraft für die Energiewende. Ausgangspunkt war eine Abschlussarbeit zum Smart Meter Gateway, aus der später marktreife Steuerungslösungen entstanden. Studierende arbeiten seither regelmäßig an praxisnahen Projekten wie Marktanalysen, digitalen Steuerkonzepten oder Geschäftsmodellen für Messstellenbetreiber. Parallel dazu entwickeln beide Partner in öffentlich geförderten Projekten neue Anwendungen für Smart Meter Gateways und die Flexibilisierung industrieller Verbraucher. Die Zusammenarbeit liefert der Hochschule praxisnahe Inhalte und Theben qualifizierte Fachkräfte – ein Gewinn für beide Seiten und ein Beispiel für erfolgreiche regionale Energiewende-Partnerschaften
Polymeric Materials in Textile Finishing
No full textPolymeric materials have emerged as pivotal components in textile finishing, offering a diverse array of applications to enhance the properties and functionalities of textiles. This review explores the multifaceted role of polymeric materials in textile finishing processes, delving into their significance in achieving desired attributes such as durability, comfort, aesthetics, and functionality. We started the exploration of various polymeric materials employed in textile finishing, encompassing polymers like silicones, fluoropolymers, polyurethanes, and beyond. The discussion unfolds the intrinsic properties of these polymers that contribute to their effectiveness in textile applications. The review extends to the techniques employed in applying polymeric finishes, encompassing methods such as padding, coating, and spray applications. The challenges associated with ensuring uniform application and durability are addressed, providing insights into optimizing these processes for enhanced performance. Furthermore, the environmental implications of polymeric finishes are discussed, with a focus on sustainable and eco-friendly practices. Innovations in developing biodegradable and recyclable polymeric finishes highlight the industry’s efforts toward mitigating environmental impact. The integration of polymeric materials in textile finishing represents a dynamic and evolving field. This review serves as a comprehensive guide for researchers, textile engineers, and industry professionals seeking to understand and harness the potential of polymeric materials in advancing the performance and sustainability of finished textiles
Reevaluating Transfer of RTU Containers into Grade A
No full textAt first glance, ready-to-use (RTU) primary packaging material (tub systems) give production lines more flexibility and reduce container preparation complexity for aseptic fill/finish operations. However, the aseptic
introduction of RTU tub systems requires a thoroughly designed transfer process to avoid contamination of the sterile RTU items and the aseptic core
Biobased Food Packaging Systems Functionalized with Essential Oil via Pickering Emulsion: Advantages, Challenges, and Current Applications
Get PDFThe development of innovative active food packaging is a promising strategy to mitigate food loss and waste while enhancing food safety, extending shelf life, and maintaining overall quality. In this review, Pickering emulsions with essential oils are critically evaluated as active additives for sustainable food packaging films, focusing on their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, stabilization mechanisms, and physicochemical performances. A bibliometric approach was used to contextualize the current research landscape and new trends. Data were collected from the Web of Science and Scopus databases to find studies published between 2020 and 2024. The analysis of 51 articles shows that cinnamon, clove, and oregano are the most used essential oils, while cellulose and chitosan are the predominant polymer matrices. Pickering emulsions as stabilizers in food science represent a step forward in sustainable emulsion technology. The incorporation of essential oils into biobased films via Pickering emulsions can improve the mechanical and barrier properties, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, and shelf life of foods. This approach offers a natural, environmentally friendly alternative to conventional materials and is in line with the 2030 Agenda goals for sustainability and responsible consumption. Recent advances show that composite particles combining polysaccharides and proteins have higher stability and functionality compared to single particles due to their optimized interactions at the interfaces. Future research should focus on developing scalable, cost-effective production methods and conducting comprehensive environmental testing and regulatory compliance, particularly for nanotechnology-based packaging. These efforts will be crucial to drive the development of safe and effective biobased active food packaging
Nanoscale Surface Modification by Fatty Acid Grafting Technologies
No full textAn innovative nanoscale surface modification approach for the development of hydrophobic surfaces is outlined in this book chapter. The technology, namely, the chemical fatty acid grafting, provides a fast, highly material efficient, nanoscale, and sustainable technique to hydrophobize substrates that obtain functional groups on their surfaces. In this chapter, the chemical process, as well as the influencing grafting parameters, are outlined and discussed in detail. The fatty acid grafting efficiency can be confirmed by the water contact angle, water repellence, solubility, or water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), which are represented based on the literature about different substrates such as paper or polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) coatings or films. Different processing techniques will be introduced, and their respective advantages and challenges, as well as upscaling options and requirements will be described. Current results obtained from an EU project comparing two grafting methods point out the challenges and potentials of possible upscaling of the technique. In addition, industrial fields of application for fatty acid grafting will be presented mainly for packaging and textile applications. Further emphasis is given to challenges in upscaling, sustainability aspects, and various future scenarios, as well as aspects regarding occupational safety and legal aspects related to the chemical fatty acid grafting technique
Ökologische Bewertung von Biokunststoffen: Gibt es eindeutige Gewinner?
No full textKunststoffe gehören zu den meistverwendeten Verpackungsmaterialien, sind aber ökologisch problematisch, besonders wenn sie fossilbasiert sind. Daher wächst das Interesse an Biokunststoffen, die aus nachwachsenden Rohstoffen hergestellt und teilweise biologisch abbaubar sind.
Studien zeigen jedoch: Es gibt keinen eindeutigen „Gewinner“ unter den Biokunststoffen. Ihre Umweltwirkungen hängen stark von der Art des Rohstoffs, dem Herstellungsprozess und dem Lebensende (z. B. Verbrennung, Kompostierung, Deponierung) ab.
Bei der Klimaänderung schneiden Biokunststoffe tendenziell besser ab, weil sie CO₂ aus der Atmosphäre binden.
Beim fossilen Ressourcenverbrauch ist BioPE meist vorteilhaft.
PLA zeigt oft geringere Werte bei Versauerung, Eutrophierung und Wasserverbrauch.
Deponierung ist generell die schlechteste Entsorgungsoption.
Insgesamt fehlt es noch an einheitlichen Bewertungsmethoden und vergleichbaren Daten, um die ökologische Nachhaltigkeit von Biokunststoffen eindeutig zu beurteilen
What keeps price-sensitive consumers from shopping sustainably — is it really just the price?
No full textGiven the increasing challenges on a global scale due to consumption and the constantly evolving needs of consumers, it is crucial to comprehend the factors driving consumer food choices in the face of external pressures. Utilizing the food value scale developed by Lusk and Briggeman (2009) to measure these drivers, we conducted a cross-country survey involving 2000 respondents each from Germany, France, Italy, and the UK during the years 2024/2025. We employed best-worst scaling to assess food values and applied mixed logit models along with latent class cluster analysis for data analysis. Additionally, the survey included questions on participants’ perceptions of responsibility for environmentally friendly actions and their attitudes towards governmental regulations and nudging measures. In our contribution to NIMCon 2025, we will compare the relevance of food values across Germany, France, Italy, and the UK, with a detailed examination of consumers in Germany. We will demonstrate the changes in food values from 2021 to 2024, focusing especially on the price-sensitive consumer segment, to reveal their views on sustainable purchases and related political policies. This contribution aims to uncover factors beyond pricing that may contribute to the attitude-behavior gap among price-sensitive consumers
PLA-fiber composite packaging for fresh produce
No full textThe PLA2Scale project develops PLA-fiber composite packaging for fresh produce, aiming to expand the use of bio-based, recyclable materials. By integrating natural fibers (apple and wood) into PLA, the team achieved films with high gas permeability, suitable for fruits and vegetables requiring intensive gas exchange. Storage tests with blueberries showed improved oxygen and carbon dioxide balance and potential for extended shelf life. The results demonstrate that PLA-fiber composites are technically feasible, semi-industrially scalable, and could make PLA packaging more cost-effective and circular
IT Security Aspects of Integrating the German Balancing Reserve into the Smart Metering Infrastructure
No full textThis work evaluates how the German Smart Metering Infrastructure (SMI) could be used in the context of the balancing reserve (BR) in Germany. Due to § 34 of the Act on Metering Point Operation and Data Communication in Smart Energy Networks (MsbG) Metering Point Operators must provide the possibility to use the SMI for the communication necessary for the provisioning of BR by January 1st 2028. The four German Transmission System Operators (TSO) have defined a set of requirements (“detailed requirements”) which must be met by balancing reserve providers (BRP) in order to provide BR. We analyse these detailed requirements regarding communication and information system linkage and derive four abstract requirements which summarize the underlying IT-security concept without specifying tech-nical implementation details. Twelve SMI-compliant candidates for system architectures are defined and evaluated on their ability to meet both the detailed and abstract requirements. We show that while six of these candidates are able to satisfy the abstract requirements, this number is reduced to two when trying to fulfil the detailed requirements. Based on these results the paper concludes that the requirements stated by the four TSO should be updated to make use of the full potential of the SMI while maintaining the same security level
Facilitating laboratory automation using a robot with a simple and inexpensive camera detection system
Get PDFLaboratory automation has transformed bioanalytical research, yet smaller research laboratories face challenges in adopting such technologies due to limited resources, time, and technical expertise, while already facing complex bioanalytical methods. To address these barriers, we developed a robotic-arm-based camera detection system featuring two software applications designed to simplify laboratory automation. Both applications use fiducial markers (Augmented Reality University of Cordoba (ArUco)), for object detection. The first application creates a 3D digital model of the robot’s environment using ArUco markers and a Python-based Open Computer Vision (OpenCV) simulated stereo vision setup, enabling automated computer-aided design (CAD) in FreeCAD. This facilitates safe and efficient robot arm navigation. The second application integrates a deep learning neural network for automated digital display recognition, achieving an in-house error rate of 1.69%, comparable to manual readings. By leveraging low-cost hardware and open-source software available on GitHub, the system is accessible to smaller research facilities, reducing programming complexity and enabling broader adoption of laboratory automation in bioanalytical workflows. This work demonstrates an affordable and effective solution for integrating robotic arms into scientific workflows, enhancing reproducibility and efficiency in bioanalytical research