Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT
Research project "LiNaBioFluid"
Lizard and bark bug as biological model for functionalization of technical surfaces – this is the idea of the EU project “LiNaBioFluid”.
In both cases, the unique wetting properties of the moisture-harvesting integument induce fluid transport without any need for energy: Lizards living in extremely dry regions are able to transport fluid unidirectionally towards their snout. In contrast, bark bugs use wettability of large integument areas to adapt to their environment by a darker color during rain fall.
The project aims at the transfer of these highly promising effects on technical surfaces. By means of ultra-short pulse lasers, hierarchical micro- and nanostructures are realized by direct structuration and self-organization so that the biomimetic structures become utilizable for industrial applications. Among other things, the optimized wetting properties could be used for reduction of friction and wear in lubricants. The interdisciplinary consortium of the project “LiNaBioFluid” includes seven partners from four different countries.
Partners
- Coordinator: Institute of Electronic Structure and Lasers – Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (Heraklion, Greece)
- Institute of Optics – Spanish National Research Council (Madrid, Spain)
- Institute of Biomedical Mechatronics – Johannes Kepler University Linz (Linz, Austria)
- Institute of Biology II – RWTH Aachen University(Aachen, Germany)
- Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (Berlin, Germany)
- High Tech Coatings GmbH (Laakirchen, Austria)
- Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT (Aachen, Germany)
Duration
07/2015 - 07/2018