Grecea’s research is part of the INDUCT project that was awarded almost half a million euros from Energy Innovation NL, the national scheme to foster innovation and cooperation among companies, knowledge institutions, and governments. The project is led by TNO and entails cooperation with companies in glass and inductive heating technology.

Laminated glass is a type of safety glass consisting of alternating glass and polymer layers. This prevents the glass from breaking into large sharp pieces; it rather breaks into a characteristic "spider web" cracking pattern. Widely used in the automotive and building industries, its recycling poses a firm challenge. Existing techniques are energy-intensive and do not allow the re-use of glass for window applications. As a result, laminated glass often ends up in landfills.

The INDUCT project aims to change this by developing a technology that enables controlled lamination and delamination of the glass by means of inductive heating. Thus it would become feasible to recycle the glass at the end of its lifetime in a technically, energetically and economically efficient way. In earlier research a proof of concept has been delivered and the current phase aims to demonstrate the inductive heating concept at laboratory scale in a 40 x 40 cm² window. The outlook of the project is to have the new circular safety glazing ready for market by 2034.

Magnetic nanoparticles for inductive heating

Crucial to the inductive heating concept is the use of functionalised nanoparticles with superparamagnetic behaviour, embedded in the polymer layer of the safety glass. In the presence of an external magnetic field, such particles generate heat that can be used for the lamination and delamination of the glass. 

The Functional Materials group led by Dr Stefania Grecea will synthesize and functionalize the magnetic nanoparticles in order to arrive at optimal inductive heating of the glass. The amount of heat generated by the particles depends on several factors, such as the particles’ magnetic moment and interparticle interactions in the presence of a magnetic field. Furthermore, functionalisation of the nanoparticles allows for the appropriate integration with the polymer layers, but also plays a key role in preserving the physical and chemical stability of the nanoparticles. 

To simultaneously fine-tune both the physical and chemical properties of the nanoparticles, the group will combine their expertise in designing magnetic materials with their proprietary nanoparticle manufacturing technology. The latter is now at the core of the spin-off company Nano Hybrids, which is also a partner in the INDUCT consortium. The Functional Materials group has received 125,000 euros funding and will employ a postdoc researcher for one year.

See also

• Functional Materials research group
• INDUCT project