The Centre for Nanomaterials Applications in Construction

Scope of the course

Multi-scale Modelling Course for Concrete (MMC²) will provide the opportunity for participants to become familiar with the different ways of how cementitious materials can be schematized and what different numerical modelling approaches can be followed to simulate the mechanical and chemical behavior of cementitious materials. The main back-bone of the course are the different levels at which heterogeneous materials can be modeled and how these different levels can “communicate”. The modelling levels that will be distinguished in this course are the nano-, micro-, meso- and the macro-level. The course emphasizes the different approaches of how the different scale-levels can be model and how “numerical gaps” can be bridged.

 For the course participants, the MMC² course provides the chance to acquire a glance of the varieties of the numerical possibilities in one intensive week of theoretical lectures and practical sessions. The course is set-up in a way that the theoretical lectures are scheduled before and practice sessions after lunch. During the course week, each day focuses on any of the particular scale levels. The last day will be on the interfaces and upscaling possibilities between the different levels. During the lunches or coffee breaks course participants are invited to present their own work. There will be a mix of events and topics centered around the theme of multi-scale modelling which makes the course very “dynamic”

Following the success of the 1^st MMC² course in Delft 2008 and the 2^nd co-organized in Nanjing, China 2009, in 2010 the 3^rd MMC course will be co-organized by Labein Tecnalia in Bilbao, in Spain, together with the Microlab of Delft University of Technology. Lecturing will conducted by teachers from Labein research institute for nanotechnology and from the Microlab of Delft University of Technology. Invited lecturers might be scheduled as well. The invited lecturers will be asked to demonstrate features of commercial software with emphasis on the early-age and microstructural properties of cement-based materials. Lecturers from Delft University will take care for the micro- to macro-scale level whereas lecturers from the Labein will provide for the nano-scale level. Joint lecturing will be considered for the upscaling techniques from the nano to the macro-scale level with emphasis on the interfaces. Addressing modelling issues from the smallest scale up to the largest scale level makes the course a real multi-scale modelling course, i.e. from nano-to-macro!

Course topics

• From nano to macro modelling.
• Theoretical and practical workshops on multi-scale modelling.
• How to model the mechanical, physical and chemical behaviour of cementitious materials on different scale levels.
• How to model interfaces and how can “numerical gaps” be bridged, including upscaling techniques.

Costs:

PhD, MSc, Postdocs                           750 EUR

Professors / academic profs                 1250 EUR

Company reps                                     2500 EUR

  Accommodation: Several rooms for the participants in the MMC² course have been reserved at Asia Derio Spa hotel (www.aisiahoteles.com/derio.asp) at a special price of 66 € (78 €) per night in a double room for single (double) use. The price includes taxes (7%) and the buffet break-fast. Please be sure to mention that you participate in the “MMC² course”. For this special offer to apply the participants must reserve the room no later than October 3, 2010. Other hotels are possible upon request. Bookings can be done via:

Tel +34: 94 431 76 80  Fax: +34 94 431 76 81   laia@aisiahoteles.com.

  For registration and additional course information,

Please contact

 Dr. J. S. Dolado (Labein Tecnalia)

Telephone: +34 94 607 33 00

Mobile:+34 647 40 33 13 / +34 686 46 13 32

Email: jsanchez@labein.es

  Dr. Eddy Koenders / Dr. G. Ye (Delft University of Technology; Microlab)

Telephone: +31 15 278 14 73   +31 15 278 40 01

email:  e.a.b.koenders@tudelft.nl   g.ye@tudelft.nl

Organized by:

Labein Tecnalia, NANOC, Bilbao, Spain

Microlab, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands

RILEM

El próximo 16 de Marzo 2010, en la sede principal de LABEIN-Tecnalia, se celebrará un evento de divulgación “Safe and Integrated Nanomanufacturing” sobre los resultados del Proyecto Europeo “Safe, integrated & controlled production of high-tech multifunctional materials and their recycling, SAPHIR”

El objetivo principal de SAPHIR (www.saphir-project.eu/) es desarrollar la futura “Fabrica para Nanos”, que integrará toda la cadena de producción de materiales nanoestructurados en un lugar físico, englobando la producción, recuperación, acondicionamiento, utilización y reciclado seguro de los nanomateriales. Concretamente, SAPHIR se centra en la Nanofabricación Segura de productos de alto valor añadido para distintos sectores como pueden ser el sector de la Construcción, Automoción, Espacial/Aeronáutico y Energía.

 Este proyecto, que está liderado por CILAS y CEA, cuenta con la participación de 23 socios, entre los que figuran empresas, universidades y centros de investigación de 11 países europeos así como de Canadá. Tecnalia-Construcción, a través del grupo NANOC, es el único participante español y forma parte del Comité Ejecutivo de SAPHIR

El programa del evento incluirá las siguientes ponencias:

• Nano-Factory of the Future, Frédéric Schuster, CEA Saclay, Francia
• Methods for detection of nanoparticles in the workplace, Jean-Paul Dufour, CILAS, Orléans, Francia
• Polymer nanocomposites: safe nanomanufacturing ,Joao Antonio Bomfim ,CRP (Centro Ricerche Plast-Optica / FIAT), Amaro, Italia
• Advantages of using nanoparticles for improved performance of new energy converting devices: Advanced injection moulded bipolar plates on the basis of  CNT-containing carbon-polymer compounds, Falko Malhendorf, ZBT, Duisburg, Alemania
• Surface coatings, Lutz-Michael Berger, Fraunhofer IWS, Dresden, Alemania

Para más información sobre este evento, por favor consulte la página web del proyecto SAPHIR: www.saphir-project.eu

Y para la inscripción gratuita al evento, utilice este enlace:

SAFE&INTEGRATED NANOMANUFACTURING

Contacto: Dra. Yolanda de Miguel  ( ydemiguel@labein.es)

Tel: +34-94-607 3326   Fax: +34-94-6073349

Efficient encapsulation of different compounds is an important research area for many industrial sectors such as food, cosmetic, medical and pharmaceutical industries. Usually organic materials are used to obtain the capsules. However, in the last years there has been an increase in the synthesis of inorganic capsules, in particular silica capsules by sol-gel process due to their great chemical resistance, thermal stability, biocompatibility and their non-toxic quality for the environment.

As part of an ongoing research project at Nanoc, several technologically interesting organic compounds have been encapsulated based on the synthesis reported by Ahn et al. (B.Y. Ahn, S.I. Seok, I.C. Baek, S.I: Hong, Chem. Commun., 2, 189 (2006)) and their morphology, size and shell characteristics have been characterized (Fig.1). Part of the study was presented as a poster in the conference Trends in Nanotechnology 2009 and has been accepted to be published in the journal Physica Status Solidi. The microcapsules are made of silica and the synthesis is based in a sol-gel reaction followed by an emulsion process. The characteristics of the microcapsules vary depending on the parameters of the reaction such as the pH, stirring speed and even the material to be encapsulated. The synthesized capsules can have a wide size range that could go from 100 nm to 100 µm.

The capsules shown above were synthesised by Idurre Kaltzakorta, who is doing her PhD studies under the supervision of Dr. Edurne Erkizia (eerkizia@labein.es). If you are interested in knowing more about this issue, please contact them !!!

The work “Doctor, I think that my house has osteoporosis” of Juan J. Gaitero from NANOC was the winner of the 2009 edition of the Thesis Prize organised by Elhuyar Foundation. In opinion of The Judging Panel, such work explained in a very entertaining manner the main aspects of cement chemistry and its degradation by calcium leaching. They valued particularly the easy language used by the author and the comparison between calcium leaching and osteoporosis.

The Thesis Prize awards the best thesis resume, having to be written in an attractive and communicative manner with an extension of less than 3000 characters. A total of 62 researchers from 6 different universities took part in this year’s competition. The Judging Panel stressed the high quality of most works, being possible read all of them on the website of Basque Research in the Thesis Prize section.

The 1st CODICE Workshop on Multi-scale Modelling and Experiments for cementitious materials

will  be held in Bergamo (Italy) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergamo) from he 28th to the 30th of September,2009.

The brochure, the programme and other useful information can be downloaded from www.codice-project.eu

We have finally launched the new NANOC web page (blog) .  This blog aims to collect our daily thoughs on subjects as different as cements, polymers, areogels, capsules, etc. . The subjects will certainly revolve around the nanoworld and the ways we look at it. Having an informal purpose, the blog will post news of different nature. Both profound subjects and trivial or banal matters will be found depending on the mood of our bloggers. In any case, this blog is born with  the firm intention of exchange information and make us be a bit more visible in this ever more changing world. We hope that you like it.