Research for our Future at the Night of Science
How do you reduce global CO2 emissions by 8%?
How do you store energy from renewable sources?
And why don't musk oxen get whiplash when their skulls collide?
On 13 September 2024, the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials (MPI-SusMat) presented its research at the Night of Science. Around 10,000 visitors came to Schadowplatz (Düsseldorf) to discover cutting-edge research.
A model of a future steel plant allowed visitors to see for themselves what ‘green steel’ is all about. In concrete terms, this could save as much as 8% of global CO2 emissions. This is a necessity in view of the increasing demand for steel. But existing waste also offers exciting possibilities. The iron needed for steel production could be obtained by recycling red mud – a by-product of aluminium production. Every year, 180 million tonnes of this toxic waste are produced worldwide. The landfill site in Stade, Lower Saxony, alone is as large as the area between the NRW state parliament and the Schadow-Arkaden shopping centre in Düsseldorf. Red mud consists of 80% iron and the scientists at MPI-SusMat have developed an innovative and cost-efficient method of extracting this iron using hydrogen plasma. This would make it possible to produce new, sustainable steel.
At the Haus der Universität, Tonya Kloos from MPI-SusMat gave an exciting talk about fuel cells and their ability to generate electricity from hydrogen. She explored the question of why this technology is not yet more widespread, for example in the automotive industry.
At the end of the eventful day, an entertaining science slam by Genna Monahan thrilled the audience. She presented her extraordinary research on musk oxen. During the rutting season, these animals bang their heads together at high speeds – and with almost no injuries. Their unique skull structure could drive the development of new, extremely resilient materials. Monahan was chosen by the audience as the best science slammer of the evening.
The Night of Science is jointly organised by Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich, the German Diabetes Centre, the Otto Beisheim School of Management and the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials.