Nano materials in glass industry

The Nano Materials in Glass industry branch of RC eNeM has been active since 2011 and has historically focused on research and development of advanced materials and, more recently, increasingly on the industry’s green transition to carbon neutrality. In its more than ten years of operation, it has already carried out numerous projects in the fields of decarbonisation of energy-intensive industry, development of functional and ecologically advanced materials, circular economy and digitisation of industrial processes and products. The subsidiary is committed to innovative solutions that promote resource efficiency, reduce the environmental footprint and contribute to sustainable industrial production.

Branch vision and objectives

The vision of the subsidiary is to become a leading development partner in the industry, promoting sustainability and technological progress through its innovative solutions. We focus on reducing our carbon footprint, optimising industrial processes and introducing circular economy models. Our objectives include the development and deployment of low-carbon technologies, advanced eco-materials and the automation and digitisation of industry. This is to contribute to sustainable development, increase the competitiveness of industry and enable the transition to a circular economy, where materials and energy are used and reused as efficiently as possible in production processes.

Research areas and activities

The Nano Materials in Glass Industry branch focuses on several key research areas:

  1. Sustainable and functional materials:
  • Coatings and nano materials: the branch is researching the improvement of the properties of glass products through the use of advanced nano materials and coatings. It seeks solutions to increase the strength, gloss and durability of glass, while focusing on the use of eco-friendly alternatives that reduce environmental impact.
  • Development of functional materials: in projects such as DEKORA and Advanced Materials and Technologies for Sustainable Printed Electronics on Glass, we develop functional materials for a variety of industrial applications, including the automated deposition of these materials on glass surfaces for improved product properties.
  • Biosonated materials
  • Decarbonisation and energy solutions:
    • Hydrogen applications in industry: the branch conducts research into the use of hydrogen as a sustainable energy source in energy-intensive industry. The OPERH2 project focused on the development of combustion systems for the co-firing of hydrogen and natural gas, and the use of hydrogen in energy-intensive industry.
    • Optimising energy conversion: the aim is to improve the energy efficiency of industrial processes and reduce their carbon footprint, which is key to achieving climate neutrality targets.
  • Digitisation and automation of industrial processes:
    • Defect detection and production optimisation: the branch develops automated systems for the detection of defects in glass products, including the development of technology for the detection of critical defects in specific product shapes. Automation and digitisation of production processes make production more efficient and industry more competitive.
    • Smart product development: the eBOTTLE project focused on the development of smart glass products and packaging, involving the use of advanced materials and production automation to create innovative and sustainable products.
  • Circular economy and the use of secondary materials:
    • Use of secondary materials: the branch focuses on the recovery of waste materials and their reuse in production, which is key to the circular economy. The SEKUMAT project investigated the use of secondary materials and developed methods for the recovery of glass filter dust, thus contributing to waste reduction and better resource recovery.

    Key achievements

    The Nano Materials glass branch boasts:

    • Optimising energy conversion to reduce the use of fossil fuels through hydrogen.
    • Developing smart packaging in the eBOTTLE series.
    • Developing methods for returning secondary materials, contributing to a circular economy
    • Developing technologies for the automatic application of functional materials.
    • Developing processes for the production of “Eco-coloured glass” and special glass “Illusion glass”.

    In addition, the branch can boast several patent applications and innovation awards, as well as collaborations with public research organisations such as IJS, the Institute of Chemistry and the Universities of Ljubljana and Maribor.

    Future orientations

    The Nano Materials in Glass branch will focus in the future on research and development of technologies that will enable the decarbonisation of industry, the circular economy and the digitalisation of production. Our goal is to build smart and sustainable manufacturing that effectively reduces carbon footprint, increases industrial efficiency and accelerates the uptake of green technologies. We want to contribute to sustainable development and link the economy more closely to advanced technological solutions.