When transitioning to PFAS-free extinguishing agents, there is a risk that the new, fluorine-free extinguishing agent becomes contaminated due to PFAS remaining in the system. It is therefore important to clean the system before refilling and to ensure adequate cleaning.

The transition to fluorine-free (PFAS-free) extinguishing agents is underway in society. In many cases, simply replacing the firefighting foam concentrate is not sufficient; there is a risk that PFAS remaining in the system will contaminate the new extinguishing agent, perpetuating the spread of PFAS. Before refilling with new extinguishing agent, it is important to conduct thorough cleaning and ensure that it successfully removes PFAS from surfaces. Research conducted shows that despite repeated flushing, PFAS continues to persist in the system.

RISE has the expertise to provide support for cleaning PFAS-contaminated equipment. In a recently completed research project, we have gained knowledge about cleaning methods. RISE also possesses knowledge about current and upcoming regulatory requirements. We have the capability to provide recommendations for analyses to ensure adequate cleaning and to conduct these PFAS analyses.

Delivery according to request and agreement.

Man-made fibers produced using solution spinning are collected and processed as filament or staple fibers depending on the desired application. RISE has equipment and knowledge to develop these two types of fibers that can be further converted into yarns and threads.

Solution spinning of fibers results in tows, in other words bundles of multiple fibers packed in the longitudinal direction. The number of fibers in the tow is determined by the number of capillaries in the spinnerets used for extrusion. The tow is processes throughout coagulation, washing, stretching, spin finish application, drying, where fibers stay packed together, as extruding single fibers is not economically feasible. Depending on the intended application, the tow can be processed as filament or staple fibers, suitable for yarn and thread manufacturing.

We perform research trials aimed at the development of both filament and staple fibers.

Filament fibers

Filaments are continuous and unbroken fibers that can be used in their original form as they emerge from solution spinning or can be twisted to form yarns and threads. The number of fibers in filament yarn is determined by the number of spinneret capillaries employed during the dope extrusion. 

Staple fibers

Filaments can be transformed into staple fibers using a cutting operation. Typically, crimping is also performed to aid in the yarn spinning process by creating interlocking points for the fibers to grip onto each other. Moreover, spin finish plays a crucial role in yarn spinning of staple fibers and thus requires careful optimization. When aiming for staple fibers, the number of spinneret capillaries used for extrusion is not restricted by the yarn thickness, allowing for solution spinning of very thick tow. The tow can be cut into staples and used for yarn spinning, with yarn thickness subsequently controlled through such operations as carding, drawing, roving, and ring or open-end spinning.

Characterization of fibers

We perform the following testing of fibers:

• Mechanical testing (e.g. dry and wet tenacity).
• Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS).
• Degree of polymer orientation (birefringence).
• Specific surface area (BET).
• Crystallinity (CP/MAS NMR and SAXS/WAXS).

We have knowledge and equipment to develop and optimize solution spinning processes to produce filament and staple fibers, yarns and threads. Deliverables may include optimized process parameters summarized in a report or actually produced fibers. Please contact us for more information.

Air-gap (dry-jet wet) spinning is a method used for man-made fiber production. In this method, a polymer solution is extruded through a spinneret and travels through an air gap before entering the coagulation bath. Air gap allows better polymer orientation prior to its solidification compared to wet spinning, resulting in higher fiber strength.

We offer trials at bench- or laboratory-scale, enabling the development of air-gap spinning process. The trials can include exploring new polymer solvents, raw materials, and production techniques.

With our expertise and know-how, we conduct research trials, enabling feasibility studies for air-gap spinning process development.

Bench-scale equipment for air-gap spinning:

• Two lines for air-gap spinning.
• Flexible equipment with possibilities of inline coagulation, stretching and washing, spin finish application, drying and winding.
• A library of spinnerets with different number of holes, hole diameters, L/D etc.
• Dope volumes: from 15 mL to 350 mL.
• Capacity: 1-50 g dry fiber per day.

Our goal is to provide air-gap spinning services that serve the specific needs of each customer. Deliverables may include optimized process parameters summarized in a report or actually produced fibers with specific properties. For further details, please feel free to reach out to us.

An essential step in solution spinning is the development of spinning dopes (polymer solutions) with optimal properties. Precise control over dope properties is essential for ensuring proper extrusion and coagulation, thereby laying the foundation for a well-functioning solution spinning process for man-made fiber production.

Spinning dope is a homogeneous solution made from a polymer dissolved in a solvent. The polymer can originate not only from virgin raw materials but also from polymer fractions for example to be extracted during textile recycling. The composition of spinning dope, molecular weight of the polymer, polymer concentration, dope temperature etc. can be tuned to allow polymer dissolution while limiting its degradation and providing reasonable dope properties, such as viscosity and storage stability. Getting right dope properties is crucial for enabling correct extrusion of filaments through spinneret capillaries into the coagulation bath, especially when multifilament spinning is required. There are also great opportunities to add functionality to the wet-spun fibers through targeted dope formulations.

We develop spinning dopes suitable for multifilament solution spinning. Our capabilities include:

• Equipment for polymer dissolution in different scales, including reactors, kneaders and high-shear mixers.
• Filtration in various scales.
• Deaeration.

We characterize dopes using methods such as:

• Filterability.
• Rheology.
• Microscopy.
• Particle analysis.
• Polymer dissolution state and solvent-polymer interactions using SAXS/ WAXS.

Please contact us for more information for the delivery time and price.

Our services for binder chemistry are consulting meetings, identification of new materials, reactivity tests, validation of SCM, regulation & standardization, the potential of new SCM, and characterization of alternative binders.

Presently, Portland cement is the most important material used in concrete, and in enormous quantities, more than 4 billion tons globally. It is also a significant contributor to the total anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide, standing at 8% nowadays. There is a large interest in finding new sources for potential materials that can be used in two different ways: binders and alternative binders. 

For the cement industry, a binder is an ordinary Portland cement (OPC) based material where a part of cement is substituted by supplementary cementitious materials (SCM). An SCM can be a natural material such as clay or a by-product from other industries such as fly ash or ground granulated blast furnace slag. The substitution of cement by SCM can be between 5 and 65%. The replacement by SCM leads to a reduction of the CO₂ emission link to cement production as less OPC is used.

An alternative binder is a material that has similar properties that ordinary Portland cement (OPC) but does not contain any OPC. They are becoming increasingly important for the transition to climate climate-neutral construction industry. There is a need to develop new alternative binders with low CO₂ -footprint.

RISE has expertise in the entire binder value chain starting from chemical analyses to large-scale structural implementation. 

If you are interested in the development, testing, and evaluation of any potential material that can be used as an SCM or alternative binder, RISE can offer a consulting discussion before any testing starts. The services we offer are listed below:

•  Consulting meeting 

• Talk to our experts at RISE if you think you have a resource that can be potentially used as supplementary cementitious materials SCM or alternative binder
• Our experienced experts will propose a plan of action by validating your ideas, understanding your perspective, and theoretically evaluating the actual potential

• Our general services include:

• Identification of new material sources for the production of SCM or alternative binders
• Testing the reactivity in cement
• Validation testing of SCMs in concrete applications
• Possibilities according to the regulation and standardization for the introduction of new materials in concrete in Sweden (link to a description)

• Testing properties of conventional SCMs (fly ash (FA), granulated ground furnace slag (GGBS)): While GGBFS and FA have been used for decades, their properties need to be tested for new sources, applications, markets, and conditions. Approach us for testing and analysis if you have:

• New sources of conventional SCMs
• New applications of conventional SCMs
• Introduce your SCMs in new markets

• Assessment of potential new SCMs (high-volume materials rich in Al₂O₃, SiO₂, Ca, Mg, Fe, etc.): Availability of conventional SCMs is decreasing as we move to greener sources of energy production (thereby reducing coal FA) and ferrous metal production (thereby reducing conventional GGBFS). There is a push to develop new SCMs, even if at additional cost of production and development.

• Approach us for testing and analysis if you have high-volume materials rich in Al₂O₃, SiO₂, CaO, MgO, Fe₂O₃, etc. Examples of such products are:
  • Calcined clay
  • Metallurgical industry wastes
  • Mining wastes
  • Incineration ashes
  • Paper/Pulp production wastes
  • Dredging sediments
• In addition to test reactivity, we develop activation methods for different selected materials to be used as SCM. Some materials cannot be used as it is. A pre-treatment such as calcination, grinding, washing, …  is necessary to enhance the properties of the materials

• Characteriztion of alternative binders: RISE can provide materials characterization and property testing of alternative binders ie. calcium sulfoaluminate cement (CSA), Belite-Ye'elimite-Ferrite Cement, prehydrated calcium silicate cement, magnesium silicate cement, etc.

• Composition and particle size analysis by micro-XRF, XRD, and particle analyzer
• Heat of hydration by isothermal calorimetry
• Setting time and strength testing 
• Durability testing such as testing for shrinkage/expansion, resistance to freeze-thaw cycles, chloride ion penetration, and sulfate attack
• Compatibility testing with other binders, SCMs, and additives

Welcome to contact us if you want to know more about what RISE does in cement, SCM, and alternative binders. 

Consulting services and reports from testing

Product safety is an issue of very high concern for all kinds of materials and products. One of RISE´s core activities in this area is analyses of packaging and materials intended for food contact (FCM).

Non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) are chemicals that may be present in food contact materials (FCMs) without being intentionally added. NIAS can be divided into three groups: impurities, reaction products and breakdown products. These substances may migrate into food and pose a safety risk to consumers.

To mitigate the risk, NIAS testing and evaluation are needed which together with other analyses like specific and overall migration testing helps ensure that materials are safe.

We offer screening of volatile and semi-volatile compounds with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis [Screening for migration of substances from food contact material at 10 ppb level | RISE]. 

Our toxicologists identify the presence of any hazardous substances among the identified compounds based on literature surveys and/or internationally recognised scientific principles on risk assessment (e.g. the TTC approach / Cramer classification). This data combined with exposure assessment from migration studies or literature data is utilized by our regulatory and toxicology experts to make a final risk assessment. 

GC-MS screening is the current “state of the art” technique for NIAS screening. It covers a broad range of possible NIAS. However, there is no standardized and approved method for NIAS testing, and all potential substances may not be tested with only one method. If wanted, we can also support you in setting up a test program and suggest other suitable complementing methods to fully evaluate your food contact material or article [Product safety analyses of food contact materials | RISE].

We provide a risk assessment report which is based on the 10 ppb-screening report. 

2-4 weeks depending on sample preparation.

The disease-causing bacterium Legionella is spread by inhaling aerosols from water systems, for example tap water in buildings. RISE offers help in assessing risks for the growth and spread of Legionella according to the requirements stated in the Drinking Water Directive chapter 10.

Legionella is found naturally in soil and water. It currently causes between 100 and 150 cases annually in Sweden and is a growing problem. Outbreaks of Legionella are often linked to aerosol-forming water systems, e.g. cooling towers, showers, fountains, hot tubs and humidification facilities. In order to deal with Legionella in a water installation, the risks for growth, survival and spread need to be mapped and an action plan drawn up.

The new Drinking Water Directive states that there must be a risk assessment of Legionella in water systems in society important and prioritized buildings. According to the directive, prioritized buildings mean large properties that have many users who may be exposed to water-related risks. More specifically, it can, for example, be:

• Premises related to health care and social care
• Teaching premises
• Airports and ports
• Hotels
• Sports facilities
• Swimming facilities
• Multi-apartment buildings
• Assembly premises
• Premises for correctional facilities

In addition, a risk assessment should be carried out in premises and facilities that previously had problems with Legionella.

The projects are structured as a traditional risk analysis according to Codex Alimentarius/FAO, 2014 (or equivalent) with the steps:

1. Hazard identification 
2. Hazard characterization 
3. Exposure estimation 
4. Risk characterization

The risk assessment can be done theoretically and/or with the support of measurements. For this, RISE offers, among other things, sampling of the customer's water system, microbiological analysis, as well as tests in labs and pilot systems.

The focus of the work is adapted to the current issue and the customer's needs. The risk assessment can be expanded and supplemented with action analysis and action proposals.

The risk assessment is summarized in a report and presented in a meeting with the customer.

How can design create conditions for people to act sustainably in their daily lives and at work? Using design methodology inspired by psychology and sociology, we explore people's behaviours, everyday activities and social practices and develop design solutions that enable ecological and social sustainability.

How we live our lives, both privately and at work, has a major impact on both the planet and other people. It is therefore important to create preconditions for a sustainable everyday life. In recent years, designers have started to use models and methods from psychology and sociology to create designs that enable sustainability. Three different perspectives for understanding and designing for sustainability in everyday life are usually highlighted:

• Behavioural design – with a clear focus on specific behaviours, proven design strategies are used to encourage and facilitate behavioural change
• Activity-centred transformation – with an understanding of what people want to achieve, conditions are created for acting differently
• Practice-oriented design – starting from the habits and routines that people share, other ways of doing things are explored through experimental change processes.

With this service, we offer expert support and training to help you and your organisation understand, and create conditions for, a sustainable everyday with behavioural design, activity-centred transformation or practice-oriented design. As all three perspectives have different strengths in different contexts, we also help you understand which perspective is best suited to your organisation.

If you need help with practical work to enable sustainability, we can support you in ongoing development work and in design processes, or by organising design sprints. We use  a design process that is divided into four main steps: concretising the challenge, exploring the challenge, creating design concept and evaluating design concept. In consultation, we decide whether you want help with all or part of the process. In addition, we help you choose the appropriate perspective for your challenge, for the type of solutions you want to create and for the resources available. Examples of activities where we can support you:

• User studies, such as observations and measurements in the field, interviews, surveys or creative exercises, both with qualitative and quantitative methods
• Analysis of data from user studies
• Design workshops where we generate ideas based on user insights
• Concept evaluations with users in a test environment or in the field.

If you want to develop your team's skills, we can offer courses to either give you a broad introduction to all three perspectives for understanding and designing for everyday sustainability, or to delve into the perspectives that are most relevant to you. All programmes consist of five two-hour sessions with a mix of lectures and group discussions. The introductory programme includes two general sessions and three sessions focusing on each perspective. The in-depth courses include one general session and four sessions focusing on each part of the design process: concretisation, exploration, creation and evaluation.

The book Sustainability through Everyday Designs, written by Anneli Selvefors and Sara Renström at RISE and Helena Strömberg at Chalmers University of Technology, is used as a basis for both practical design activities and training programmes. Read more about the book here

Through this service, you and your organisation will gain knowledge about how you can work to create the conditions for a sustainable life, both in private and at work. You also get to know the design tools you can use in your process and an understanding of which tools can help you with what. If we have worked together practically with design activities, the delivery can also include:

• Summarised results and insights from user studies
• Ideas and design concepts that support sustainability in everyday life
• Evaluations of concepts that describe the potential for behavioural change and reduced environmental impact.

Other results can also be produced by RISE by agreement, for example  a visual overview,  a presentation, a report or similar.

Preparation needs vary depending on the activities. We will jointly agree on how best to prepare to get the most out of the service.

We help you create life in virtual environments and Extended Reality (XR) solutions, from scanning environments to building interactive solutions.

We offer different solutions that suit your specific needs, from geometrically correct scans with advanced equipment for complex needs to simpler solutions based on technology such as iPad with Lidar technology and software that makes it possible to transform data into digital models. We help you avoid the most common pitfalls and create virtual environments and XR experiences that are not only impressive, and that people want to return to, but also practical and compatible with many different VR/AR glasses, displays and devices.

The first step is to scan the objects or environments you want to use for your solution. It can be an object, such as a tool, machine or vehicle, or an indoor/outdoor environment. The scan is processed and imported into a game engine where we help you create interactive solutions. We will jointly determine what suits you and your needs upon contact. The packages below can be seen as a start for such a discussion.

Scanning

• Complete digitization: A comprehensive and advanced scanning service where we scan objects or environments on site. This suits those who require great precision. As experts in dimension and position metrology, we ensure that your data is geometrically correct and georeferenced (positioned correctly).
• Limited digitization: A simpler scanning service for those with less complex needs. Here we spend less time on accuracy in geometry and position. The result is scanned data of sufficient quality that can easily be used for applications such as visualizations or in gaming environments.

Construction

We build interactions and solutions in the Unreal Engine game engine. We use the scanned 3D data or ready-made environments or object models that you already have. If the requirements are very simple, we can also use scans you have made yourself with, for example, an iPad with Lidar. We can also create 3D objects manually based on descriptions or drawings. As an independent research institute, we are also happy to share our knowledge. We always use open-source tools, which means you will not be locked into a specific tool or system.

• Direct import into Unreal Engine: With our pipeline, we can easily import scanned data and create 3D objects and scenes that are directly compatible with Unreal Engine.
• Conversion: We use scanned data as a basis to manually create 3D models for game engines and XR. These 3D models can be used freely to create interactions that are otherwise not possible with directly imported scan data that is imported "as one model". We can also convert CAD data into separate interactive components for use in Unreal Engine.
• Manual 3D modeling: We can also create 3D objects based on descriptions, drawings, or CAD data instead of scanned material. We use the same tools used in the gaming industry to create effective 3D objects adapted for XR.
• Interaction: We feed 3D objects and environments into the Unreal Engine along with a VR-compatible interaction library for movement, measurement, and visualization. The 3D objects and the interaction library form the basis for continued development of solutions such as VR training or virtual environments.
• Further development: We continue building the virtual environment, product or digital twin based on your needs.

Workshop

We are always exploring and developing the possibilities of 3D technology, scanning and game engines. In our research, we constantly discover new problems and opportunities. We want to have a conversation with more people who are interested in development in the field and therefore offer work hops to co-create, explore, and help each other take full advantage of the digital environments in a new way. Since we are an independent research institute that wants to inspire the creation of digital environments that benefit industry and society, we have no secrets and are happy to share our experiences and knowledge.

We will jointly arrive at what the delivery should look like in dialogue with you as the customer. The suggestions above can be seen as examples. If you are curious but have not yet had time to explore the possibilities and limitations, we offer a demonstration. If several actors are interested, we create a joint symposium with our demonstrations.

Most often, we deliver a VR solution as an .exe file that runs with VR connected to a computer. If there is a need, we are happy to process scanned material (as described in the examples above) so that it is possible to launch the experience on, for example, an Oculus Quest 2 or 3. By packaging APK files and OBB files, we can then also guide you through the procedure to get the VR application published on platforms like App Labs where you can share it with your customers through an invite link.

According to agreement

RISE can assist in fatigue assessment of materials and components. Our expertise ranges from load analysis through execution of fatigue testing to evaluation of testing. RISE Fatigue Design Tool is a set of free web apps for statistical evaluating fatigue tests and loads to be used in fatigue design. 

RISE Fatigue Design Tool is a suit of R Shiny web apps that are developed at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden. It is a research platform implementing statistical tools for evaluating fatigue tests and loads to be used in fatigue design and testing. RISE also perform assignments in the area of evaluating fatigue data and loads.

RISE Fatigue Design Tool consists of the following apps:

• Wöhler Curve Estimation: Evaluate the Wöhler curve (or SN-curve) from fatigue life data.
• Endurance Limit Estimation: Evaluate the endurance limit form staircase tests.
• Load Analysis for Fatigue: Evaluate rainflow cycles, level crossings and load spectrum from a load history.

The Shiny apps are powered by R (a language and environment for statistical computing and graphics).

The RISE Fatigue Design Tool, including the Shiny apps and the R-code for the fatigue calculations, has been developed by Pär Johannesson and Thomas Svensson. The code is open source under MIT Licence.