Image 1: Exemplary Raman image. Shown here is the matrix of a nitride-bonded silicon carbide material.
Image 2: The new blue laser will be used to study the behavior of refractory concrete during setting.
Image generated with AI
Science funding
The Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung supports Raman system at WesterWaldCampus in the field of cement research
On July 17, 2025, the expansion of the Raman-system, supported by the Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung, was officially inaugurated at the WesterWaldCampus of Koblenz University of Applied Sciences. Thanks to this funding, the existing system was expanded to include a new blue laser (405 nm) and a high-resolution spectrometer designed specifically for it. This opens up new possibilities for analysis technology in the field of cement research.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by high-ranking representatives from politics and science, including Wolfgang Letschert, mayor of the city of Höhr-Grenzhausen, Achim Schwickert, district administrator of the Westerwald district, Prof. Dr. Karl Stoffel, president of Koblenz University of Applied Sciences, and Dr. Jörg Garbrecht, director of the Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung. In their speeches, they all acknowledged the importance of this investment for the regional research landscape. The event was accompanied by a specialist lecture by Johannes Kehren, research assistant at Koblenz University of Applied Sciences, who vividly explained the technical possibilities and research prospects of the expanded system.
The new equipment significantly improves the measurement capabilities of Raman spectroscopy for cement research. New possibilities are opening up, particularly in the study of cement setting behavior, as previous interference signals can now be significantly reduced. Researchers at the WesterWaldCampus expect the upgrade of the measurement technology to provide new insights that will contribute to the further development of refractory concretes.
The WesterWaldCampus of Koblenz University of Applied Sciences in Höhr-Grenzhausen conducts research and teaches in the field of glass and ceramics materials engineering. The facility works closely with industry and is an important location for application-oriented materials research in Germany.