MERA FONTE

 

 

A research division of the FEAT Group

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MERA FONTE coordinates the applied research and engineering programs of the FEAT Group. It serves as the operational interface between internal development and external industrial and academic partners. The program is fully self-funded and operates without external funding constraints, sustaining a multi-year development horizon across all active research lines. Dedicated laboratory and field infrastructure is maintained across multiple sites.

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The following areas are at various stages of development. Technical details, process parameters, and preliminary findings are shared exclusively under NDA with qualified partners.

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Location: FEAT Group is headquartered in Nuremberg, Germany, and operates internationally.

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Higher Silanes as Thermochemical Energy Carriers (SILANAT™)

 

Foundation: The strongly exothermic formation of Si₃N₄ (ΔfH° ≈ −829 kJ/mol; O'Hare et al., 1999) makes higher silanes (SiₙH₂ₙ₊₂, n ≥ 7) potential carbon-free energy carriers. Prior art: DE 196 12 507; US 5,996,332. The synthesis of higher silanes was established by the Fehér group (University of Cologne) in the 1970s–1980s.

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Our approach:  Investigation of a proposed sequential reaction mechanism in which the hydrogen fraction of the silane preferentially consumes atmospheric oxygen prior to nitridation of the silicon backbone by nitrogen. The objective is to control product phase distribution (α- vs. β-Si₃N₄).

 

Status: Multiple years of laboratory-scale development completed; pilot-scale validation underway.

 

 

Nanocrystalline Tungsten for Fusion Applications (Wolframix)

 

Foundation: The ductile-to-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) in tungsten is a well-known challenge for fusion applications. Conventional approaches rely on extrinsic alloying additions (Y₂O₃, TiC). Characterization methods (NBED, 4D-STEM) are established.

 

Our approach: Investigation of whether a combination of ultra-high purity (oxygen reduction) and grain refinement (< 100 nm) can lower the DBTT without introducing foreign atoms into the lattice. For microstructural stability, an iodide-mediated vapor transport mechanism (WI₂ precursor) is being evaluated. This approach builds on the established chemical vapor transport (CVT) principle but is novel in the context of nanocrystalline grain growth control.

 

Status: Active experimental program; characterization infrastructure in place.

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Ligand-Based Actinide/Lanthanide Separation

 

Foundation: The BTrzPhen ligand family is established in the literature (JACS, Chem. Sci., Ind. Eng. Chem. Res.). The differential 5f-orbital covalency between actinides and lanthanides provides the physicochemical basis for selective separation. Accelerator-Driven Systems (ADS) for transmutation of long-lived radionuclides are an active research field.

 

Our approach: Parametric optimization of separation factors through ligand design variables (hydrophilicity, steric constraints, acid media stability). Mathematical modeling of separation efficiency and system energy balance.

 

Status: Modeling phase complete; experimental validation in progress.

 

 

Hydrodynamic Cavitation for Advanced Oxidation Processes

 

Foundation: Established field. Hydrodynamic cavitation for radical generation in aqueous media is well documented.

 

Our approach: Coupled control of pressure, temperature, and shear stress fields to direct radical formation for the degradation of defined classes of persistent organic pollutants.

 

Status: Active experimental program.

 

 

Enzymatic Polymer Depolymerization

 

Foundation: PETase/MHETase (Yoshida et al., 2016, Science) for PET; AlkB family and CYP450 variants for polyolefins – both established systems.

 

Our approach:

• Hydrolytic line (PET): Directed evolution for improved turnover rates and tolerance to realistic matrix conditions (salinity, temperature variation).

• Oxidative line (PE, PP): Controlled hydroxylation and subsequent oxidation to defined carboxylic acid fragments under ambient conditions.

 

Status: Both lines in active experimental development.

 

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Phytoextraction of Rare Earth Elements

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Foundation: Dicranopteris linearis is the best-documented REE hyperaccumulator (southern China; up to 0.7 wt% REE in dry mass). La, Ce, Pr, Nd as principal elements.

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Our approach: Plant-based accumulation in relevant resource regions. Downstream processing with reference to published rapid electrothermal calcination (REC) data.

 

Status: Initial field campaigns completed; scale-up protocols in development. All activities in source regions are in full compliance with the Nagoya Protocol (PIC, MAT).

 

 

Phytopharmaceutical Drug Design

 

Foundation: Ginsenosides and polyphenols as immunomodulatory candidates, with NF-κB, MAPK, and JAK/STAT as characterized target pathways for specific ginsenoside derivatives. Multi-omics integration (genomics, proteomics, metabolomics) and causal inference (Bayesian Causal Forests, Transfer Causal Learning) are established methods.

 

Our approach: Causal effect estimation in small-sample regimes using Bayesian Causal Forests, combined with adversarial domain adaptation (MoDAmix) for batch correction across omics modalities.

 

Status: Methodological framework established; validation ongoing. Activities in source regions (Brazil, Ecuador) are in full compliance with the Nagoya Protocol, including documented PIC and MAT; aligned with the anticipated COP17 framework on digital sequence information.

 

Multi-Valued Logic for Frequency-Domain Signal Encoding (Encryptool)

 

Foundation: Multi-valued logic and frequency-based state discrimination are established concepts in the literature.

 

Our approach: A Radix-9 framework defining nine discrete logic states through orthogonal resonance frequencies. State discriminability is governed by the ratio of minimum frequency separation to combined thermal and drift noise. Physical implementation via high-Q resonance selectivity (Lorentzian response).

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Status: Mathematical model complete; experimental validation of long-term frequency stability in progress.

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Collaboration inquiries are reviewed against specific technical criteria. Following mutual NDA execution, technical briefings and site visits are arranged on request. Please use the form below to submit an inquiry.