In the past decades the scientific understanding of MWF effectiveness could not keep up with the rapid developments in the industrial application of MWFs. As a consequence of this lack of knowledge, today's MWFs consist of several dozens of chemical components with partly harmful properties and thus hazardous potential for the operator and the environment. Since every year enormous quantities of MWFs are used and disposed (e.g., 640,000 tons/yr. in Germany), their role in European industries and their effects on the environment have to be re-thought from a scientific point of view. Since May 2011 the ERC funded CoolArt-project at Prof. Brinksmeier's working group at the Foundation Institute of Materials Science (IWT, Bremen) takes the challenge to identify further potential in MWF composition and application on a scientifically based way. The distinguishing feature of the Cool Art-approach will be its cross-disciplinary and comprehensive nature, which strongly requires a multi-disciplinary research team from chemistry, physics, microbiology, mechanical engineering, and materials science. The visions and the innovative approaches of the project are presented in this paper.
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