Lithium-ion batteries

Ceramic materials and technologies are essential components of today’s lithium-ion batteries and will continue to play a key role in the future. At Fraunhofer IKTS, development work is aimed at the pilot scale to ensure a fast transfer of the results from fundamental laboratory research to industrial process development.

Fraunhofer IKTS applies its ceramics expertise towards synthesizing and preparing active materials and separator components, and processing them to form battery electrodes. A variety of methods is available for characterization of the electrode structure, electrochemical behavior, and aging during battery operation. As a result, a thorough understanding of the relationship between production conditions and battery reliability has been gained.

Decades of know-how in development of ceramic materials and technologies as well as in materials analysis and electrochemical characterization ensure that new cost-effective strategies can be established. This involves materials, process, and systems development as well as supply of groundbreaking cell concepts for mobile and stationary applications.

In addition to the mentioned materials and technology competencies, Fraunhofer IKTS has extensive know-how in the field of materials recovery and circular economy. With the development of efficient recycling concepts for lithium-ion batteries, it contributes to ensuring that energy storage systems are not only technically and economically convincing, but also in terms of environmentally friendly and sustainable production.

Topics

 

Materials development

The development of competitive lithium-ion batteries begins with the synthesis and preparation of customized powders. Fraunhofer IKTS offers all processes to modify battery powders and their chemical precursors, to prepare them and to characterize them with regard to their powder properties.

 

Technology development

New processes and an understanding of the value chains are needed for the production of lithium-ion batteries. Fraunhofer IKTS has extensive know-how in dealing with mixing, characterization, coating, drying and forming technologies. Another competence is the development of new cell designs.

 

Cell-level characterization

Electrochemical measurement methods and the characterization of cell performance and lifetime are used to evaluate material and technology developments. Fraunhofer IKTS can also analyze aging and failure mechanisms with post-mortem analyses and optimize thermal management with modern simulation tools.

 

Battery Technology Application Center

In our Battery Technology Application Center, technologies can be tested and scaled with a view to industrial production. For production-integrated quality assurance, non-destructive testing technologies are adapted and integrated for the individual production steps according to specific requirements.

 

Materials Recycling Application Center

Energy storage systems must be convincing not only from a technical and economic point of view, but also from an ecological one. Fraunhofer IKTS is pursuing various approaches for the economic recycling of battery components.

 

Preliminary research

  • Temperature measurement during operation
  • High-energy-cathode
  • EMBATT bipolar battery
  • Solid-state battery

Cooperation models
 

Innovation and development are the cornerstones of a promising corporate future. In order to create a competitive edge, Fraunhofer offers tailored options for cooperation, so that small and medium-sized companies can work together in the best possible way. This also allows to utilize development skills at short notice and as needed.