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See-through like glass, but heat-resistant and scratch-proof like ceramics – transparent ceramics are unique materials and their manufacturing requires not only special know-how, but also specialized equipment and systems. In future, transparent ceramics will be able to make even greater use of their advantages over glass and sapphire in terms of robustness, hardness, transmission and cost effectiveness. The reason: The Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS has opened a new research and development center for transparent ceramics at its Hermsdorf site on August 29, 2024 in the presence of Thuringia's Minister of Economics and Science, Wolfgang Tiefensee. The institute aims to develop a variety of innovative, economical applications with interested industrial partners.

What was previously based more on intuition and experience is now objectively verifiable: The OpenZfP AI portal for non-destructive testing uses artificial intelligence to evaluate noises from machines, plants and processes and thus detects anomalies that could lead to malfunctions or downtimes.

Continuity and expansion of Fraunhofer activities in Saxony-Anhalt: On January 1, 2025, the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS will integrate the Center for Economics and Management of Technologies CEM in Halle (Saale), thus ensuring the operational continuity of the previous branch of the Fraunhofer Center for International Management and Knowledge Economy IMW. For Fraunhofer IKTS, the move marks the expansion of its competence portfolio towards techno-economic analyses, particularly in process engineering.

Hydrogen generated with the power of the sun could largely replace fossil fuels in the future, helping to lower carbon emissions. In the Neo-PEC joint research project, Fraunhofer specialists have developed a tandem module that is self-sufficient and reliable at producing solar-generated green hydrogen.

Fraunhofer researchers have developed a method of creating biogenic construction materials based on cyanobacteria. The bacteria multiply in a nutrient solution, driven by photosynthesis. When aggregates and fillers such as sand, basalt, or renewable raw materials are added, rock-like solid structures are produced. Unlike traditional concrete production, this process does not emit any carbon dioxide, which is harmful to the environment. Instead, the carbon dioxide is bound inside the material itself.

Plastics made of polycarbonate are sought-after materials in industrial applications thanks to their versatility and high quality. However, recycling of plastic waste is still running up against limits these days, as mechanical recycling methods do not produce adequate qualities of recycled material for all applications. Together with chemical company Covestro Deutschland AG, Fraunhofer researchers have now developed a method that makes it possible to reclaim the substances originally used to make the polycarbonates. In catalytic pyrolysis, a controlled process of heating in an oxygen-free environment, plastic waste breaks down into its components. Manufacturers can then use the raw materials to produce new plastics.

In the “MoLIBity” project, a consortium including Fraunhofer IKTS is developing practical concepts for recovering lithium from batteries. To this end, the project partners are combining findings from chemistry, materials science, process optimization, life cycle assessment and waste recycling. Fraunhofer IKTS is contributing its expertise in the validation of the recycling process.

For the first time, an innovative monitoring system for pressure vessels has been installed on an offshore platform. On Snorre A off the Norwegian coast, energy supplier Equinor is testing the novel sensor system for non-contact level measurement in offshore separators using guided ultrasonic waves. The technology was developed at Fraunhofer IKTS and is marketed by the IKTS spin-off Nicoustic AS.

Altech Batteries GmbH, a joint venture of Fraunhofer IKTS and the ALTECH Group, has reached an important milestone with the publication of the feasibility study for the joint CERENERGY^® project. The study underlines the great economic potential of the technology, which offers a sustainable energy storage solution with sodium solid-state batteries, especially for grid applications. A battery factory is planned in Schwarze Pumpe (Saxony) with an annual capacity of 120 battery containers with an output of 1 MWh each, the so-called “GridPacks”.