Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWSInterview with Dr. Holger Althues (Head of the Battery Materials Department) and Dr. Benjamin Schumm (Head of the Particle Technology Department)
New Battery Technologies: Efficient, Sustainable, Cost-effective
In this interview, Dr. Holger Althues and Dr. Benjamin Schumm discuss key questions about the future of battery development, such as: What challenges is research on new battery technologies currently facing? How does the DRYtraec process contribute to sustainable battery production? Which new materials and technologies are currently being explored at Fraunhofer IWS?
What are the challenges facing research into new battery technologies?
Dr. Althues: The greatest challenges include the increase in energy density, cost-effective, and environmentally-friendly production, and the safety and service life of the batteries.
What contribution is being made by the DRYtraec process towards sustainable battery production?
Dr. Schumm: Since the DRYtraec process makes it possible to manufacture battery electrodes without solvents and elaborate drying processes, we are able to reduce both environmental pollution and production costs.
What new materials and technologies are currently being researched at Fraunhofer IWS?
Dr. Althues: Our research covers the entire value chain – from development of materials through to application-related prototype cells. We are studying, for example, new anode materials and efficient production processes for solid-state batteries.
What are the potential future applications for the developed battery technologies?
Dr. Althues: The objective of our research is to develop more environmentally-friendly and more efficient batteries – both for electromobility and stationary energy storage systems. These technologies will promote the integration of renewable energies and help to reduce the CO2 footprint. We are conducting research in the field of ultralight battery cells based on lithium-sulfur technology in order to discover potential new applications, for example, in electric aerospace.
Are you cooperating with other institutes or companies?
Dr. Schumm: We are working in close cooperation with TUD Dresden University of Technology and various academic and industrial partners. The objective is to develop interdisciplinary solutions and transfer research results from the laboratory to application-oriented prototypes. We have already patented many of our innovations and license them to companies. Cooperation with industry plays a key role in order to quickly turn research results into marketable products. Through these partnerships we ensure that our innovations meet the needs of industry and society.
What advances are you expecting in battery research in the next few years?
Dr. Althues: We are expecting major advances in the development of solid-state batteries which offer higher energy density and improved safety. New materials such as pure silicon anodes or lithium anodes will play a key role in this respect.
What contribution is being made by your research results towards global sustainability?
Dr. Althues: Our research focuses on the development of more sustainable and more efficient batteries which support the transition to renewable energies and help to reduce CO2 emissions. We are paying increasing attention here to the design of electrodes so that they can be more easily broken down into their basic components in the recycling process – a concept we call “Design for Recycling”.