Advanced Battery Technology Center (ABTC)

Material and process innovations are being used in the Chemical Surface and Battery Technology department to develop solutions for sustainable and high-performance battery cells. For example, the new DRYtraec^® process eliminates the need for conventional solvents and energy-intensive drying steps in electrode production.

For the production of lithium metal batteries, the researchers offer efficient process solutions from the production of thin lithium layers to the automated assembly of the cells. Material science on structure-property relationships is the basis for holistic development of lithium-ion, lithium-sulfur and solid-state battery cells.

The range of services includes:

• Electrochemical characterization of battery materials and correlation with structural properties
• Process innovations for electrode and battery cell manufacturing
• Design and evaluation of battery cells

In industrial processes, hazardous gases and particles often escape into the environment. Among other things, laser welding, ablation or cutting can generate these in the smallest format. The Gas and Particle Filtration working group has metrological solutions at its disposal to objectively evaluate atmospheres containing particles. In addition to the analysis of process exhaust gases, research focuses on the investigation of atmospheric aerosols, the evaluation of indoor air quality and filter efficiency tests, among others.

Fraunhofer IWS is also involved in the development of ecologically and economically efficient processes for battery recycling. In the ReCycle project, Fraunhofer IWS researchers detect harmful gas and particle emissions during mechanical disintegration. The focus is on various lithium-ion batteries and supercaps. Together with industrial partners, a filter prototype is thus developed and tested in the process under real conditions.

The range of services includes:

• Detection of emissions during battery recycling
• Development and testing of filter solutions for recycling processes
• Resynthesis of recycled carbon material
• Manufacturing battery cells using secondary materials

In the transformation from fossil-fueled to battery-electric vehicle drives, production processes suitable for large-scale production are required. Laser welding processes have a high market penetration in automotive engineering and are therefore also attractive for new drive concepts. The laser welding working group has the appropriate system technology and the process engineering know-how to develop and test quality-compliant joints and transfer them to the industrial environment. The range of services includes the development of contacts for battery cells up to the complete battery as well as solutions for large-format battery boxes.

Fraunhofer IWS develops cross-technology, cost-effective, efficient and material-adapted welding processes, research focuses are:

• Development of material and load adapted joint designs.
• Execution of feasibility studies for laser-based welding processes
• Characterization and evaluation of joint properties
• Production of prototypes and small series

The researchers are developing innovative laser-based joining technologies and design concepts for lightweight cell connections and the aluminum battery carrier as part of the EU-funded ALBATROSS project. Together with project partners, they are pursuing the goal of developing lightweight solutions based on modular multi-material systems for battery modules and bases using fast and cost-effective processes, with dismantling, recycling and reuse as part of an eco-design concept.

The laser cutting work group is equipped with modern systems technology that is necessary for the realization of industry-relevant laser cutting technologies in battery production. Suitable laser sources (10.6 µm or 1.06 µm; continuous wave or pulsed lasers) and processes such as sublimation cutting, remote cutting or fusion cutting are used for the respective cutting task.

Typical cutting tasks are separators for anodes and cathodes, connectors as well as battery housings and various covers. The researchers are thus in a position to develop new industrially suitable processes for battery technology and to scale them up to high-rate production processes.

In addition to development contracts for the Chemical Surface and Battery Technology department, these research services are primarily in demand from mechanical engineers in order to develop application-adapted solutions for battery production. The start and end points of the research services can be freely selected and range from idea generation to laboratory verification and optimization to support for the start of series production.