Materials
Materials development deals with the development of new materials for the energy transition, nuclear fusion, lightweight construction and medical technology. A holistic approach is pursued, i.e. the entire process chain is considered, starting with material development, through suitable shaping processes to component production and characterization as well as the optimization of material properties. This application-oriented research and development work is carried out in close cooperation with institutes from the KIT, partners from domestic and foreign research institutions and industry.
The following main areas of work are currently being pursued:
The research and development work focuses on two methods of additive manufacturing:
- Material extrusion (Fused Filament Fabrication, FFF): the process originally developed for the 3D printing of plastic components is being further developed in such a way that the production of ceramic and metallic components is possible. Functional components made from polymer matrix composites (PMC) are also possible.
- Electron Beam Melting (EBM): The process originally developed for stainless steels is being further developed to produce components made of Ti6Al4V, tungsten and Inconel718.
The work focuses on the development of molding compounds based on newly developed environmentally friendly polymer binder systems as well as micro- and nanoscale ceramic and metallic powders. The properties of the materials can be adapted to the respective application. FFF printing of ceramic and metal components also benefits from many years of experience in the development of molding compounds.
The focus of this research and development work is the targeted development of new types of safe electrolytes for lithium, sodium and potassium-ion batteries for stationary and mobile applications. Electrolyte development is accompanied by extensive gas analytical characterization of the electrolyte decomposition products under exceptional thermal and electrochemical stress.