With the increase in the production of batteries for electric vehicles, demand is also rising for the necessary raw materials. In view of risks to the supply chain, environmental problems and precarious working conditions which are all associated with the mining and transportation of these materials, the recycling of battery materials has become an important issue in research, politics and industry. A team of researchers from academia and the automotive and battery industry, organised around the Business Chemistry Team at the University of Münster, has therefore been investigating when the demand for the three most important raw materials for batteries – lithium, cobalt and nickel – can be met entirely through recycling in Europe, the US and China; in other words, when a completely circular economy will be possible in these regions. The team’s conclusion is that China will achieve this first, followed by Europe and the US.
We would like to draw your attention to a paper recently published in the journal Applied Energy by our Institute in collaboration with the Helmholtz Institute Münster. The topic of the paper is the combined assessment of costs and environmental impacts along the value chain from material synthesis to recycling of lithium-ion batteries. We believe that this publication will be of interest to research and industry in the context of forthcoming EU legislation on the CO2 footprint and recycling rate of lithium-ion batteries.
From 8 to 12 October, a seven-member team from our institute travelled to Gothenburg, Sweden, together with Prof. Lux, to attend the 244th meeting of the Electrochemical Society (ECS). The conference brought together experts from all over the world working on various topics in electrochemistry and battery research. Many internationally renowned battery researchers shared their knowledge on the latest cutting-edge developments in electrochemistry, battery technology and energy conversion.
Four of our young scientists also had the opportunity to present their research projects to the assembled global scientific community. This was a remarkable opportunity for the researchers to receive valuable feedback from battery experts, as well as stimulating discussions.
At the IfbM of the University of Münster, several positions as Student Assistant (with Bachelor's degree) with 6 hrs/week (time allocation flexible) are available starting February 2024.
We had the pleasure to welcome the students from Northwestern University to our institute for business chemistry. It was great fun to introduce our research topics and to discuss fundamental sustainability issues together.
Looking forward to future exchanges!
Last Wednesday evening, 24 May, we welcomed a team from the Munich head office of the global strategy consultancy Roland Berger. As part of our PhD student seminar "Entrepreneurship & Startup Management", our PhD students from the natural sciences were able to gain insights into the everyday work of a consultant and into the topics of entrepreneurship and business models in strategy consulting.
In this year's PhD seminar by Prof. Leker, the PhD students were once again able to gain impressions on what it means to found a company - provided by real founders. The core message of the attending four start-ups was clear: Since start-ups in chemistry require high investments, it is advisable to rely on one's intuition and a good relationship with one's fund manager when it comes to financing. Another thing to remember: Get out there and tell people about your idea! And last but not least, you can also build a smart business out of ideas that were originally not quite so serious.
Represented by Prof. Dr. Simon Lux and PhD student Jannis Wesselkämper, IfbM participated in this year's IBA conference in March. In honor of Nobel Laureate John B. Goodenough, the conference was held at the University of Texas at his hometown Austin. Together with the IBA Board, IBA Board Chair Prof. Dr. Martin Winter from MEET welcomed numerous prominent guests in battery research, including Nobel Laureates Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino.
The two-week trip to Brazil by the Institute's management ended with numerous new impressions and insights into cooperation between industry and academia.
We took the opportunity to discuss research topics such as innovation and sustainability with partners from various institutions and to exchange ideas about the possibilities of knowledge transfer in the context of country-specific conditions.
