MEET PhD Student Julius Buchmann Wins Poster Prize

For his poster “Characterization of Process Water from Lithium Ion Battery Recycling” Julius Buchmann, PhD student at MEET Battery Research Center at the University of Münster, was awarded the Best Poster Award at this year's International Battery Materials Association Meeting (IBA) in Singapore. In his work, Buchmann investigated the characterization of process water from a wet shredding process of lithium ion cells. “The results of the research allow conclusions to be drawn about the reactivity of the cathode active material and the decomposition of conductive salt and organic electrolyte components in process water,” explains the MEET scientist.

Identify and Quantify Battery Materials

In his research, Buchmann used various analytical methods to identify and quantify battery materials in aqueous media. These included a specially developed method of solid-phase extraction/gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (SPE/GC-FID), which can be used to quantify organic electrolyte components. “These findings help to assess the opportunities and challenges as well as potential safety risks associated with wet shredding processes for lithium-ion batteries,” says the researcher, explaining the significance of the results.

Co-authors of the poster are Dr Sascha Nowak and Dr Simon Wiemers-Meyer, MEET Battery Research Center, as well as Prof. Dr Martin Winter, MEET Battery Research Center and Helmholtz Institute Münster of Forschungszentrum Jülich.