Researchers at Fraunhofer IWS have launched a new research project called ‘MaSSiF – Material Innovations for Solid-State Sulfur-Silicon Batteries’ to develop high-performance sulfur-based prototype cells. The team expects the cells to become “very lightweight and cost-effective” while securing the battery’s longevity.
The research team will apply silicon as the anode material to “significantly improve” the cycle life of the battery cells. Meanwhile, the combination with sulfur as the cathode active material holds “particular promise” due to its high energy densities. Unlike lithium-ion technology, sulfur is free of the critical elements cobalt and nickel.
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The project sets clear targets regarding energy content and longevity, with Fraunhofer specifying 350 watt-hours per kilogram and a service life of more than 300 cycles. The project was launched in February 2023 under the leadership of the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS in Dresden, with six other project partners also involved.
Partnering research institutes and industrial manufacturers have been able to produce “all the necessary key components to investigate the fundamental structure-property relationships and to process and design components and cells”.
The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) will fund the MaSSiF project with nearly 2.9 million euros. Besides Fraunhofer IWS, Fraunhofer IFAM is on board to develop separators specifically for the lithium-sulfur battery cell. Scientists at Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster will research tailor-made solid electrolytes and their transport properties for the new battery type. Wacker Chemie AG supplies silicon and knows how to manufacture such anodes. AMG Lithium GmbH will contribute to the sulfidic solid electrolytes and novel cathode active materials. Schunk Kohlenstofftechnik GmbH takes on the production of carbon additives or industrially relevant composite materials.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS develops complex system solutions in materials and laser technology. With the new MaSSiF project, the team aims to develop high-performance solid-state sulfur-silicon batteries with longer service lives and higher energy densities, paving the way for more sustainable and cost-effective battery technology.
