Fraunhofer Research Institution for Materials Recycling and Resource Strategies IWKS
Fraunhofer Research Institution for Materials Recycling and Resource Strategies IWKS

ZDR-EMIL

Center for dismantling and recycling for electromobility

ZDR-EMIL develops automated and flexible dismantling and recycling processes for electric vehicle components. In close cooperation with regional industry, high recycling efficiency is thus achieved in regards of economic and ecological sustainability and resilience. All materials have to be recovered. This includes valuable critical metals, but also construction materials such as plastic, aluminum and steel, which are contained in far greater quantities, in order to avoid landfill and dissipation.

Efficient circular economy for electromobility

ZDR-EMIL establishes an efficient circular economy for functional components of electromobility, such as batteries, fuel cells, power electronics and magnets from electric motors, from dismantling to re-use and recycling. The focus is on automated safe dismantling as well as sustainable mechanical and hydromechanical treatment methods and selective shredding, which enables recycling of all product components. Here, Fraunhofer IWKS builds on its many years of expertise in resource research. 

As an applied research institution, the scientists at Fraunhofer IWKS always keep an eye on the entire process and evaluate it in terms of both ecological and economic aspects: Only when direct reuse in the sense of re-use and repair of the functional components is no longer technically possible, functional recycling, i.e. the recovery of the functional materials, or the recovery of starting materials for the synthesis of new materials is being applied. The aim here is to produce high-quality recyclates as new secondary raw materials in as few process steps as possible. Operationally, modular and flexible demonstrators are being set up at ZDR-EMIL to enable customized recycling processes. These are designed to be robot-assisted and automated so that the functional recycling processes are also economically viable in Germany. In this respect, ZDR-EMIL offers added value for the established companies and thus improved synergies.

Technology

For an efficient and ecologically sound design, it is necessary to align processes to the respective needs of companies, depending on existing infrastructures, targeted processing depth, investment framework and strategic partners. To this end, the center offers flexible, modular pilot plants to address the relevant issues, customer-specific needs, requirements and circumstances. Special attention is being paid to the following innovative approaches:

  • automated disassembly of power electronics into economically usable components,
  • exposure of magnets from electric motors and their processing using hydrogen to produce recycled magnets,
  • treatment of batteries using hydromechanical methods throughout the entire process chain, and
  • use of electrochemistry for the investigation and processing of batteries.

The pilot plant processes the material streams in the following steps: pretreatment, disassembly, crushing, separation / sorting, recyclate analysis and synthesis.

 

Disassembly

In the field of disassembly, work is focused on the development of IT processes to achieve the highest level of automation and thus cost and energy efficiency. Automation and disassembly by robots in the field of battery, electric motor and power electronics is essential to support Germany's independence from critical raw materials.


Reconditioning

The reprocessing of used magnets is done by hydrogen embrittlement, while the reprocessing of electronics and battery cells is done mechanically and electrohydraulically. The subsequent sorting is very diverse and designed to efficiently separate and characterize all other material fractions from motors, batteries and electronics in addition to those considered critical or valuable.

Accompanying this, the center has a laboratory for electrochemistry / hydrometallurgy in order, on the one hand, to recycle used electrode materials as such (to be able to produce new ones from recycled materials) and, on the other hand, to break down valuable residual materials into their components. The center is thus the first point of contact for technology and consulting on logistics, collection and recycling strategies for electromobility.

Tailor-made processing of functional materials is extremely challenging. The center's goal is therefore to identify the best possible recycling products for different input streams and also to qualify them directly. Although the focus is on the economic efficiency of recycling processes and the quality of recycling fractions, these can only be achieved through comprehensive research activities. These include:

  • Characterization of end-of-life products
  • Robotic as well as automated disassembly
  • Selective shredding
  • Separation and sorting
  • Qualification of the recyclate fractions
  • Product synthesis, for example via powder metallurgy (recycling magnets) or electrochemistry (batteries)

 

 

Magnetic Materials

Fraunhofer IWKS contributes to a sustainable supply of magnetic materials to industry through recycling strategies and technologies and the substitution of critical elements.

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Energy Materials

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More projects

Here you can find further information on current research as well as completed projects of the Fraunhofer IWKS

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