Fraunhofer Institute for Recycling and Resource Strategy IWKS
| Fraunhofer Institute for Recycling and Resource Strategy IWKS | |
|---|---|
| legal form | eV |
| founding | 2011 |
| Seat | Alzenau & Hanau |
| management | Anke Weidenkaff |
| Branch | research |
| Website | https://iwks.fraunhofer.de |
The Fraunhofer Institute for Recyclable Materials and Resource Strategy IWKS (Fraunhofer IWKS), based in Alzenau (Bavaria) and Hanau (Hesse), deals with applied research on the topic of resource security. Research focuses on the areas of bioeconomy, energy materials, cycle management, magnetic materials, urban mining and analytics. The Fraunhofer IWKS is a legally not independent institution of the Fraunhofer Society for the Promotion of Applied Research eV
history
The Fraunhofer IWKS was founded in 2011 as a project group under the umbrella of the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research in Würzburg. The settlement in Alzenau and, since 2012, also in Hanau, took into account the industry's interest in applied research for securing resources in the Rhine-Main area and Germany as a whole. Since then, the research group has established itself as a service provider in the field of resource security, resource strategy and material cycles. In 2015, the Fraunhofer Application Center Resource Efficiency (ARess) was founded at Aschaffenburg University on the initiative of the IWKS project group. A year later, the project group played a key role in founding the Alzenau regional office of the Bavarian Resource Efficiency Center. Due to the continuous growth of the project group, the groundbreaking ceremony for two new research buildings in Alzenau and Hanau paved the way for an expansion of the premises in 2017. The two buildings are to have modern research infrastructure and are expected to be completed in mid-2020.
On October 1, 2018, Anke Weidenkaff took up her position as head of what is now Fraunhofer IWKS. Before that, she held the chair for Chemical Materials Synthesis at the Institute for Materials Science at the University of Stuttgart. With the change, Prof. Weidenkaff was appointed to the Technical University of Darmstadt . There, under her leadership, the new department "Materials Chemistry / Materials Technology and Resource Management" is being created. On April 8, 2019, the board of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Weidenkaff assigned the mandate to run the Fraunhofer IWKS as an independent institution. As of February 2020, Fraunhofer IWKS employs around 80 people. The aim is to found a fully-fledged Fraunhofer Institute.
Research and work focus
Analytics
The Fraunhofer IWKS works across projects with various analysis methods. The focus is on the identification and evaluation of material flows with the aim of reducing cost-intensive factors and uncovering potentials and making them usable. The focus is on the qualification of recyclates, support in material and process development, quality assurance of manufacturing processes and damage analysis.
Bioeconomy
The Fraunhofer IWKS deals with bio-based raw materials as well as the removal of pollutants and the extraction of nutrients or nutrient recycling concepts. The focus in the field of bio-based raw materials includes the development of processes for the extraction of raw materials from by-products of the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries, bio-based adhesion promoters between fiber and matrix in bio-composite materials and biodegradable coatings for fertilizers with controlled nutrient release. In the field of nutrient recovery, the focus is on the development of strategies and technologies for efficient recovery or recycling of nutrients, organic matter and the removal of pollutants from liquid media.
Energy materials
Fraunhofer IWKS researches the improvement of recycling processes, more efficient production processes and sustainable materials for converting, storing and saving energy. To this end, the researchers are developing efficient recovery processes for critical materials in the fields of batteries, fuel cells, PV modules and lighting, as well as alternative solutions for substituting conventional materials.
Cycle management
Development of national, global and company-specific material flow, waste and resource management concepts. The systematic analysis of processes, material flows as well as connections and interactions creates the basis for a holistic view of material cycles and a conceptual course for strategic decisions.
Lightweight construction
In the field of lightweight construction, the Fraunhofer IWKS works with resin injection processes (English: Resin Transfer Molding, RTM) for the production of extremely light 3-dimensional components from PU foams and coatings with special properties up to bionic surface structures.
Magnetic materials
Fraunhofer IWKS develops recycling strategies and technologies for end-of-life magnets and production waste from magnet manufacture. In addition, the researchers are working on the substitution of critical elements (especially rare earths) in high-performance permanent magnets, such as those used in the automotive industry.
Urban mining
In the area of urban mining, the Fraunhofer IWKS works on the selective separation of valuable and pollutants from mineral to vitreous materials and industrial sludge using innovative comminution and separation technologies and pioneering recycling processes.
Research infrastructure
The Fraunhofer IWKS has modern laboratory facilities at its two locations in Hanau and Alzenau, as well as various technical-scale systems for the focus on analytics, materials technology and functional and secondary materials:
- Local analysis: microscopy including SEM, focused ion beam and nanoanalytics 3DAP
- Instrumental chemical analysis
- Biological processes for the enrichment of critical metals (e.g. bioleaching and mechanochemical leaching)
- Pilot plant for extraction and precipitation processes
- Innovative separation processes for complex composites such as B. electrohydraulic shredding
- Modular sorting system on a pilot scale for the targeted enrichment of valuable substances in certain fractions or the discharge of pollutants
- Separation and purification of valuable materials by means of gas phase transport reaction
- RTM system for the production of 3-dimensional lightweight components with a multi-layer structure made of a polyurethane core and a surface made of fiber composites
- Pilot line for the production and recycling of Nd-Fe-B permanent magnets
Excerpt from current research projects
Web links
- Fraunhofer Institute for Recycling and Resource Strategy IWKS
- Fraunhofer Application Center for Resource Efficiency ARess
Individual evidence
- ↑ Fraunhofer IWKS. Retrieved May 11, 2020 .