Vortrag: Navigating Complexity: Particle Interactions in Multi-Material Systems

Particles shape our world and everyday life: Macroscopic material and product properties are determined by interactions and processes at the microscopic level, such as agglomeration and breakage. When multiple materials come together, the resulting heterogeneous structures (hetero-agglomerates) are more than just the sum of their parts. One example is the microstructure in lithium-ion batteries, where active material and carbon black particles are combined and structured to provide both high capacity and good electrical conductivity. 

Describing these heterogeneous systems poses its own challenges: Under what conditions do hetero-agglomerates form? How can they be characterized? How are the surface properties of a hetero-agglomerate defined? How and when do hetero-agglomerates break? The recently founded research group “Particle Dynamics in Heterogeneous Systems” (www.pdhs-group.com/) aims to answer these questions both theoretically and experimentally.

This talk gives an overview of our current projects and future ideas. It focuses on challenges, solution strategies, but above all on questions that still need to be answered. Selected (more specific) areas include population balance equations (PBE), data integration via machine learning (hybrid models), continuous extrusion of battery slurries, spray flame synthesis, and multi-scale characterization of hetero-aggregates.

Vortragssprache: deutsch