Lecture
Materials for the Future: From Battery Innovation to Aerospace-Grade Performance
- at -
- B1.131
- Type: Lecture
Lecture description
The next generation of technological breakthroughs is emerging from a shared frontier where energy storage meets aerospace engineering. Batteries, advanced materials and space-grade components may appear to belong to different worlds, yet they are united by the same scientific challenges: purity, stability, performance under extreme conditions and complete control over material behavior. This presentation highlights how Verder empowers both industries with an integrated portfolio that spans raw materials, processing, characterization and final-product verification. Modern battery development begins with raw materials whose composition and structure dictate the success of cathodes, anodes, electrolytes and separators. To meet rising performance expectations, these materials must be precisely engineered. Techniques such as particle size and shape analysis, BET surface area, true density, porosity evaluation and elemental composition analysis are essential for designing high-capacity anode materials, stable electrode slurries and highly conductive electrolytes. Verder solutions enable accurate characterization of graphite, silicon, metal oxides and polymeric components, ensuring consistency from the first powder onward. Milling technologies—including high-energy ball mills, temperature-controlled milling and mechanochemical synthesis—support complex material engineering for both battery and aerospace applications. As materials transition into functional components, precision becomes even more crucial. In battery manufacturing, this includes milling, sieving, slurry homogenization, coating control, microstructure assessment and porosity engineering. In space and defense applications, similar scientific rigor is required for metals, alloys, ceramics and carbon-carbon composites, where particle size dictates sintering behavior and final mechanical strength. Materials destined for turbine blades, rocket nozzles or hypersonic surfaces must withstand extreme temperatures and mechanical loads. Verder provides high-temperature furnaces, controlled-atmosphere processing, heat treatment systems and graphitization technologies that replicate demanding operating conditions and ensure material integrity. Quality and reliability remain central in the assembly phase. Batteries require detailed inspection of welds, collector foils, coatings and casings. Aerospace and defense components must undergo metallographic preparation, hardness testing, coating inspection and weld analysis to confirm strength, wear resistance and compliance with strict standards. These insights safeguard structural reliability in everything from electrode joints to jet engine components. Finally, the presentation addresses the importance of recycling and lifecycle responsibility, a theme relevant to both sectors. Batteries demand efficient shredding, cryogenic homogenization, elemental analysis and separation workflows to recover valuable materials. Space and defense materials require precise evaluation of propellants, binders and energetic materials using TGA, carbon and nitrogen analysis, ignition-related surface area assessment and thermal stability testing. Across all these domains, Verder stands as a cross-industry partner offering technologies that transform raw inputs into high-performance materials—enabling energy storage breakthroughs, aerospace innovation and the evolution of advanced materials that shape the technologies of tomorrow.
