Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB Jonas Henschel holds a doctorate in chemistry and has been part of the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB in Münster since June 2020. We asked him three questions about his everyday life at Fraunhofer FFB.
Jonas, what does a chemist do in battery research?
Quite a lot. The main tasks certainly include the optimization of established cell systems and the development of new individual battery components. But aspects such as recycling or novel cell chemistry are also coming more into focus. In general, the fields of research have diversified enormously in recent years and interdisciplinarity is fortunately steadily increasing.
What exactly is your job at Fraunhofer FFB?
A wide range of disciplines such as materials science, electrochemistry and analytical chemistry play a major role in the multi-stage battery production process. The latter in particular is increasing with the continuously rising quality demands on battery cells and was the subject of my research before I joined Fraunhofer FFB. Consequently, my main task is quality assurance during production - at the moment specifically in the planning of laboratories, measuring equipment on and next to the production line and the development of future cell formats.
What is the most exciting part of your job?
When I heard about the establishment of Fraunhofer FFB, I was naturally fascinated by this research project, which is certainly unique in Germany. This special opportunity to be part of a project, to build something from scratch that will benefit German research and industry in the long term and make them more competitive, drove me from day one. Today, it is above all the many disciplines, expertise and people involved in this project: You learn something new every day!