Innovations for the operational reliability of modern lithium-ion batteries
Meyer-Galow Award for Business Chemistry 2024 goes to Ruth Bieringer
Dr. Ruth Bieringer, Vice President Material Technologies at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies, will be awarded the Meyer-Galow Award for business chemistry 2024 on December 10th. The prize from the foundation of the same name is based at the German Chemical Society (GDCh) and is endowed with 10,000 euros. She receives the prize for the development of high-temperature-resistant plastics and for the development of new types of flame-retardant barriers. Both innovations are of great importance for the operational safety of modern lithium-ion batteries.
Dr Ruth Bieringer receives the Meyer-Galow Prize for Business Chemistry 2024.
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies
With the Quantix® ULTRA plastics, Ruth Bieringer and her team succeeded in developing a family of materials that are characterized by exceptional heat and flame resistance. Even at temperatures of up to 1200 degrees Celsius, these plastics do not melt or catch fire. The fact that they can be easily processed using injection molding also enables the production of complex components. This makes the plastics particularly suitable for applications in electromobility, for example in batteries for electric vehicles, where there are high safety requirements for fire protection.
As a second innovation, Bieringer and her team developed flame retardant barriers that can prevent the spread of flames, gases and particles to other cells and live parts. To do this, they increased the heat resistance of silicone rubber by combining it with special fibers and fillers so that these electrically insulating materials can also withstand at least 10 minutes at 1200°C. The materials can be processed into mats, profiles or complex 3D geometries using injection molding or extrusion.
With the Meyer-Galow Award for Business Chemistry , the Meyer-Galow Foundation and the GDCh are honoring Ruth Bieringer for driving forward fundamental technological developments and seeking early networking with the business groups in her role as the person responsible for materials development in central research and as head of the cross-business group technology platform Polymers. After moving to the responsible business area, she coordinated the further development of the material families with the teams, supported product development and market entry, and was thus able to cover the entire spectrum from the initial idea generation to the commercially viable result.
The commercialization of both material families is in full swing. Possible further developments for applications beyond electromobility are also currently being examined.
Ruth Bieringer, born in 1971, studied chemistry at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz before completing her doctorate in polymer chemistry at the University of Bayreuth in 1999. She then began her Career at Freudenberg, which has led her through several stations to her current position. Since 2020 she has been Vice President Material Technology at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies in Weinheim. In addition, she is a lecturer at the RheinMain University of Applied Sciences in the field of materials science (polymers). Ruth Bieringer is also actively involved in the German Rubber Society (DKG), the Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), the German Institute for Rubber Technology (DIK) and the GDCh. In the latter, Ruth Bieringer was a member of the board of the macromolecular chemistry Board of the Division . She is currently the Chair of the advisory board of the Dr. Hermann Schnell Foundation, whose aim is to promote young scientists in the field of macromolecular chemistry, its physical-chemical fundamentals and its analytics. Since January 2024, she has also been a member of the GDCh Board.
Other news from the department people
These products might interest you
Battery Testing Services by Battery Dynamics
Learn more about the performance and service life of your battery cells in less time
Benefit from modern measurement technology and an experienced team
Batt-TDS by ystral
YSTRAL Batt-TDS mixing and dispersing machine
Boost your battery slurry process
Get the chemical industry in your inbox
From now on, don't miss a thing: Our newsletter for the chemical industry, analytics, lab technology and process engineering brings you up to date every Tuesday and Thursday. The latest industry news, product highlights and innovations - compact and easy to understand in your inbox. Researched by us so you don't have to.
Most read news
More news from our other portals
See the theme worlds for related content
Topic World Battery Technology
The topic world Battery Technology combines relevant knowledge in a unique way. Here you will find everything about suppliers and their products, webinars, white papers, catalogs and brochures.
Topic World Battery Technology
The topic world Battery Technology combines relevant knowledge in a unique way. Here you will find everything about suppliers and their products, webinars, white papers, catalogs and brochures.
