E-mobility and its specific requirements call for the standardization of new pigments and fillers. A workshop held by the DIN Pigments and Fillers Standards Committee (NPF) in October dealt with standardization efforts in the EU/DIN on this topic. Characterization work that contributes to e-mobility was also presented.
Characterization of particle properties
LUM GmbH has been actively involved in ISO/TC 256 for many years. Its Managing Director Prof. Dr. Dr. Dietmar Lerche reported on the topic of "Analytical techniques for optimization and quality assessment in the development and processing of electrodes: a first step towards standardization." His presentation focused on the STEP technology developed by LUM for characterizing particle properties and particle interactions as well as the CAT technology for determining the mechanical properties of electrode layers. STEP technology has been used in combination with optical detection since 2008, for example in fuel cell technology. Expanded to include X-ray technology, it has also supported the simple and rapid characterization of battery pastes in original concentrations for several years. This makes product and process control possible in a way that is not possible with optical analytical methods.
Draft standardization presented
The article also presented a first draft standardization within the framework of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), TC 113 under the title: "Nanomanufacturing - Key control characteristics - Carbon black materials for energy storage devices quantification of Hansen parameters". Carbon black is an important material for electromobility and the energy transition. Adaptation for other pigments and fillers is possible. In this context, reference should also be made to ISO 20427:2023-11 "Pigments and fillers - Dispersion method for sedimentative particle size determination of suspended pigments or fillers by liquid sedimentation method".