Around 70 participants attended this year's Ulm Dialogue, which focused on the current industry topics of the circular economy and substance bans, in particular the PFAS issue.
The Ulm Dialogue is a particularly demanding forum. This is where scientists meet company managers in research and development, and where the Nasser Kanani Prize, the industry's most prestigious award with prize money of 3000 euros, is presented. This year, the motto of the event was "Circular economy and substance bans", which is why ZVO Head of Environmental and Chemicals Policy, Dr. Malte Zimmer, was among those who traveled to Ulm. With the motto "Circular economy and bans on substances", the 46th Ulm Symposium dealt with the "inconspicuous influence of electroplating technology on the major material cycles", said Dr. Klaus Wojczykowski, Head of the DGO Research Committee, introducing the event in the early afternoon of 14 May. In terms of substance bans, the lecture program mainly dealt with perfluorinated and polyfluorinated compounds (PFAS, so-called "perpetual chemicals"). As usual, each of the 14 presentations was followed by an expert discussion. This round of questions was used intensively.
The tightly timed program started immediately after Dr. Wojczykowski's welcome address. The Nasser Kanani Prize was awarded to Marius Michael Engler, a graduate of TU Ilmenau, for his master's thesis on iron-based redox flow batteries (interview on p. 766). In his laudatory speech, Dr. Wojczykowski described the innovative battery as an important technology for electrochemical energy storage and praised its sustainability and the good availability of the process energy it stores. However, he conceded that the battery had not yet achieved market strength.
Dr. Lutz Wuschke
Dr. Jens Krümberg
Dr. Robert Gerke
Dr. Heinz Herberhold
Nasser Kanani Prize for Battery Innovation
Afterwards, prizewinner Engler shed more light on the technology with his presentation. The battery is interesting for large-scale storage close to large wind or solar parks and could therefore also play an important role in grid stability. The battery could provide energy when there is no or too little renewable energy available, or store energy temporarily when there is too much electricity in the grid. Engler calculated that 230 million euros are currently spent each month to avoid under- or overloading the grid. This so-called "redispatch" could be reduced with large-scale storage systems based on the iron redox flow battery. Engler revealed that an acidic sulphate or chloride bath with additives is used for the Fe batteries in order to separate Fe(II). The additives improve the process. One of the development goals is to use the electrolyte based on FeCl2 and NH4Clat a pH value of 3.3 in the operating range of around 25 °C, explained Engler. The iron is redissolved during the process. Prof. Timo Sörgel from Aalen University reminded the iron redox flow battery of the so-called all-vanadium battery from the 1970s. Although this actually works on a similar principle, it uses a much more expensive and rarer input material. Dr. Andreas Dietz from the Fraunhofer IST in Braunschweig came up with the idea of using an electrolyte based on ionic liquids to slow down the development of H2.
3000 euros for a battery innovation: Nasser Kanani prizewinner Engler with Dr. Klaus Wojczykowski (from left to right)
Nasser Kanani himself was also there, here with Marius Engler in the StadthausRecyclingand substitution
The next presentation by Dr. Lutz Wuschke from Scholz Recycling focused on the limits of the circular economy. The company from Rötha, south of Leipzig, promotes itself with the triad of recycling, resources and responsibility. Wuschke, Head of R&D, named metallized plastic and so-called EoL (End of Lifetime) cars as typical recycling objects from Scholz Recycling. Scholz Recycling currently operates over 80 sites in Germany, Austria, Poland and other countries. One of the company's scrap yards would require an average of 16.5 GWh of electricity per year. This huge amount of electricity is used in particular for shredding scrap. This is followed by sorting into valuable and non-valuable. Shredders and reprocessing plants that can recover copper, for example, are needed for shredding and recovery. Overall, Wuschke emphasized that recycling must take into account that "economic efficiency is the bottleneck for the circular economy". Sensors are used for sorting, but in some cases the correct classification is like a game of chance, as the variety of materials is huge. The advantage of galvanized surfaces: In contrast to painted or film-coated plastics, it is perfectly possible to remove the coating from metallized plastics by shredder. In order to increase the efficiency of the circular economy, car manufacturers should be obliged to use 25% recycled material and products should be developed with recycling in mind.
The next speaker was Dr. Jens Krümberg from Eilenburger Elektrolyse- & Umwelttechnik GmbH. The qualified chemist presented Recyper, a new process for recycling pickling solutions for printed circuit boards. Instead of disposing of the used pickling solution as part of wastewater treatment, the process makes it possible to recover copper and the pickling agent sodium persulphate. Eilenburger Elektrolyse- & Umwelttechnik GmbH builds plants that implement the Recyper process. In this way, 13 tons of copper and 16 tons of sodium persulphate can be recovered each year. Dr. Krümberg calculated that a profit of 100,000 euros can be achieved with copper and 75,000 euros with the pickling solution, as well as a reduction in electricity consumption of 32,000 euros compared to conventional systems. Further advantages are the reduction in waste water, the operation of the system parallel to the pickling line and the good electricity yield.
Dr. Robert Gerke continued with the topic of boric acid replacement in nickel and chrome electrolytes. Boric acid is on the REACH candidate list for prohibition because it is considered to have an adverse effect on reproduction, Dr. Gerke explained. He then presented the boric acid-free buffer system riag Ni 148 for electrolytic nickel baths, the advantages of which include the fact that it is pH-stable, suitable for barrel and rack applications and has no solubility problems. The second generation of the boric acid-free electrolyte, known as riag Ni 149, has a better degree of gloss, as does the metal distribution. However, Riag Ni 149 is significantly more expensive than boric acid, the future of which is unclear. Initially, an authorization requirement was under discussion, then there was a postponement. The hazard potential of boric acid should not be underestimated - in Tuscany, entire regions were contaminated with it. Riag is also working on a boric acid-free substitute for the chrome electrolyte. However, this is not yet available.
Dr. Lisa Büker
Dr. Michael Schlipf
Dr. Arkadius Waleska
Katja Feige
PFAS and electroplating
After the first coffee break, the speakers Dr. Lisa Büker from Kiesow Oberflächenchemie GmbH & Co. KG, Detmold, and Dr. Heinz Herberhold from HDO Druckguß- und Oberflächentechnik GmbH, Paderborn, addressed the specialist audience. They talked about PFAS in electroplating technology. They described a case from 2006, when increased concentrations of perfluorinated and polyfluorinated surfactants, so-called PFTs, were measured in the Ruhr and Möhne rivers. At that time, active filter systems were used to clean the water. The company HDO initially developed active filters that remove 99% of PFTs and can later be incinerated. In electroplating, PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid) is used in chrome electrolytes to prevent the spread of chromic acid in the air, and PFOS is also used to reduce the surface tension of the treatment baths and thus improve wetting. The company then decided to switch to fluorine-free wetting agents. Kiesow Oberflächenchemie has Saphir WA4040, a PFOS-free wetting agent, in its product repertoire. It works somewhat less well than the PFOS variant, but is sufficient according to Kiesow laboratory manager Dr. Büker, even though more effort is required, for example through the use of additional dosing pumps. "The demand for PFAS-based substances is falling, so it is important to find alternatives anyway," said Dr. Büker, citing the PFAS hazard potential as a further argument for switching to alternatives and concluding: "Chemically, it is possible to substitute!"
HDO Druckguß now wants to switch to fluorine-free wetting agents, even if there are difficulties in coating complex components. However, Dr. Herberhold also sees no alternatives because the availability of raw materials for fluoropolymers is constantly decreasing.
Dr. Michael Schlipf from Fluorocarbon Polymer Solutions (FPS) GmbH in Burgkirchen spoke about fluoropolymers and their use in electroplating processes. He emphasized that the main emission of PFAS into the environment comes from coolants in cars. The carbon-fluorine bond is the strongest in chemistry, he emphasized. PFAS are found in electroplating in the flap valves in pumps or in the single-layer PTFE diaphragm in diaphragm pumps. "We haven't paid attention to what happens to fluoropolymers after end-of-life," admitted Dr. Schlipf, who originally introduced fluoropolymers in several industries. At the same time, he criticized, it is now often exaggerated. The figures given by the ECHA for PFAS in the transport sector were too high by a factor of 40,000. He warned against disposing of PFAS via sewage treatment plants.
Dr. Arkadius Waleska from Hillebrand Chemicals GmbH in Wickede/Ruhr discussed the consequences of a PFAS ban for the electroplating industry. Waleska pointed out that PFAS are used in zinc flake coatings, for example, but that PFAS-free systems are now also available on the market, e.g. for sealing screws. Overall, PFAS are always used where materials are severely attacked by corrosion - i.e. at the interfaces. Other examples of PFAS use are heat exchangers and compressed air diaphragm pumps. PFAS are also used as sealants in analytical laboratories. Doing without them could be critical, as membrane processes would be used to produce caustic soda and hydrochloric acid, for example. In addition, there could be price increases in aluminum production if chlor-alkali electrolysis could no longer be used due to PFAS.
A last-minute change to the program came into effect at the end of the first day. Elias Schluttenhofer and Oliver Dubielczyk rounded off the day with the important topic of PFAS and the insurance industry. They warned that there could be insurance problems for products exported to the USA and Canada. In addition, there could also be difficulties with insurance cover in the EU if, for example, restrictions on a cosmetic product were to come into force in France. One prominent case is 3M. The company already has to pay 12.8 billion euros for groundwater purification; in Belgium, the company was also ordered to pay a fine of 571 million euros for environmental clean-up. The first cases are also pending in Germany. Countries such as Sweden are even alleging personal injury solely due to the increased PFAS concentration in the groundwater. Basically, the insurer decides for itself how to deal with the issue.
Dr. Timo Siemers
Dr. Reinhard Böck
Dr. Michael SchemCircular economy and sustainability
The second day started with Ullrich Gutgar from BIA Kunststoff- und Galvanotechnik GmbH & Co KG in Solingen. He spoke about the circular economy and electroplated plastics and described the recycling concept of BIA's recycling company Remap. The material is shredded to a grain size of 5 µm. The metal fractions are then extracted using magnets. The plastic granules made of ABS, PC/ABS and polycarbonate are then pressed into strands. Gutgar quoted a purity of 99.8% for the recyclate and mentioned a successful test on a BMW 7 Series in which a door panel was made from recycled plastic. From 2030, companies will be obliged to use 30% recycled material in production. BIA's recycling concept therefore met with an open ear among car manufacturers. When it comes to recycling, electroplating technology also has a clear advantage over painted components, as recycling the latter "makes less sense in terms of value", Gutgar pointed out. His conclusion: electroplated plastics can be completely recycled. In addition, the recovery of metals and plastics is possible without downscaling. The high purity rate was met with skepticism by one or two participants - Joachim Ramisch from Riesmetall in Nördlingen, for example, doubted that a purity level of 100 or almost 100 % was possible and that material could be circulated around 5-6 times before it would significantly lose quality. The return of EoL vehicles to the manufacturer, which is necessary for a circular economy, was also questioned. Gutgar countered that the manufacturers are obliged to dismantle and return the vehicles.
Dr. Daniel Siegmund is group leader for electrocatalysis at the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT in Oberhausen. His presentation focused on bioelectrochemistry and value creation from waste streams. The focus was on the institute's BEFuel project. He began by talking about the potential of bioelectrochemistry, e.g. power-to-gas applications, wastewater treatment and electrosynthesis. An interesting example of the conversion of "waste" into valuable substances is electrolysis, in which H2Ois converted into H2, among other things. This is used in BEFuel in a microbiome to convertCO2 into methane. This can then be used as e-fuel.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart was next in line to present a suitable project with speaker Michael Bohn. It was about ePhos, the electrochemical recovery of phosphorus, which is important for fertilizer production, for example. Electrochemical phosphate precipitation with ePhos has already been carried out in municipal sewage treatment plants. Phosphorus salts could be recovered well. A precipitation efficiency of 59 % was determined.
Ullrich Gutgar
Daniel Siegmund
Michael Bohn
Dr. Sebastian HippmannDr. Sebastian Hippmann from the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS in Freiberg presented a hydrometallurgical method for recovering critical metals. Such recovery is extremely important, as specific recovery quotas for critical metals are already required for 2030. For Co, Ni, Cu and Pb 95 %, for lithium 80 %. The use of recyclates is also required. According to Dr. Hippmann, compliance with the required deadlines is looking quite good, even if raw material prices are currently falling again, making it more difficult to recycle economically. However, in view of the regulation that manufacturers must take back their devices, many participants asked themselves after the presentation how the dependency on critical materials is to be reduced. After all, most cell phones with lithium-ion batteries (LIB) come from China.
Dr. Timo Siemers from Duesenfeld GmbH in Wendeburg has already published an article on his lecture topic "Recycling of lithium-ion batteries" in the last issue of Galvanotechnik. In Ulm, he described the recycling process of what is currently the most common type of battery, in which the batteries are shredded under nitrogen, among other things, so that the highly flammable lithium does not cause a fire. More on the process in Galvanotechnik 5/2025, p. 662-667.
Dr. Reinhard Böck from the Research Institute for Precious Metals and Metal Chemistry (fem) in Schwäbisch Gmünd then spoke about increasing the performance of rechargeable batteries using special metal anodes. The background to this is the high specific capacity of metals such as lithium, sodium or calcium. Electrochemical deposition of these metals can be used to produce anodes that significantly increase the performance of secondary batteries. Dr Böck also presented a concept for the electrochemical production and characterization of these anodes.
"Corrosion from sustainable raw material sources" was the promising title of the last lecture in Ulm. Speaker Dr. Michael Schem, R&D MacDermid Enthone Industrial Solutions from Gütersloh, focused on the transition from fossil raw materials, as they are currently in use, to sustainable resources for corrosion protection. Dr. Schem, who holds a doctorate from the University of Münster, emphasized that parts of the coatings can be replaced by bio-based materials and then led the way to the MacDermid product Envirozin, which was tested as a black, blue and thick-film passivation. This bio-based sealant has a bio content of 60% and impresses with its good appearance, good corrosion protection and competitive price. Dr. Schem explained the development status in more detail, saying that the company had its first test customer.
Prof. Timo Sörgel was on site with his entire study program from Aalen
