Girls' Day 2023: Female School Students Built Battery Cells

Building battery cells, examining samples and producing electrolyte formulations fully automatically: Ten female school students replaced the classroom with the laboratories of MEET Battery Research Center at the University of Münster and Helmholtz Institute Münster (HI MS; IEK-12) of Forschungszentrum Jülich on Girls’ Day, 27 April 2023. Five scientists and technicians of both research institutions showed them which professions can be chosen in battery research, how daily work looks like and why they are so enthusiastic about working in the laboratory.

One Day as a Battery Researcher

How do lithium-ion batteries operate? And what are the contributions of MEET and HI MS to improve the performance, safety and sustainability of energy storage systems? MEET scientist Dr Rebekka Tien provided the female school students insights into the world of batteries. In order to immediately transfer the newly acquired knowledge into practice, they then proceeded to the state-of-the-art laboratories.

In the dry room, the young investigators built coin cells together with HI MS researcher Annalena Krude. The girls were introduced to an important component of the battery, the electrolyte, by MEET technician Sabrina Girod. She showed how electrolyte formulations can be produced fully automatically. In addition, HI MS scientist Susanna Krämer worked with the female school students in the fume hood and showed them how a Swagelok^® cell is built.

Afterwards, they took a look inside the battery with Dr Marina Muñoz Castro. Using a scanning electron microscope, they examined battery cell samples. The scientists and technicians not only provided insights into their work, but also into their personal career pathways.

The next nationwide career orientation day Girls' Day is planned for 25 April 2024. Further information about the offers of MEET Battery Research Center for school students can be found here.