Many promising energy conversion and storage processes operate at elevated temperatures - ranging from several hundred degrees Celsius to over 1000°C. Similarly, the production and recycling of energy materials often require such high-temperature conditions. Under these circumstances, the thermochemical and thermophysical properties of the materials, together with their interactions with surrounding media, play a critical role in defining key process parameters.

Our research focuses on inorganic components such as ashes from biogenic fuels, ceramic and metallic functional and structural materials, as well as salts for thermal energy storage.

Integration of fundamental studies with practical applications is of great importance to us: On one hand, we investigate and model thermochemical and thermophysical properties (e.g. phase equilibria, thermodynamic data, vapor pressure, viscosity, and surface tension) of relevant systems, providing the results in accessible databases (Calphad). For the reliable determination of material data, we use complementary experimental methods like Knudsen-Effusion Mass Spectrometry (KEMS), Molecular Beam Mass Spectrometry (MBMS), several types of thermal analysis, and calorimetry, which is unique especially in its combination. On the other hand, we study the behavior of materials and media under process-relevant conditions, focusing on stability, evaporation, slagging, and interactions like corrosion and sorption. These efforts are supported by in-house models and databases, enabling a knowledge-based selection of suitable materials and process parameters.