AI Artificial Intelligence Helps in the Search for Material Alternatives

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Fraunhofer-Institut für Produktionstechnik und Automatisierung IPA

Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders' Association (TMBA)

Cobalt is used in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. However, the silvery-gray metal is considered a critical raw material for several reasons: cobalt is rare. A research team at Fraunhofer IPA supports the search for an alternative. They have developed an AI-supported tool for material substitution.

Cobalt accounts for only 0.004 percent of the Earth's crust. The world's known cobalt reserves are estimated at 1.102 US short tons. More than half of these, about four million tons, are located in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The working conditions in the mines of the unstable Central African country are often poor, and the environmental damage from ore mining is significant.

Whether due to a lack of supply security, excessively high prices on the world market, ethical concerns, bans, or product innovations with better material properties: there are many reasons for companies to look for alternative materials. "There are databases that product developers can use for research. However, they often do not deliver useful results because they don't take into account the specific application case in the company," says Charlotte Schmidt from the research team Sustainability and Material Compliance Management at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA.

AI Scans Scientific Publications

To facilitate the search and achieve more suitable results, Schmidt, along with two colleagues, developed an AI-supported tool for material substitution. Through an input mask, users must first specify details about the material or raw material they wish to replace and then list the required properties of the alternative material as well as context information about its desired use. This is followed by an AI-driven search that explores the "Semantic Scholar" database based on the specific data and user requirements. By matching user inputs with the information available in the database, the AI identifies suitable alternative materials.

The AI connection for material substitution is just one of several components the researchers use to support companies in their search for alternative raw materials, substances, or chemicals. After the AI completes its task, they subject the proposed substitutes and the original materials to a comprehensive evaluation, considering legal, ecological, and social aspects as well as supply security. In close collaboration with the respective company, the researchers then examine how precisely the proposed materials meet the specific requirements. At the end of the process, a report is produced. This report presents the most suitable substitutes and evaluates the various criteria. This provides companies with a well-founded basis for decision-making.

Initial Tests Show: AI Integration is Promising

As an alternative to cobalt, the AI-supported material substitution tool suggests, among other options, iron. "It is not a new insight that lithium iron phosphate can be used for battery cathodes instead of lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide," says Schmidt. "But this and other results have shown us that the AI connection is promising in the search for alternative materials."

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