Meet our Partners: Fraunhofer IWM

The CILANTRO project relies on a wide range of scientific disciplines, from laboratory chemistry to advanced computer engineering. Today, we are featuring our partner from Freiburg, Germany: the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM.

Fraunhofer IWM is a leading research and development partner that focuses on the reliability, safety, and functionality of materials. Within our project, their role is to provide a “digital lens” into the microscopic world of cement chemistry.

The Role: Simulating Science at the Atomic Scale

While some partners work with physical materials in the lab, the Multiscale Modelling and Tribosimulation group at Fraunhofer IWM uses advanced computer simulations.

Their work is essential because many of the chemical reactions triggered by our milling process happen at an “atomic scale” that is difficult to detect with traditional experiments. By using computational models, the team can:

• Identify the most efficient chemical pathways for producing low-CO₂ cement.

• Understand how hydrogen interacts with materials during the mechanochemical process.

• Provide a digital guide for the laboratory teams to help them optimise their physical experiments.

The Team Behind the Science

The Fraunhofer IWM contribution is led by experts in computational physics and quantum chemistry:

• Dr Gianpietro Moras: Group Manager of “Multiscale Modelling and Tribosimulation”.

• Dr Leonhard Mayrhofer: Team Manager of “Quantum Chemistry of Functional Interfaces”.

By bridging the gap between how materials behave in a machine and what is happening at the level of individual electrons and atoms, this team ensures that our research is based on a deep, fundamental understanding of the science.

A Cross-Disciplinary Approach

The institute’s core ambition is to show how traditional industries, such as cement production, can be modernised by connecting different fields of expertise – including surface chemistry, catalysis, and artificial intelligence.

“CILANTRO represents an opportunity to apply our computational expertise to a new and critical field. This project demonstrates how cross-disciplinary innovation allows us to apply proven methodologies from one area of science to help reimagine another, supporting the transition toward more sustainable industrial processes.” — The Fraunhofer IWM Team

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.