A new review identifies dry processing as the most promising technology for next-gen battery manufacturing.
Researchers from the US Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory have published a comprehensive review of advanced electrode manufacturing techniques. Advanced battery electrode processing technologies are under development and promise to cut energy use by more than half.
The study, a collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Case Western Reserve University, highlights that dry processing of electrodes is the most promising technology for near-term commercialization. While co-author Jianlin Li, an Argonne program manager, notes that different companies may prefer different technologies, he stated that dry processing currently has the fewest remaining technical barriers to large-scale adoption.Eliminating the use of NMPThe need for new methods stems from the limitations of the current standard, conventional wet processing. “Conventional wet electrode processing involves mixing a conductive material, an electrochemically active material, and a binding agent in a solvent to form a slurry,” said the researchers in a press release.This mixture is then coated onto metal foil and dried in large, energy-intensive ovens. “The drying process removes the solvent and forms a solid electrode. Finally, a calendering machine uses rollers to compress the electrode into its final form. Ultimately, the electrode is assembled in a battery,” noted the press release.The necessity of safely recovering the NMP solvent adds significant equipment and operational costs to the process.“Eliminating the use of NMP can significantly reduce energy and material costs as well as the footprint of manufacturing equipment,” added the researchers.Alternatives to conventional methodDry processing, the leading contender, eliminates solvents and drying ovens by compressing a mixed powder of battery materials directly into an electrode film. This can reduce manufacturing costs by 11% and energy use by 46%, though it requires more research into binder stability. Another method, advanced wet processing, simply replaces the NMP solvent with water, which can cut energy costs by 25% but still requires the oven-drying step. A more radical approach is radiation curing, which uses light or electron beams to solidify a special slurry rapidly. It shows promise for cutting energy costs by up to 65% and factory space by 85%, but the long-term stability of the materials needs further study. Finally, 3D printing offers the ability to create highly customized electrodes with minimal waste, making it ideal for niche applications. Still, its slow speed and high cost are barriers to mass production.Promise of reduce manufacturing costs“These advanced technologies show great promise to reduce manufacturing costs, which can help lower the prices of grid energy storage and batteries for mobility applications,” concluded Runming Tao, Argonne postdoctoral appointee and the review’s lead author. “Our study provides a complete, objective view of the state of the art for battery electrode processing.”Researchers worldwide are working on improving the design and efficiency of battery electrodes. In a recent development, a team at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research has discovered that utilizing metal fleeces as contact material in battery electrodes can dramatically accelerate charge transport and enable the construction of electrodes up to ten times thicker than current standards.
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