Tech Briefs Magazine - November 2023 - 35

The batteries made using the dry process
showed a " superb " ability to maintain
their capacity after extended use, according
to results reported in Chemical
Engineering Journal. They are " highly
chemically desirable " because their structure
allows lithium ions to take a more
direct path between the anode and cathode,
researchers found. The electrodes
are thicker to allow higher energy loading
while reducing inactive ingredients
that increase size and weight.
" There are more active materials in the
electrode, " Tao said. " And even after cycling,
it will have few cracks. " These two
advantages reflect a high energy density
and good long-term cyclability. The electrode
can bend and flex well, demonstrating
excellent mechanical strength and the
winding capability needed for mass production
of batteries.
The dry process could offer a variety of
benefits to manufacturers and the U.S. supply
chain: It's highly compatible with current
state-of-the-art electrode manufacturing
equipment, while its reduced
environmental impact makes battery plants
suitable in more places.
" When you're looking at the gigascale
factories, you're looking at billions of dollars
in order to scale batteries up, " said Bryan
Steinhoff, technical lead and lead researcher
on the project for Navitas. " Dry
processing can eliminate the coating and
solvent equipment currently necessary for
large-scale battery production. If you can
use a dry process instead, you can reduce
your footprint by up to 40 or 50 percent,
saving hundreds of millions of dollars and
starting to enable the creation of an infrastructure
to replace one that is largely dependent
on Asia at the moment. "
The next step in the research is stabilizing
the material that attaches the anode
components to a thin metal current collector.
" A main goal for this project is to develop
or identify a better binder for the dry
process, because the current binder is not
very stable for the anode environment, " Li
said. The team is also working on reducing
the amount of carbon black, a material that
maintains battery conductivity but detracts
from its energy density.
ORNL and Navitas researchers continue
to refine the process to improve electrochemical
performance. The goal is to balance
the benefits and drawbacks of the
thicker electrode: It has the potential for
higher energy loading and is easy to roll,
but it may provide less power, since the ions
have further to travel.
For more information, contact Heather
Duncan at duncansh@ornl.gov; 865-3412157.
ORNL
researchers found that a battery anode
film, made by Navitas Systems using a dry process,
was strong and flexible. These characteristics
make a lithium-ion battery safer and more
durable. (Image: Navitas Systems)
Tech Briefs, November 2023
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Tech Briefs Magazine - November 2023

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