Control valve assemblies, such as these gray actuators attached to valve bodies at the top of a battery slurry mixer, are foundational to the EV battery manufacturing process. (Image: Festo) optimized for the role each conductor plays in providing an electric charge and then recharge. The components of EV battery slurry are: * active materials that react to lithium ions * conductive additives that facilitate electron conductivity * a binding agent that combines the active and conductive materials into a networked agglomeration. The composition of the slurry and its manufacture are the secret sauce for every battery manufacturer as slurry determines the overall performance of the cathode and anode conductors. Each slurry formulation is proprietary to the battery manufacturer. Many scientific papers have been written on the materials science of battery slurry composition and processing, and countless Battery & Electrification Technology, May/June 2024 From left to right, control valve assemblies are mounted on the side of a mixer. Notice the smaller diameter piping compared to the top of the mixer. Smaller diameter pipes are ideal for ball valves, rather than butterfly valves, and also smaller actuators. Shown here are Festo VZBA ball valves, DFPD quarter turn actuators, and SRBF sensor boxes. (Image: Festo) suppliers are involved in developing optimized processing and film applying solutions. Consistency and repeatability batch after batch requires the utmost in materials science and process control. Battery slurry 13