As part of the federally funded ProLiT research project, German company “IBU-tec advanced materials” and partners from industry and research have developed an industrial process for dry coating lithium-ion cathodes. Unlike the widely used wet coating process, the new method does not require organic solvents. This eliminates the need for energy-intensive drying and the recovery or disposal of solvents. Project managers expect this process to provide ecological and economic benefits.
Scaling of the process is next
Production is based on a dry powder mixture of active material, conductive additive, and thermoplastic binder. The mixture is applied to aluminum foil without liquid additives and fixed thermomechanically by calender rollers. Homogeneous distribution of the components with a binder content of five percent or less is crucial for process stability. The project goal is to competitively scale the process.
Better carbon footprint, lower costs
Within the scope of the project, both LFP and NMC cathodes were processed using PTFE-containing and calender-gap-based methods. Despite the necessary multi-stage compaction, the process is considered transferable to an industrial setting. The project includes a plant concept with an annual capacity of one gigawatt-hour. According to the research team, these results can be applied to large-scale environments, such as gigafactories with a capacity of ten gigawatt-hours. Compared to wet coating, significant energy savings are possible, which can contribute to an improved carbon footprint and lower production costs.
Source:
https://www.ibu-volt.de/news/news-beitrag/innovative-sustainable-dry-coating/
