Lithium-ion battery production is growing fast, largely because of rising demand for energy storage and electric vehicles. As things scale up, there’s a real need to make electrode manufacturing both cost-effective and environmentally responsible.
Right now, around 10 % of the carbon emissions linked to battery production come from electrode coating and drying alone.
Traditionally, coating electrode foils involves using a slurry that’s made up of about 45 % solvent. One of the main solvents used in cathode production is NMP (N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone), which is hazardous and has to be carefully recovered and reused after processing.
A big chunk of energy use, roughly 45 % of the total in battery manufacturing, comes from drying these slurries and recovering the solvent once it’s been applied to the current collector foil. On top of that, the drying equipment can be huge, sometimes stretching up to 80 meters, which takes up a lot of valuable factory space.
Because of these challenges, researchers have been looking into new ways to make electrodes with little to no solvent.
One approach that’s gaining real traction is continuous twin-screw compounding. It offers a more energy-efficient and cost-effective alternative, helping to cut down on solvent use while still mixing the materials thoroughly. Another benefit is the flexibility in how the screws can be configured, which gives more control over the electrode structure and can ultimately improve battery performance.
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This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Thermo Fisher Scientific – Materials & Structural Analysis.
For more information on this source, please visit Thermo Fisher Scientific – Materials & Structural Analysis.