The intrinsic performance ability of well-designed, high performing battery materials often cannot be utilized on cell level due to production-related losses. Thus, electrode and cell production steps have to be carried out wisely with a lot of process knowledge. Additionally, sophisticated process optimizations allow for significant manufacturing cost reductions. The presented work discloses the impact of slurry processing via continuous extrusion with lowered solvent content on battery manufacturing cost. A cost-oriented production model allows for comprehensive suggestions for cost reduction in mass production of large-sized battery cells

Due to global warming and the rise of the CO 2 emissions electric mobility is in the focus. In this case costs for li-ion batteries and especially the material costs are the main cost drivers for electric vehicles. The aim of this paper is to develop a material cost model which can evaluate cell chemistry alternatives for li-ion battery anodes and cathodes. A focus is set on innovative cell chemistries which currently are not using in mass production. The presented model is based on bottom-up approach which can calculate costs and cell performance together to determine the ratio of material cost and energy. The general results are complemented with a case study that assesses that active material with a high specific energy can help reducing the material costs and improves cell performance parameters.

Having a closer look at the details, recycling of scraps from the production of lithium-ion batteries is different from recycling of spent batteries. On the one hand it is less dangerous on the other hand pristine electrodes retain the original non-aged quality and thus the separation process is more difficult. Two different separation mechanisms, one mechanical and one based on the solvent N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, are examined in this work. The resulting separated coatings are directly re-applied on new electrodes and electrochemically characterized in full cells.

One of several challenges in improving the performance of lithium-ion batteries is the enhancement of energy density. Apart from the development of ever better active materials, considerable potential for improvement can be found in the complex manufacturing process. The manufacturing of lithium-ion battery cells exhibits a long, mostly sequential process chain with numerous interdependent parameters and quality-determining characteristics. Among slurry mixing and coating, calendering is the most challenging process step and considered of superior importance to the quality of the electrode. Calendering refers to compressing the porous coating layers of the electrode to a predetermined thickness. To obtain the desired energy density and to prepare a homogeneous electrode thickness it is necessary to densify the coating of the electrodes. In this, more electrochemically active material can be accommodated in every unit of electrode volume. In essence, this defines the potential energy density of the cell. As for high-energy battery cells energy density is one of the most important optimization criteria to achieve ambitious requirements for automotive applications calendering is of crucial importance. However, compression of the electrode is not merely beneficial to the overall performance of the cell. It is a trade-off between achieving high energy density and, on the contrary, damaging the electrode’s structure by applying high mechanical forces. An effect rarely taken into account is mechanical strain induced to the electrode’s metal foil underlying the coating, which can lead to serious issues in manufacturing and malfunction of the battery cell. This paper addresses macroscopic changes in electrode’s metal foils resulting from intense calendering procedures of high-energy NMC cathodes. Figure 1 exemplarily depicts an area-resolved longitudinal strain map showing irreversible deformation from calendering. The left green section reflects an uncoated edge of the electrode which is not deformed during calendering. The coated section of the specimen is deformed significantly. The data is derived from before/after comparison of the electrode’s surface, conducted with a non-contact optical 3D deformation measuring system. To minimize undesired strain inducement, multi-calendering strategies are assessed which gently apply loads and at the same time still provide for highly compressed electrodes.