Advanced Battery Manufacturing Techniques for Safe, High Performance, Low Cost Li-Ion Batteries

Xerion XABC (Xerion Advanced Battery Corp) has developed a novel battery material synthesis technique termed DirectPlate™. This technique solubilizes chemical precursors in a molten eutectic and then plates them onto a wide variety of substrates as a high-quality battery material, creating a finished electrode at the same time. This process entirely replaces solid state synthesis, the traditional technique. It also eliminates the need to calendar, mill, cast, recover N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and otherwise process a battery material into an electrode—all non-value-added steps associated with traditional electrode synthesis. Furthermore, DirectPlate™ eliminates the need to use slurry additives like carbon black and binder as the synthesis process grows the battery material on the substrate forming a covalently bonded film which offers enhanced durability when compared against a traditional electrode. All of this results in an electrode with up to 20% higher energy (cathode basis), while improving cell ruggedness (and potentially ballistic survivability) all while reducing costs (>35% on a raw materials basis).         In this proposal, XABC seeks to increase the technology readiness level of DirectPlate™ technology (TRL) from 6 to 7, and then 8 with follow on demonstrations that would occur outside of the scope of this effort. Initial production runs will focus on synthesis of Lithium Cobalt Oxide (LCO). However, we will also explore and demonstrate the applicability of high voltage coatings to DirectPlate™, which would result in high voltage cells compatible with the energy and charging standards of the consumer electronics market. Additionally, we seek to explore and demonstrate the compatibility of DirectPlate™ with nickel rich chemistries such as Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC), which is a standard in the automotive market.         To increase the TRL of DirectPlate™, we are focusing on the development of a continuous production system with real time stoichiometric monitoring and replenishment. Such control systems are critical for creating large tapes with uniform properties, and large tapes with uniform properties are critical for producing large deliverable orders.