Development of new laser patterned chemical technology for battery manufacturing project to change electrode microstructure

The Dark Knights of Gotham City possess a series of impressive technological wonders, but the superhero scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory of the US Department of Energy possess their own cutting-edge capabilities.

A recent battery manufacturing project, affectionately known as Batman, has developed a novel laser patterned chemical process to alter the microstructure of battery electrode materials. This project brings together experts from NREL, Clarios, Amplitude Laser Group, and Limited Insights. This revolutionary manufacturing process can greatly improve electrified transportation and lead people towards a brighter and more sustainable future.

Bertrand Tremolet de Villers, project co leader and senior scientist of the NREL Thin Film and Manufacturing Science Group, stated that BatMan is built on NREL's expertise in using laser ablation, advanced computational models, and material characterization to address key challenges in battery manufacturing.

"This new high-throughput laser patterning process - demonstrated on a large scale through state-of-the-art roll to roll manufacturing technology - utilizes laser pulses to quickly and accurately modify and optimize electrode structures, providing a huge leap in battery capacity with minimal manufacturing costs."

According to the International Committee on Clean Transportation, electric vehicles have been identified as the most important technology for decarbonization in the transportation sector. However, it is estimated that by 2030, the sales of electric vehicles need to reach 35% of the global market in order to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

In addition, the US National Transportation decarbonization blueprint lists clean electric vehicles as an important component of our national strategy. The continuous advancement of battery technology can make electric vehicles charge faster and travel farther, thereby improving energy efficiency and accelerating customer adoption.

The secret to optimizing battery performance lies in the electrodes, which are positively and negatively charged conductors that generate current through the movement of ions. The material composition, thickness, and structural design of electrodes can affect battery capacity, voltage, and charging speed.

For example, changing the electrode thickness from 50 μ Increase m to 100 μ m. It can increase the energy density of the battery by about 16%. However, this increase in thickness makes it more difficult to quickly charge batteries without causing long-term damage to lithium plating, thereby shortening battery life.

The thicker battery electrodes have also brought new concerns to battery manufacturers. After assembling the battery unit, the manufacturer begins the wetting process by injecting liquid electrolyte into the battery to promote the flow of ions between the electrodes.

Imagine the electrode as a dry sponge; During the wetting process, the liquid electrolyte must uniformly diffuse and absorb onto the solid surface. Insufficient wetting can hinder ion transport, leading to slower charging and discharging rates, reduced energy density, and decreased battery efficiency. However, wetting is both expensive and time-consuming, and the larger surface area of thicker electrodes may increase the complexity of the process.

The electric vehicle industry needs a breakthrough battery design that combines thicker electrodes and extremely fast charging advantages without increasing manufacturing costs. The Batman research team is responding to this call by optimizing electrode structures and simplifying battery production processes.

Source: Laser Net