The new manufacturing technologies such as high-efficiency mixing, solvent-free deposition, and fast formation could be the key to achieve this target. Besides the upgrading of battery materials, the potential of increasing the energy density from the manufacturing end starts to make an impact.
All in all, modern battery manufacturing processes should emphasize in pursuing the following goals: – Accelerate the development of new cell designs in terms of performance, efficiency, and sustainability.
Figure 1 introduces the current state-of-the-art battery manufacturing process, which includes three major parts: electrode preparation, cell assembly, and battery electrochemistry activation. First, the active material (AM), conductive additive, and binder are mixed to form a uniform slurry with the solvent.
Although the invention of new battery materials leads to a significant decrease in the battery cost, the US DOE ultimate target of $80/kWh is still a challenge (U.S. Department Of Energy, 2020). The new manufacturing technologies such as high-efficiency mixing, solvent-free deposition, and fast formation could be the key to achieve this target.
Many studies have focused on optimizing various aspects of the battery production process, such as electrode coating thickness, drying conditions, and solvent usage, to improve the performance and reliability of batteries while reducing their environmental impact [46, 47].
These should have more energy and performance, and be manufactured on a sustainable material basis. They should also be safer and more cost-effective and should already consider end-of-life aspects and recycling in the design. Therefore, it is necessary to accelerate the further development of new and improved battery chemistries and cells.