Technology

AM Batteries is developing a solvent free electrode manufacturing technology for Li-ion batteries and beyond. In this technology, the dry mixed powder will be directly coated onto the current collectors. This process does not use any solvents which therefore eliminates all problems caused by solvents.

Compared to the current state-of-the-art (slurry casting) method adopted widely in the battery industry, AM Batteries offers:

1. Substantial CAPEX savings due to lower equipment cost
2. Major yearly OPEX savings from solvent extraction step
3. Removal of toxic NMP solvent
4. Reduction in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, with additional savings from CO₂ taxes in the future
5. Major savings on the space required (rent savings or better factory utility) from the removal of long baking ovens in the drying step
6. Potentially higher energy density batteries

If you’d like to learn about why dry electrode coating technology is better, please refer to Mr. Elon Musk’s presentation on Tesla Battery Day from 51 minutes 50 seconds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6T9xIeZTds&t=3108s

The technology has been co-developed and optimized by Prof. Wang and Prof. Pan. Please refer to the references below for our early work from the team:

• Solvent-Free Manufacturing of Electrodes for Lithium-ion Batteries
• Strengthening the Electrodes for Li-Ion Batteries with a Porous Adhesive Interlayer through Dry-Spraying Manufacturing
• Understanding Interfacial-Energy-Driven Dry Powder Mixing for Solvent-Free Additive Manufacturing of Li-Ion Battery Electrodes
• Scalable Dry Printing Manufacturing to Enable Long-Life and High Energy Lithium-Ion Batteries
• Simulation of Micro/Nanopowder Mixing Characteristics for Dry Spray Additive Manufacturing of Li-Ion Battery Electrodes