Overview
Electrodes constitute core elements of each lithium-ion battery cell. They determine the performance parameters and the manufacturing costs of the cell, and thus the driving range of electric vehicles equipped with it. Different electrode materials are tested to further improve battery performance, but often a trade-off between energy density, charging speed, durability and costs has to be made.
The SurfaLIB project is investigating surface modifications of substrate films and active material layers in electrodes with the aim of improving performance parameters and reducing the manufacturing costs of lithium-ion cells. The thickness of the active material layer of the electrodes is a particularly important setting lever. However, electrodes with high active material loading are currently still associated with major challenges in production and use. To overcome these issues, an essential goal in SurfaLIB is the production of thick film electrodes on modified collector foils.
The methods are first examined in detail on a laboratory scale, then transferred to the pilot lines of the participating research institutes and then finally validated. Both, for the treatment of substrate foils and for the modification of the electrode coating, well-founded process combinations are carried out and improved test cells' properties are quantified by the synthesis of surface modifications.