Powder technology for battery cell manufacturing

The industrial scaling of new production processes for battery components is crucial for bringing innovative battery technologies into use. However, high-performance materials alone are not enough: they must also be processed using scalable, efficient, and sustainable manufacturing routes.

This is precisely where Fraunhofer IFAM’s research comes in: Using innovative powder technologies and solvent-free electrode processes, the institute is developing new approaches to battery cell manufacturing and examining their implementation all the way through to industrial production.

These developments are not only relevant for existing companies such as materials manufacturers, machinery and equipment manufacturers, or battery cell manufacturers. Rather, Fraunhofer IFAM also supports companies that have so far only covered specific areas of battery manufacturing or wish to enter the field of battery cell manufacturing for the very first time.

Reducing high energy costs and complex production lines – through dry processing and dry coating

In the conventional solvent-based production of battery electrodes, active materials, binders, and other components are first dispersed in solvents. The slurry is then applied to current collector foils. This wet coating process requires subsequent drying and solvent recovery, resulting in high energy consumption, complex equipment, and correspondingly high costs.

Dry processing – which includes methods such as dry mixing and dry coating take a different approach: The materials are processed as powders and directly formed into electrodes without the use of liquid solvents. It eliminates the need for energy-intensive drying steps and solvent recovery.

This provides significant opportunities for companies:

• Reduced energy consumption by eliminating drying processes
• Simplified production lines and reduced space requirements
• Lower investment and operating costs
• Development of new material concepts and battery technologies (e.g. for lithium-ion, sodium-ion and solid-state-batteries)
• Elimination of the use of toxic solvents

From PFAS-free binders to process stability – addressing key challenges in dry electrode manufacturings

The transition to dry electrode manufacturing involves much more than simply eliminating solvents. Materials, equipment, and process control must be coordinated to produce high-performance, reproducible electrodes.

Key challenges include:

• The consistent distribution of all powder components
• Ensuring the mechanical stability of the electrodes
• Optimizing the binder content to balance stability and cell performance
• Translating new material concepts into robust production processes

At Fraunhofer IFAM, we consider the entire process chain – from powder characterization and the production of dry electrode mixtures to cell testing – and investigate and compare new materials and processes in a practical setting and scale them up to the kilogram range.

These include:

• The development and evaluation of PFAS-free binders as an alternative to PTFE-based systems; the optimization of powder preparation and mixing processes
• Ensuring reproducible product properties
• The scaling up of solvent-free manufacturing processes

This provides companies with reliable data to support technological decisions and investments in future production lines.

The right mixing and plant technology – manufacturer-neutral and data-driven

The selection of suitable mixing and processing technologies has a decisive impact on product quality, process stability, and cost-effectiveness. At the same time, companies face the challenge of selecting the right solution from a wide range of available technologies.

Fraunhofer IFAM has an extensive portfolio of mixing and processing technologies that can be tested and compared with one another at the Application Center for Powder Technology, independent of any specific manufacturer. These include:

• Batch mixing processes such as tumble mixers, high-intensity mixers, and kneading mixers
• Continuous mixing processes using compounders and extruders

By combining in-process data acquisition, powder characterization, and electrode and cell analysis, correlations between material properties, process parameters, and subsequent cell performance can be systematically investigated.

Tests and analyses can be conducted for various battery systems, including lithium-ion, sodium-ion, zinc-ion, and solid-state batteries. Of particular note are the capabilities for processing hard materials such as NCM-containing cathode active materials and moisture-sensitive sulfide-based solid electrolytes.

Evaluate new battery technologies more rapidly and thoroughly

Today, companies face the challenge of evaluating future materials, processes, and equipment at an early stage and minimizing technological risks. At the same time, demands for sustainability, energy efficiency, and scalability are increasing.

Fraunhofer IFAM helps companies conduct well-founded evaluations of new manufacturing concepts and reduce development risks. From material selection and the production of dry electrode mixtures to process-oriented testing, we combine expertise in powder technology, materials development, energy storage, and process engineering.

This enables new battery materials and innovative manufacturing processes to be transferred to industrial applications more quickly, more cost-effectively, and with lower development risk.

At a glance – our offer includes:

• Material screening for active materials for anodes and cathodes, binder materials
• Process development
• Comparison of mixing techniques for batch and continuous systems
• Dry coating feasibility studies
• Scaling tests on a kilogram scale
• Electrode and cell characterization
• Evaluation of PFAS-free binder concepts
• Support for plant and technology decisions