Proper preparation of active materials is the basis for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. You need your particles to have the right size and shape and your slurry’s physical and chemical properties must be optimized for downstream processing. Our Cenomic and MicroMedia Invicta excel at this process.

The conversion of the precursors into the final electrode active material involves a calcination process at elevated temperatures. The active matieral is responsible for the electrochemical storage of the Li ions in the electrode and crucially determines the energy density of the battery cell.

The preparation of your electrode slurries is a crucial process step. The dry and wet components need to be dosed accurately and mixed carefully to achieve the required homogeneity at macroscopic and microscopic level.

The electrode coating process starts with the wet deposition of the electrode slurry on aluminium and copper foils, typically by slot die coating, followed by drying of the wet layer. Subsequently the layers are calandered to adjust the porosity and therefore, optimized the electrochemical performance of the electrode. Last, depending on the cell format the electrodes are slitted into the required format.

During cell assembly, the negative and positive electrode are are assembled together with the separator in cylindrical, prismatic or pouch format. Subsequently, the electrolyte is filled which guarantees the movement of the Li ions between the two electrodes.

After assembly, all cells have to go through at least one precisely controlled charge / discharge cycle to activate the active materials. As a basis of the energy storage device, the battery cell has a direct impact on the quality of the battery modules and packs. Therefore, the electrochemical behavior of the cell is tested before it leaves the factory.