Resting on their laurels, however, is not in the DNA of Grinding & Dispersing. At the end of March 2023, the team hosted 50 guests from 27 companies and 13 countries to introduce and discuss a more sustainable means of battery production: dry battery electrode (DBE) technology. Currently, the components are mixed into a liquid paste that is put on a foil and dried – a process that is time- and energy-consuming, but also requires toxic solvents which cost money and impact the recycling of batteries.
The DBE technology, on the other hand, is based on the ability of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) to fibrillate under shear. A polymer fiber network is built up in which the electrode components are immobilized. A soft composite structure is discharged from the extruder and the flaky product can be pressed into an electrode layer and subsequently laminated to the current collector foil, yielding the final electrode structure.
This promising technology resonated well with the guests from academia, research institutions, and industries such as car manufacturers looking to ramp up their own battery production. “We had fantastic keynotes and discussions on DBE. This encourages us to continue our research in this technology and develop a path towards industrial production with our partners,” explains Hänsel as he heads back to the Battery Application Center to prepare the next trial. Given the pace in the race for independence and supremacy in battery production, it seems almost certain that he’ll be spending most of his time doing what he enjoys most: experimenting, collaborating, and discovering new ways to supercharge the green energy transition.