Most lithium-ion batteries today use a semi-liquid paste as the electrolyte that transports electrons back and forth between the anode and cathode. This enables battery manufacturers to produce millions of cells reliably and quickly.
The problem with conventional batteries is that the semi-liquid electrolyte can catch fire if it overheats. One of the reasons they overheat is that dendrites—dendritic metallic lithium that forms when lithium ions are reduced—short-circuit the battery internally, causing overheating.
Solid-state batteries use something other than a flammable paste to separate the anode and cathode. Therefore, they can have higher energy density and longer service life. They virtually eliminate dendrite formation and are generally less expensive to manufacture.
So why aren't solid-state batteries used today? Because this is new technology. Researchers are always on the lookout for new and better solid materials that are flexible enough that battery manufacturers need to adapt their production processes to new technologies. The dawn of the solid-state era is coming.
According to Electrive, Samsung SDI has begun building a pilot production line for solid-state batteries. The S-Line at the company's R&D center in Suwon will test cathode and solid electrolyte systems while experimenting with new production processes necessary to make solid-state batteries.
Samsung SDI said the 6,500-square-meter S-Line is expected to achieve "market-leading research results and production technology for solid-state batteries." The battery is capable of powering an electric vehicle for 800 kilometers (500 miles) with 1,000 charge cycles.
Samsung SDI CEO Yoon-HoChoi told the media this week that the new S-line will make Samsung SDI the world's No. 1 battery maker.
Silicon Valley startup Sakuu announced this week that it has successfully produced the first-generation solid-state lithium metal battery with an energy density of 800Wh/L. Most lithium-ion batteries produced today have energy densities between 500 and 700 Wh/L. That's good news, but what's really exciting is that the company says it has developed a new 3D printing manufacturing process that it says will produce solid-state 1,200Wh/L solid-state densities at low cost by the end of next year. Battery.
“The advent of safe, sustainable and high-performance solid-state batteries made with new 3D printing methods can solve critical supply chain and safety issues while going beyond the limitations of today’s lithium-ion batteries,” said Robert Bagheri, founder and CEO of Sakuu. "We are on track to develop the kind of solid-state battery that could be called the Holy Grail by 2023."
Sakuu's first-generation non-printed battery completed its latest benchmarks a few weeks ago, and it's closer than ever to mass production. In addition to the performance of 800Wh/L, it still maintains 97% energy density after 200 cycles while remaining dendrite-free. Once testing is complete, an 80% retention rate is expected to be recorded at 800 cycles.
The company's second-generation solid-state batteries will be 100 percent 3D-printed, with sample battery deliveries starting in early 2023. Once approved for production, it will rapidly produce high-volume cells at low cost. "We are creating a range of safe, customizable, low-cost and high-performance batteries and manufacturing them in a completely transformative and sustainable way to meet large-scale global demand," Bagheri said.
Sakuu says its pioneering 3D-printed solid-state batteries offer best-in-class performance and safety in a recyclable form. Its proprietary solid-state electrolyte and porous anode technology deliver superior energy density for maximum range and faster charging times. It believes its printing platform will lead to manufacturing innovations in many other fields, including aerospace and automotive, consumer electronics, the Internet of Things and medicine.
The promise of low-cost, high-energy, and non-flammable solid-state batteries is exciting. Lithium-iron batteries are all the rage today, especially because they don't require nickel, which has risen fivefold in price over the past year. Tesla believes that its new 4680 cells are five times larger than standard cells and promises higher energy density at a lower cost, and it has the future of batteries. But these marvels of innovation don't use lithium-iron chemistry, raising questions about whether Tesla was somehow at fault in the battery development process.
The point is -- the internal combustion engine that powers most of the world's vehicles today has been continuously improved for over a century.
Mass production of electric vehicle batteries is just over a decade old. They will change electric vehicles what DOHC and electronic ignition systems have changed petrol engines. We can only hope that the future will come sooner.
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