Dear Reader,
the #LCBAT12019 Cluster is happy to welcome you to a special release of our joint newsletter, covering the highlights of the INNOVATION & NETWORKING DAYS ON ALL-SOLID-STATE BATTERY TECHNOLOGIES which were held on the 27th and 28th of September 2023 in Grenoble (France) at the facilities of Minatec.
No need for despair for everyone who missed this unique opportunity to get insights into the projects funded by the LC-BAT-1-2019 call: ASTRABAT, SAFELiMOVE, SOLiDIFY, and SUBLIME. You can still find the most relevant information and recordings of the event under the following links:
In the following we will summarize the highlights of the event and give you an overview of the discussed topics and key outcomes.
Enjoy your reading!
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Catch up on the sessions of the Innovation & Networking days you may have missed.
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Simon Perraud emphasizes collaboration within Horizon Europe and highlights partnerships with other organizations, encouraging participation in BEPA, an association managing various working groups, as it offers networking opportunities with colleagues from different research centers and industries formed by over 200 members from 25 countries, including industry and research stakeholders.
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Kristina Edstroem, a distinguished professor in inorganic chemistry at Uppsala University, leads the Edstroem Advanced Battery Center and spearheads the Battery 2030+ initiative. Her keynote speech delves into the collaborative efforts of various European battery research projects. This initiative aims to guide and innovate battery research, addressing challenges in the field, such as solid-state batteries, clustering, and avoiding repeated mistakes. The goal is accelerating research, fostering breakthrough technologies, and establishing European leadership in the battery domain
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Yannick Molméret discusses VERKOR´s goals in becoming a major player in the European battery market, its technological advancements, partnerships, educational initiatives, and strategies to compete with established players in the battery industry, especially in Asia. VERKOR plans to build a plant with a substantial battery capacity in northern France, aiming for high-performance batteries with low carbon footprints.
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María Martinez Ibañez, representing the SAFELIMOVE project from CIC EnergiGUNE, gives a brief introduction to the LCBAT12019 Cluster, presenting and discussing four projects, with coordinators sharing the latest results and addressing questions from the general cluster.
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Sophie Mailley presents the ASTRABAT project, focusing on developing reliable batteries for 2025. The project involves a consortium covering the entire solid-state battery development value chain, including manufacturers like Nanomakers, Umicore, Daikin, Leclanche, Yunesco, Elaphe, Fraunhofer ISC, and Stellantis.
Highlights:
- Safety Enhancement: Polymer electrolytes and reinforced membrane structures, incorporating ceramic conductors like LLZO, contribute to improved safety measures.
- Manufacturing Compatibility: ASTRABAT emphasizes large-scale manufacturing compatibility, highlighting silicon and NMC powder integration developments and pilot-scale electrode manufacturing.
- Prototype Validation: The project successfully validates the manufacturing process on a pilot scale, ensuring reproducibility and controlled material thickness.
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Maria Martinez Ibañez introduces SAFELiMOVE, a project focused on advanced all-state safe lithium metal technology for vehicle electrification. The project involves 15 partners from seven countries, aiming to achieve high energy density of 450 Wh/kg and 1,200 Wh/L.
Highlights:
- Four Main Pillars: The project focuses on materials innovation, interface optimization, strengthening the manufacturing value chain, and envisioning the future market, including cost modeling, sustainability, recycling, and a roadmap toward 2030.
- Generation Progression: SAFELiMOVE progresses through material generations, testing, and improvements. The second generation of 1 Ah cells demonstrates a 15-20% increase in capacity and achieves higher energy density, emphasizing stable interfaces.
- Scaling Up Technology: Challenges in manufacturing solid-state electrodes and hybrid electrolytes highlight the need for processable materials for scaling up in pilot plants.
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Amelia Langley presents the SOLiDIFY project, which focuses on liquid-processed solid-state lithium metal batteries and aims for manufacturable materials and processes. The project involves a Consortium of 14 Partners across Europe, covering the entire battery value chain.
Highlights:
- Cell Components: The SOLiDIFY cell includes a protected lithium anode, Nano solid composite electrolytes (NSCE), NMC811 cathode, Nano-coatings, and 3D structures for enhanced anode surface area.
- Material Innovations: High ionic conductivity NSCE, 3D structures for increased anode surface area, and composite cathodes with Nano coatings contribute to material innovations.
- Prototype Performance: Preliminary results show SOLiDIFY prototypes achieving over 450 Wh/L, with ongoing work addressing solid electrolyte mechanical stability challenges.
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Arash Payandeh presents the Sublime project, emphasizing its focus on solid-state batteries with a sulfide-based solid electrolyte. The challenges and progress in developing lithium anodes with sulfide electrolytes are discussed, along with a three-step process: material synthesis and testing, upscaling materials, and fabricating multi-layer pouch cells.
Highlights:
- Upscaling Activities include free-standing electrolyte layers, cathode electrode fabrication, and new coatings for lithium anodes. First-generation cells use indium anodes; the next generation aims to incorporate lithium anodes.
- Model Development: P2D and P4D models developed at a coin cell level help fit experimental data, discussed in upcoming sessions. The recycling process attains around 90% efficiency, meeting EU (European Union) requirements.
- Stacking Pressure Impact: High stacking pressure (20-40 MPa) for all solid-state batteries is noted. Consideration of pack-level impact, where lower pressure cells can lose 12% energy density, is emphasized.
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Artur Tron (AIT, SUBLIME) focused on sulfide electrolytes for all-solid-state batteries, particularly addressing dry and wet chemical processing methods for pouch cell integration. The presentation covered the project's partners, objectives, challenges faced, approaches undertaken, and ongoing research efforts
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Timo Brändel (Daikin Chemical Europe, ASTRABAT) showed results on polymer electrolyte development within the project. He emphasized the challenges of enhancing conductivity and stability while discussing the innovative solutions devised to overcome these obstacles.
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Corsin Battaglia (EMPA, SOLIDIFY) shared insights from a collaborative study within the SOLIDIFY project coordinated by IMEC. Their research, stemming from a joint publication with SOLVIONIC, delves into enhancing 4-volt batteries through an electrolyte derived from a polymerized ionic liquid. This electrolyte demonstrates superiority over traditional polymers due to its reduced susceptibility to strong lithium coordination. The study aims to develop an electrolyte compatible with lithium metal, NMC811, and LNMO. Employing the pyrrolidinium cation and FSI anion, their work emphasizes room temperature operations, impressive cycling stability, and safety standards
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Yohan Oudart (Nanomakers, ASTRABAT) introduced silicon's potential for solid-state batteries, highlighting their startup's work in producing specialized silicon-based nanoparticles. The discussion covered scalability, product families, challenges, and solutions related to silicon in battery technology, emphasizing its high capacity and the need for careful management for improved cyclability.
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Guinevere Giffin (Fraunhofer ISC, ASTRABAT) shared their results on developing silicon anodes in the project, emphasizing the integration of a hybrid organic-inorganic polymer electrolyte with silicon. This electrolyte, curable in a liquid state, streamlines processing steps and resembles a thin, viscosity-dependent substance.
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Andriy Kvasha (CIDETEC, SAFELiMOVE) elaborated on CIDETEC's role within the project, shedding light on the solid-state battery community in Europe. He briefly outlined CIDETEC's focus on energy storage and its diverse projects involving collaborations, national programs, startups, and knowledge generation. He delved into the process of solid-state battery development, specifically discussing the assembly of a proof-of-concept cell using advanced materials and the challenges encountered in the manufacturing process.
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Amelia Langley (IMEC, SOLIDIFY) focused on the challenges and tool adaptations within the SOLiDIFY project. She presented the cell concept, emphasizing the aim for a two-component assembly, integrating the separator into the composite cathode or anode. Langley outlined the process flow, discussed the tools needed for handling components, particularly focusing on SOVEMA's equipment, and highlighted adaptations required for lithium metal handling.
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The second topical session dealt with modeling solid-state batteries, focusing on electrolytes, anodes, and cathodes. Four speakers presented findings related to the modeling of solid-state batteries, discussing the characteristics of polymers versus ceramics as electrolytes, the effects of particle size and configuration ion conductivity, and the macrostructure of porous electrodes.
The session emphasized the challenges of incorporating ceramic particles into a polymer matrix for improved conductivity while maintaining mechanical stability. The discussion involved theoretical and practical applications, considering experimental validation and potential implementations. The speakers also addressed the complexities of simulating microstructures, including sensitivity analysis and the impact on properties like tortuosity and conductivity.
The session's presentations concluded by highlighting the need for percolation between particles for efficient conductivity and the importance of the structural configuration of ceramic particles in the electrolyte. Audience questions inquired about surface-enhanced diffusion, practical implementations, and validation of experimental results, providing further insights into the challenges and potential applications of the presented research.
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Hervé-Manzanarez (CEA, ASTRABAT) held the first presentation about electrolyte types - polymer and ceramic - for battery technology's energy density enhancement. Manzanarez detailed the challenges and benefits of each type, emphasizing the need for a hybrid electrolyte combining ceramic diffusion and polymer mechanical properties.
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Momo Safari (Hasselt University, SOLiDIFY) discussed results on modeling the macrostructure of porous electrodes within solid electrolytes for solid-state batteries, emphasizing multi-physics coupling for simulations. His talk detailed the validation of microstructures and their impact on effective properties like conductivity, tortuosity, and percolation of ions and electrons
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Andrei Golov (CICe, SUBLIME) delved into solid electrolytes for batteries, focusing on interfacial properties, stability, and ionic diffusion characteristics. Golov explored the compatibility of argyrodite-based solid electrolytes with bare and coated lithium metal, highlighting the challenges and potential for battery applications.
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Diego del Olmo (CIDETEC, SAFELiMOVE) presented modeling specifics, focusing on developing and validating macro-homogeneous models for solid-state batteries. The discussion covered electrochemical and mechanical models, encompassing parameterization, experimental validations, and future modeling enhancements
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The third topical session discussed the emerging technologies related to sustainability, recycling, and solid-state batteries. The speakers covered various aspects, including the sustainability of emerging technologies, recycling challenges, and societal impacts. Speakers from the different H2020 LCBAT projects discuss methodologies to assess sustainability, emphasizing tools like Safe and Sustainable by Design, life cycle assessments (LCA), and life cycle costing. It highlighted how these assessments can be applied from early technology phases to scaling up for market deployment. The projects showcased their approaches, some focusing on design-phase sustainability assessment, while others concentrated on studying environmental and economic sustainability, end-of-life considerations, and recycling possibilities. Considering the environmental, economic, and societal impacts, the goal is to address the challenges and opportunities in developing sustainable technologies in solid-state batteries.
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Marco Bianchini (Lomartov, ASTRABAT) focused on the sustainability of emerging technologies, highlighting the need for comprehensive assessments involving investors, lawmakers, tech developers, and society. He emphasized a three-pillar approach: environmental, economic, and societal aspects throughout the R&D cycle. Tools like "Safe and Sustainable by Design" and social sustainability analyses were introduced to assess different phases.
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Maddalena Rugolo (Gemmate, SOLiDIFY) discussed sustainability assessments in the LCBAT projects, highlighting methodologies and differences in strategies. Divided into phases, the presentation covered design, sustainability assessment, and scaling efforts, emphasizing the importance of balancing technical and sustainability requirements
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Davide Burlon (LCE, SAFELiMOVE) delved into Lithium-ion battery recycling, discussing the necessity, the European Commission's approach, and technical insights into recycling processes. He emphasized the significance of recycling, the European Union's regulations, and evolving recycling technologies.
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Christin Stallmeister (MIMI Tech, SUBLIME) discussed the challenges of solid-state battery recycling, presenting steps in designing a recycling process, comparing lithium-ion to solid-state batteries, and outlining the complexities and proposed recycling concepts. Christine Stallmeister discussed polymer-based electrolytes in solid-state battery recycling, outlining a theoretical recycling concept developed by projects SafeliMove and SOLiDIFY. The process involves dismantling, discharging, and pretreatment to break down the polymeric part of the electrolyte.
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The Q&A part revolved around solid-state battery technology's sustainability and recycling aspects. The discussion touched on various challenges, including the complexity of comparing lab-scale technology with industrial-scale impact, bottlenecks in the recycling process, and the lack of standardized metrics for evaluating environmental impacts across different projects. There was a focus on the difficulties in recycling polymer and ionic liquid electrolytes due to their diverse chemistries. Furthermore, trade-offs between energy density targets and recyclability were pointed out, highlighting the importance of considering impacts beyond percentage-based recycling figures. The speakers emphasized the need to align designs with future recycling processes and consider the significance of upscaling methods in assessing environmental impacts.
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The panel discussion focused on solid-state batteries, regulations, and market implications. The panelists discussed the challenges in industrializing solid-state batteries, emphasizing the need for continued support through research and innovation. Different projects explore varied technologies, leading to discussions on manufacturing challenges, high-energy densities, and the absence of a consensus on the winning battery chemistry.
The panel discussion shifted towards the implications of new regulations on battery waste management and recycling, highlighting the need to identify materials within technologies to facilitate recycling and comply with regulations. The discussion focused on the impact of regulations on material sources, recycling processes, and the balance between material recovery and energy consumption.
The panelists acknowledged the challenges in meeting recycling targets for solid-state batteries, considering the energy required for recovery. They highlighted the importance of balancing material recovery percentages with energy consumption and sustainability concerns. While lithium-ion batteries are already considering compliance, the panel acknowledges that solid-state batteries are still in the developmental phase, making it early to address these regulatory challenges from a commercial perspective.
Overall, the panel discussion emphasized the complexity of implementing regulations in evolving battery technologies, particularly solid-state batteries, and the need for a balanced approach considering material recovery, energy consumption, and sustainability.
Highlights
- Understanding diverse approaches to solid-state battery technology from different projects.
- New EU regulations necessitate identifying recycling materials, impacting battery development.
- Balancing material recovery targets with energy consumption and sustainability concerns.
- Transitioning focus from just energy density to considering recyclability and reusability.
- Exploring possibilities of reusing electrolytes in solid-state batteries for sustainable practices.
- Challenges and advantages of dissolving solid electrolytes for recycling.
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These projects have received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement no. 875189. 875028. 875029 & 770142. The information and views set out in this publication does not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the European Commission. Neither the European Union institutions and bodies nor any person acting on their behalf, may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.
