The H2020 SOLiDIFY consortium, coordinated by the Belgian research organization Imec, has developed a solid-state lithium-metal battery with high energy capacity.
The prototype battery pack cell, produced by Imec at the assembly lab in EnergyVille, Belgium, has a processed “liquid-to-solid” solid electrolyte, developed jointly by Imec and its 13 consortium partners. The cell has an energy density of 1,070 Wh/L, which exceeds the 800 Wh/L limit of lithium-ion technology, according to Imec.
The production process is manageable at room temperature, compatible with current lithium-ion battery production lines and is expected to cost less than €150 ($166) per kWh.
For the solid electrolyte of the prototype, a doped polymerized ionic liquid (PIL)-based nanocomposite material was used, which allows for a liquid solidification method. Combining a high-capacity composite cathode separated from a thin lithium metal anode by a strong electrolyte separator (50 μm) resulted in high energy density and compact battery stack.
The cell's charge rate increased to 3 hours and its life to 100 cycles, overcoming mechanical strength and cathode installation challenges. The thermally stable solid cell had lower flammability than liquid electrolytes. The use of thinner protective coatings enables the use of cobalt-lean cathodes.
The SOLiDIFY consortium includes 14 partners: research institutes imec/EnergyVille, Fraunhofer, Centro Richerche Fiat SCPA, Empa, Hasselt University/EnergyVille and Delft University of Technology, as well as industry partners VDL Groep, Umicore, Solith, SOLVIONIC, Sidrabe , Le Leclanch Gemmate Technologies and Powall.
The project ended in June 2024 but as a next step, the partners will develop the battery technology. Imec aims to continue to expand the power and potential of energy storage technology and to research next-generation cathode materials and lithium-metal anodes using electroplating.
Source: Imec