Charged EVs | Sion Energy develops vacuum deposition course of for lithium anodes

US battery expertise agency Sion Energy has developed a course of that replaces standard mechanical rolling with a vacuum deposition course of that produces lithium anodes with a excessive stage of management and effectivity, which has been a key barrier to lithium steel battery efficiency and scalability.

Conventional anode manufacturing depends on mechanical rolling, which limits the lithium thickness to 30-50 microns and requires the usage of lubricants and components throughout manufacturing. This course of is restrictive and inefficient, creating price and efficiency challenges for next-generation batteries, Sion explains.

Sion Energy’s vacuum deposition technique makes use of a roll-to-roll thermal evaporation course of that deposits lithium straight onto copper foil at managed speeds, permitting for the formation of ultra-thin and uniform movies as skinny as 2-3 microns. This flexibility permits for the exact tailoring of lithium thickness for varied purposes, decreasing materials utilization and growing price effectivity.

The method additionally allows the usage of engineered floor coatings that improve lithium stability and efficiency. In buyer testing, Sion Energy’s 5-micron movies delivered twice the cycle lifetime of comparable competitor supplies, based on the corporate.

The method is at present in use for producing anodes in Sion Energy’s Licerion large-format battery cells manufactured in Tucson, Arizona.

“Our capability to deposit lithium in movies from 2 to 50 microns with customized floor remedies positions us because the chief in lithium-metal anode expertise,” stated Tracy Kelley, President of Sion Energy. “This innovation gives a real scalable path to high-performance batteries.”

Supply: Sion Energy