With X.Cellify DC, Dürr has developed a process for dry coating electrodes for battery production. In contrast to the established wet coating process, this creates a free-standing film of active material that can be completely recycled back into the process until it is laminated onto the collector foil. The aim is to reduce waste and lower energy and space requirements in electrode production.
Dry coating without solvents and drying
In industrial electrode manufacturing, wet coating has been the predominant method to date, in which active materials are applied to metal foils as a suspension and then dried. Dürr's new process does not require solvents or drying ovens. Instead, a dry powder mixture is formed into a film and further processed. The basis for this is the activated dry electrode process developed by Dürr's development partner LiCAP Technologies.
X.Cellify DC covers all process steps – from dosing, film formation, and compaction to lamination onto the collector foil.
Energy and space savings
According to Dürr, dry coating can reduce the space required for electrode production by up to 65 percent. At the same time, energy consumption is reduced by up to 70 percent, mainly due to the elimination of drying equipment and solvent recovery. A proof of concept shows that the process is reproducible and scalable, allowing industrial pilot projects to be prepared.
Free-standing film as a process feature
A key feature of X.Cellify DC is the free-standing film. This is first formed and compacted without a carrier film. Laminating onto the collector film only takes place in the final step. If the film does not meet the specifications, the material can be returned to the process in its entirety. This creates a closed loop that reduces the loss of active material.
The proof-of-concept plant is installed at Dürr Ingecal in Chassieu (France), a subsidiary of the Dürr Group specializing in calender technology.
Outlook for industrial applications
The process is designed for both lithium-ion batteries and future solid-state batteries. Early compaction of the film prior to lamination also facilitates further processing, for example in downstream steps such as notching and stacking. Dürr sees the technology as the basis for pilot projects in industrial production environments.