KITECH comes up with a new tech for producing solid-state batteries for EVs

The Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH) said in a statement that it has developed a technology for manufacturing all-solid-state batteries that can eliminate the risk of explosion and fire and drastically reduce the volume of battery packs.

Solid-state means that the electrolyte between the anode and the cathode inside the cell is not liquid but solid. The current lithium-ion batteries are using a flammable liquid electrolyte and when the battery is overheated, there is a risk of explosion. All-solid cells use highly heat-resistant, durable oxide solid electrolyte materials, so there is no risk of explosion or fire, according to KITECH.

The new battery bipolar structure implements multiple units of cells connected in series within a single cell-stack allowing higher battery voltages to be achieved. This will make battery pack production simpler and will reduce the volume by one-third while increasing range by more than two times.

The researchers succeeded in nanosizing powder particles using the oxide-based, most effective Garnet LLZO (lithium, lanthanum, zirconium, oxygen) materials. The nano-grade LLZO solid electrolyte powder was reduced by about five times the sintering time by doping with a hetero element (gallium aluminum), which greatly reduced the cost and improved the ionic conductivity by more than three times

The team produced a cell stack (37V, 8Wh class) with 10 solid cell units. The pouch has dimensions of 11 cm x 12 cm. It does not ignite nor explode even when it is cut with scissors in the open air when overcharged/heated. In addition, the cells maintained about 84% of the initial capacity after 400 charge/discharge tests. The lifetime of such cells is improved more than five times compared to the one of the conventional solid battery.

The leader of the R&D team, Dr. Kim said that the new battery will enter actual production this year. According to the Fuji Keizai Group of Japan, a leading market researcher on energy trends, the global solid-state battery market is expected to expand to about 28 trillion won (US$23.6 billion) by 2035.Source