Solid state batteries have accelerated toward technological maturity to the point where commercialization is no longer a question of "if" but "when." In this presentation, we will detail the motivation to pursue scaled production of solid state batteries for EV applications and the key challenges that are being tackled to bring SSB to market.

Solid-state battery technology is a promising successor to the conventional lithium-ion battery technology of today. In order to meet the challenges of possibly adopting solid-state batteries in future products, we have been working on understanding the technology from the ground up.

Sulfide-based solid-state batteries (SSBs) are a promising technology for next-generation electric vehicle batteries. However, sulfide-based SSBs face several technical challenges, including poor stability and high interfacial impedance, dendrite issues, and limited scalability. In this work, we review the latest advances of the sulfide based SSBs in terms of new materials development, manufacturing process improvement, and cycle life improvement. The critical research needs are identified, and future developments are prospected.

Solid-state battery (SSB) is a potentially superior alternative to a state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery, owing to its merits in abuse tolerance, operable temperature ranges, and system integration. Though promising, SSBs still face barriers that hinder their practical application, such as insufficient physical contact, and poor ionic transport. In this talk, we will propose the strategies of utilizing gel polymer electrolytes to effectively enhance the interfacial compatibility.

Solid-state battery technologies promise the potential of enhanced battery energy and power densities, system efficiency, and safety. One key to enabling highly optimal battery performance is the nature of the solid-state electrolyte SSE materials. Herein, we will provide an up-to-date status on the progress made in the area of SSE materials with focus on approaches we have been implementing towards enabling highly functional and practical SSEs.

Li-metal solid-state batteries have emerged as a promising technology for meeting this demand. However, scaling-up production of these batteries poses significant challenges. In this talk, we will explore the obstacles facing Li-metal solid-state battery manufacturers and discuss strategies for overcoming them. We will also examine the opportunities that come with scaling up production, including cost reduction and increased efficiency.

Increasing demand for more powerful batteries are pushing current Li-ion technology to its limits. Recent developments are attracting high media attention and cell manufacturers are working on the realization and implementation of next battery technologies. The presentation will evaluate the market readiness and competitiveness of solid-state batteries in comparison to other next-gen solutions; e.g., high silicon anodes with respect to performance, safety, scalability, and cost aspects.

In this talk, we will discuss how new computational approaches enabled by high-performance computing and machine learning algorithms are accelerating the traditional materials design and commercialization process for solid-state battery materials, highlighting recent successes with lithium thioborate solid electrolytes as a case study. We present advances in high-throughput computational screening of solid electrolyte materials, and discuss how these approaches can be tailored to the optimization of materials for specific applications and markets. In particular, we discuss how battery and materials manufacturing is changing as the breadth of materials discovery efforts widens and the pace to commercialization quickens. As a case study, we present our recent positive results on a new solid Li-ion conductor material Li8B10S19, which embodies the new data-driven R&D paradigm of machine learning-based discovery and human-based synthesis and scaleup.

For over a decade, Blue Solutions has proven that solid-state batteries can be manufactured and successfully used in vehicle and stationary applications. In 2022, at the Solid-State Battery Summit, we discussed how passenger car applications are driving more demanding energy storage requirements (safety, charging times, energy density, etc.) for mobility and stationary applications. This year, we will provide a status update on our new, 4th Generation solid-state cell design focused on exceeding those requirements. Further, we’ll discuss how we plan to integrate our cell manufacturing into existing giga-factories.

PolyPlus Battery Company has developed ultra-high energy density lithium metal batteries and is now transitioning its technology into manufacturing. The introduction of protected lithium electrodes in which the negative electrode is isolated by a thin solid electrolyte membrane allows PolyPlus to primary and secondary batteries with exceptional performance including the lithium-seawater battery (LiSWB) which has demonstrated close to 1900 Wh/l and 2000 Wh/kg, and its rechargeable glass protected rechargeable lithium metal battery which should exceed 1200 Wh/l and 400 Wh/kg. The primary LiSWB uses a high conductivity ceramic solid electrolyte Li1+xAlxTi2–x(PO4)3 (LATP) which is uniquely stable to aqueous electrolyte (including salt water). The rechargeable Li metal battery utilizes several microns of lithium metal bonded to a continuous ribbon of ultra-thin conductive sulfide glass. PolyPlus makes its solid electrolyte glass by means of a state-of-the-art draw tower designed to heat the glass above its glass transition temperature and then process softened sulfide glass preforms from a starting thickness of several millimeters to less than 20 microns. PolyPlus is developing two technologies based on the use of thin sulfide glass; a hybrid approach which includes liquid electrolyte in the cathode, and a fully solid-state battery with no liquid electrolyte, both of which will be described in the presentation.

The validity of improved safety often attributed to solid-state batteries has recently been investigated. Key findings indicate reaction pathways exist in SSBs which can release significant heat. That heat release may result in temperatures approaching, and in some cases exceeding those seen in thermal runaway of conventional Li-ion batteries. In this talk, characterization of abused SSB materials will be examined and correlated to differential scanning calorimetry heat flows.

Presentations and news articles on solid-state batteries consistently emphasize the greatness of work to date and the imminence of a major transition away from liquid electrolytes. However, looking at these publications from a few years ago shows that they were significantly over-optimistic in projecting the timescale required to overcome the remaining technical and economic barriers to commercialization. This presentation looks at the reality of the current industry status in 2023. Achievements on energy density, charge rates, safety, lifetime, cost, and ESG will be reviewed and compared with industry-guided targets, helping to calibrate our expectations. 

Solid ion conductors require both high ionic conductivity and good processing/interfacial properties. Composite materials can combine the properties of fast ion-conducting ceramics with the good processability of polymers. This presentation will show current results for these materials integrated into all-solid-state batteries. Similar challenges exist for composite materials compared to other solid electrolytes in terms of stability at both the cathode and the anode, which will be reviewed.

Replacement of the liquid electrolyte by a solid (Solid-State Battery, SSB) is known as a promising next-generation technology with the possibility to move the practical upper limits of Li-ion performance into acceptable ranges for most applications. However, demonstration of high-quality SSB devices is not commonplace, often limited by accessible capacity, rapid-cycle fading, etc. The origin of these limitations is driven by the need for better materials and processing. Umicore is a materials company supplying to the Li-ion industry and is actively researching several advanced battery concepts. This talk will highlight some activities around materials for SSB at Umicore.

Many open questions remain when trying to optimize electrolytes and understand solid-state battery chemistries. We will show fast ionic conduction is paramount within solid-state composites. Measuring the effective ionic transport in cathode composites provides an avenue to explore transport and stability limitations that in turn provide better criteria for solid-state battery performance. Finally, we explore the influence of decompositions and electrochemical stabilities in solid-state batteries.

Aluminum foil anodes alloy with lithium and can exhibit high theoretical charge storage capacity to enable rechargeable batteries with improved energy density, and aluminum is low cost and widely manufactured as foils. However, aluminum materials have long shown poor reversibility in liquid electrolytes. Here, we show that aluminum foil-based anodes with engineered multi-phase microstructures and without prelithiation exhibit promising cycling stability within solid-state batteries. The multiphase microstructure is shown to enable improved kinetics, suggesting metallurgical design of aluminum-based foil anodes could be a pathway to high-performance solid-state batteries.

Ion Storage Systems (ION) core solid-state electrolyte bilayer structure enables a Li-metal cell which is simultaneously safe, energy-dense, and manufacturable for easy integration into EV packs and beyond. Commercialization of this cell is dependent on success in cell development with maturation of manufacturing and supply chains to support widespread technology deployment. The challenges to scaling are often clear and shared between cell-makers; ION is building a team to overcome scaling gaps and is ready to display the latest developments.

This presentation shows how to use artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to inspect batteries with 3D X-ray microscopy (XRM) and computed tomography (CT). More specifically, it illustrates how deep-learning based algorithms for CT reconstruction can be integrated into 3D X-ray inspection workflows for batteries. In addition, AI provides a wide range of tools for automated defect recognition (ADR) of complex components that are difficult to analyze using traditional measurement methods. Machine learning (ML) platforms can train ADR models to assess battery overhang and inclusions. In the end, using deep- learning based algorithms for CT reconstruction, such as ZEISS DeepRecon, allows for 3D XRM workflows to be applied much more economically by reducing the time required for data acquisition. On the other hand, ML for defect detection provides a wide range of tools that can increase accuracy of detection and allow for ADR to work on lower quality (faster) CT images. AI-based X-ray inspection technologies will have a major impact on testing and failure analysis of batteries where non-destructive imaging is often required.

The use of X-ray particle contaminants analysis technology can help battery manufacturers improve the safety, performance and yield of their product by rapidly detecting and analyzing unwanted metal particles. By improving overall yield and reducing waste, you can deliver a range of operational and strategic benefits for your organization, with solutions that are available now and developing in line with future trends.

Purdue University’s ViPER (Vilas Pol’s Energy Research) group is putting their significant efforts on identifying anodes, cathodes, binders, ion conductive ceramics, salts, fire suppressing molecules as well as understanding their fundamental interplay to make semi-solid-state Li-ion batteries inherently safer. In one of the case studies, the cell comprised of LiFePO4/tailored electrolyte/graphite was in situ monitored between 25 to 300 oC employing multimodule calorimetry for its thermal runaway behavior. Less than 40 J/g exothermic heat was measured repeatedly, on the contrary the analogous cell with conventional liquid electrolyte released significantly higher (>1000 J/g) exothermic heat. This talk will discuss ViPER’s recent exertions on making Li-ion batteries that are NOT prone to thermal, mechanical and electrical abuse.

The presentation will cover the characterization of major SSB types in view of material and construction designs as well as an overview of safety consideration and performance issues of SSB under some key use scenarios. A comparison will be made between traditional lithium-ion batteries and SSB and key test approaches to study the safety/reliability problem(s) of SSBs will be presented.