SOLiD

The SOLiD project was set up to develop a sustainable and cost-efficient manufacturing process for safe, high-energy lithium-metal solid-state batteries.

Factsheet

  • Lead school(s) School of Engineering and Computer Science
  • Institute(s) Institute for Intelligent Industrial Systems
  • Research unit(s) I3S / Prozessoptimierung in der Fertigung
  • Funding organisation SERI, Horizon Europe
  • Duration (planned) 01.09.2022 - 31.08.2026
  • Project management Prof. Dr. Axel Fuerst
  • Head of project Michael Stalder
  • Project staff Simon Walther
  • Partner Avesta Battery & Energy Engineering (Belgium)
    RTD Talos (Cyprus)
    Specific Polymers (France)
    Ocsial Europe Sarl (Luxembourg)
    Armor Batter Films (France)
    Coatema Coating Machinery GmbH (Germany)
    Centro Ricerche FIAT (Italy)
    Teknologian Tutkimuskeskus VTT Oy (Finland)
    Aalto University (Finland)
    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France)
    Univerzita Tomáše Bati ve Zlíně (Czech Republic)
    CSEM (Switzerland)
    Bern University of Applied Sciences (Switzerland)
  • Keywords Battery, lithium-metal, solid-state battery, production

Situation

Lithium-ion battery cells with conventional active materials such as graphite and lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt oxides (NMC) have reached their limits in terms of energy density. The use of lithium in metallic form could significantly increase the energy density. Furthermore, given the calls for faster charging processes, the liquid electrolyte in conventional lithium-ion batteries is becoming a safety hazard. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop innovative, scalable manufacturing technologies for the use of safe solid-state electrolytes to make the use of high-energy-density lithium-metal batteries feasible.

The BFH researchers can test their developments at their own pilot plant for the production of batteries in Burgdorf.
The BFH researchers can test their developments at their own pilot plant for the production of batteries in Burgdorf.

Course of action

Within the next four years, the project team plans to develop on a pilot scale a sustainable, cost-efficient manufacturing process for a safe and easily recyclable solid-state lithium-metal battery with a high energy density. To achieve this, the following technologies are being developed:

  • Powder extrusion for the production of a cathode-electrolyte composite with NMC active material and carbon nanotubes as an additive.
  • Laser beam evaporation for the production of ultra-thin lithium-metal anodes and inorganic barrier layers
  • Slot-die coating for the production of the polymer-based solid-state electrolyte
  • Digital quality assurance and inline product characterisation methods for controlling and optimising manufacturing processes

Looking ahead

The SOLiD project will develop novel production methods and materials for the manufacture of solid-state batteries and make them available for industrial use.

SOLID

The project is supported by the Horizon Europe research and innovation funding programme and the State Secretariat for Education, Research, and Innovation (SERI) under contract numbers 22.00179 and 22.00246.

Staatssekretatriat für Bildung, Forschung und Innovation SBFI
Funded by the European Union