Project looks to new lithium metal battery coatings
The Lithium Innovations for Future Electric vehicles (LIFE) project is led by Oxford-based lithium-sufur experts OXIS Energy along with Centre for Process Innovation (CPI). This will include applying coating technologies developed at OXIS and performing larger-scale trials to assess the feasibility of scaling protective coatings on lithium-metal cells.
OXIS will then scale-up manufacturing of the lithium foil process in the construction of a pilot coating line for automotive batteries. “OXIS’ main value chain and business models in operation consist of scaling up the technology in smaller, high-value niche markets, such as defence and unmanned aerial vehicles,” said Lisset Urrutia, Project Manager at OXIS. “Scaling manufacturing in these smaller, high-value markets will allow OXIS to build a supply chain at volumes in the hundreds of thousands of cells per year.”
The lithium-metal battery supply chain for the automotive sector is anticipated to grow substantially over the next decade, with technological advances in the industry expected to create a significant number of highly-skilled jobs and safeguard existing positions.
“CPI’s team will provide our extensive knowledge in vacuum deposition technologies and will utilise our specialist facilities to deposit protective coatings on lithium metal foil aiming to enhance its battery life cycle,” said Dr Sam Chan, Senior Scientist at CPI and LIFE Project Manager. “CPI will use gained knowhow in lithium metal foil handling and cell manufacture to further build and disseminate manufacturing knowledge within the UK’s High Value Manufacturing community.”
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