A novel cost effective industrial process for dispersion of Carbon Nanotubes on electrode materials for Li-Ion Batteries: IonDrive

Programme(s):
H2020-EU.2.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs 
H2020-EU.3. - PRIORITY 'Societal challenges
H2020-EU.2.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies

Topic: EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020 - SME instrument

Call for proposal: H2020-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020

Funding Scheme: SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1

Grant agreement ID: 826871

Project description: Improved method of carbon nanotube dispersion could yield higher-performance batteries
One of the greatest challenges in designing lighter, thinner and higher-capacity batteries has been the materials used for the electrode. Electrodes based on carbon nanotubes bring great gains in lithium–ion battery performance, improving capacity by a factor of more than 10, charge acceptance by more than 200 %, and reducing energy losses by at least 15 %. However, the inability to efficiently disperse carbon nanotubes on electrodes has hindered their extensive use on batteries. The EU-funded IonDrive project will develop a cost-effective dispersion process based on ultrasonic technology that should allow the separation and homogeneous application of carbon nanotubes within the powdered electrode material. This should help increase battery capacity by 50 %, without degrading the mechanical properties of the electrode.

Objective: With industrial and societal demands for lighter, thinner and higher capacity batteries, there has been a lot of ongoing research for novel electrode materials with improved properties. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have shown enormous potential as Lithium-Ion Battery (LIB) electrode materials as they improve LIB power capacity by a factor of >10 and charge acceptance by >200%, reducing energy loses by >15%. However, the extensive use of CNT-based LIBs is being harboured by the lack of an industrially applicable process for dispersing CNTs on electrodes. CNTs aggregate in their formation and current dispersion methods fail to effectively unbundle the, and as such, excessive amounts of CNT are required to achieve homogeneity, which often deteriorates the intrinsic properties of CNTs, degrades electrode propertie and lowers battery performance. Additionally, the CNT load increase rises the overall electrode production cost (the average cost of CNT varies from €75-€400/gram). CENS has develop a cost-effective gas-based CNT dispersion process that allows for homogenous CNT application and reduced CNT loads by one order of magnitude. Our innovative approach involves the use of an ultra-sonic media to separate the Carbon Nano-Tubes and disperse them within the powdered electrode material. In this way, the enhanced electrode material, which increases battery capacity by 50%, can be produced without any degradation in the electronic mechanical properties of the battery electrodes. IonDrive is an innovative solution that will release to the world the full potential of CNT-based LIBs. The innovation has the potential to drive LIB market growth through battery cost reductions and opening new market and business opportunities.