6. Lithium metal anodes (fast as snails?!)

Faster Li plating through LLZO solid electrolytes. Latest from the Sakamoto group.

LLZO solid electrolyte pelltet. Easy to work with in small areas. But how can large, thin sheets be made for commercial applications?

Paper link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378775318306529

Sakamoto group page: https://sakamoto.engin.umich.edu/people/

News article: https://news.umich.edu/battery-breakthrough-doubling-performance-with-lithium-metal-that-doesnt-catch-fire/

Plating lithium metal anodes through inorganic solid electrolytes is challenging and slow due to proliferation of dendrites along the grain boundary where ionic conductivity is higher. Sakamoto’s group shares evidence of rate improvements without dendritic growth with LLZO solid electrolytes.

4. Sion Power’s better Li-metal anodes by force!

Link to patent US20180269520

Link to Sion Power’s Li-metal anode commercial cell

Sion Power has been a leader in batteries with lithium metal for more than 20 years. Traditionally championing lithium-sulfur batteries, it has recently expanded into high energy density batteries with lithium metal and traditional high voltage cathodes such as NMC622/811, etc. It’s Licerion product offers a 20Ah pouch cell, 500 Wh/kg, 1000 Wh/l with an impressive EOL of 80% after 500 cycles at C/3. In this podcast i discuss its 2018 patent on the importance of (anisotropic) pressure applied to cells with lithium metal anodes. Enjoy!