E-mobility. Efficient battery electrode slurry production. Innovations for a better world.

Transcription

1 E-mobility. Efficient battery electrode slurry production. Innovations for a better world.

2 E-mobility. Efficient battery electrode slurry production. The biggest challenge of our time is to ensure sustainable global growth while conserving natural resources. With the growing demand for mobility and the serious environmental challenges in densely populated urban areas, electric vehicles are gaining significant support as a next-generation means of transportation. One of the key components of all-electric and hybrid electric vehicles is the energy storage device. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) can potentially provide the required energy densities and thus meet the driving range requirements of electric cars. 2

3 Global technology partner to the battery industry. Innovative solutions for crucial process steps. Bühler is an expert partner to the automobile and supplier industry, for example in die casting solutions, coating technologies and the production of paints. The new solutions for producing battery electrode slurries reinforce our commitment in this important industry segment. Samuel Schär CEO Bühler Advanced Materials Represented with a strong service network, in more than 140 countries, from planning through to start-up, Bühler supports its customers in all investment phases while ensuring maximum productivity and quality across a system s entire life cycle. Correct preparation of the electrode active materials is the basis for high-performance LlBs. Bühler enhances the conversion of these materials with outstanding wet grinding equipment and extensive expertise in nanoparticle processing. Furthermore, Bühler offers various production technologies for electrode slurries: batch and quasi-continuous processes for small to me dium-sized production and continuous mixing technology for large-scale production. These process solutions cover LIB anode, cathode, and separator slurries, including the handling, storage and dosing of solid and liquid raw materials. Bühler Cenomic full-volume mill Bühler MicroMedia high-performance mill Batch and quasi-continuous processes for small and medium-sized production Bühler ContiMixer continuous mixing process for large-scale production precursor formation chemical conversion precursor electrode slurry preparation electrode manufacturing cell assembly 3

4 E-mobility. Efficient battery electrode slurry production. MicroMedia TM X for micro wet grinding and dispersion down to the nano range 4

5 Perfect material transformation. Wet grinding processes for active materials. Proper preparation of active materials is the basis for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. The particles must have the right size and the slurry must be optimized for downstream processing. Bühler is a global leader in the field of process engineering, especially for wet grinding and dispersion applications. With the Cenomic full-volume bead mill and the MicroMedia high-performance bead mill technologies, Bühler draws on decades of experience. The reliable, scalable and industryproven Bühler equipment is ideal for the preparation of LIB active and separator materials. Cenomic The horizontal full-volume mill with innovative functional elements is ideal for pass operation and is also suitable for economic recirculation mode. The lean processing zone and EcoMizer high-performance grinding discs enable energy-saving wet grinding processes. All surfaces of the product chamber that come into contact with the products are produced as individually exchangeable components made of particularly hard-wearing materials. 0.1 to 4.0 kw/l and provides intensive cooling on the outer stator surface and in the annular discharge channel between the rotor and the inner stator. The MicroMedia X is suitable for grinding beads of 20 to 800 µm and provides soft dispersing in the lower nano range as well as high-energy true grinding. Flexible process solutions Both machines are available in different sizes and scaled from laboratory solutions through to large-scale production mills. The Cenomic and the MicroMedia X are both characterized by high energy efficiency, ease of use, robustness and reliability in continuous operation. To optimize production efficiency, Bühler supports its customers in selecting the right grinding equipment, optimizing the process parameters and choosing appropriate small molecule surface modifiers. MicroMedia X The MicroMedia X stands out due to the extraordinary product qualities and high level of grinding efficiency achieved. The small-volume bead mill enables power densities of Customer benefits: Efficient size reduction, stabilization and homogenization down to the nano range Slurries can have a high solid content and low viscosity at the same time Effective grinding with 10 15% less energy con sumption Positive impact on downstream processing 5

6 E-mobility. Efficient battery electrode slurry production. Fully continuous mixing system for the production of electrode slurries 6

7 Large-scale electrode slurry production. Fully continuous mixing technology. A crucial process step in the production of lithium-ion batteries is the preparation of the electrode slurries. Conventional production methods for Lithium-Ion Battery (LIB) electrode slurries are based on batch or quasi continuous processes. However, for the expected growth created by electric vehicles and energy storage systems, these methods will no longer fulfill the requirements of the respective industry. Large production capacities can only be reached by multiplication of batch machines which linearly increases production area, investment and operation costs. The Bühler fully continuous mixing process for LIB electrode slurry production meets the requirements of large scale battery manufacturing and provides various benefits to the customer. Continuous powder dosing (active materials, conductive additives, binder) Continuous liquid dosing (binder solution, solvent) LIB electrode slurry production based on proven Bühler extrusion technology. Immediate continuous mixing after dosing Powder components Liquid components Coating line The continuous mixing process is based on proven and robust twin screw extrusion technology developed by Bühler for multiple applications and industries. seconds [t] 7

8 E-mobility. Efficient battery electrode slurry production. The Bühler fully continuous mixing process for LIB electrode slurry production meets the needs for large scale battery manufacturing. Continuous mixing technology The continuous mixing process is based on a twin-screw mixer which combines the basic operations of continuous raw material dosing, pre-mixing, kneading, fine-dispersing and degassing in a single device. In a conventional batch mixing system, the process comprises two steps. First, the addition of pre-weighted liquid and solid components followed by subsequent distribution of the solid components in the liquid phase. In order to achieve the required homogeneity at macroscopic and microscopic level, several hours of process time are typically needed. On the other hand, the continuous mixing process consists of controlled continuous dosing of all liquid and solid components and micro distribution of the solid particles in the liquid phase. Since a large part of the mixing work is performed by continuous dosing of the raw materials, the residence time in the continuous mixer is typically less than one minute. Investment economies of scale Due to high productivity (up to 2,500 l/h), the continuous mixing process can replace multiple batch mixers with a single fully continuously operated production line. As a result the required investment can be significantly reduced for large production scale installations. Customer benefits: Significantly lower investment costs due to eco nomies of scale Lower operating costs due to energy savings, a high degree of automation and less manpower required Enhanced reproducibility and controllability of product properties More consistent product quality thanks to inline quality control 8

9 Investment for mixing capacity of 70 million liters of electrode slurry per year Significant lower investment cost: up to -60% compared to conventional batch mixing. Example for annual equipment energy consumption Energy consumption Batch mixing process: 75 Wh/l Bühler ContiMixer: 25 Wh/l 5.3 GWh -60% Assumptions: 70 MI eletrode slurry per year (35 GWh) 6,000 hours per year Batch mixing process Bühler ContiMixer -60% Example for annual dry room energy consumption Batch mixing process (24 lines) ContiMixer 62 mm (24 lines) ContiMixer 93 mm (10 lines) ContiMixer 125 mm (6 lines) Assumptions: 70 MI of electrode slurry per year corresponds to 35 GWh annual production capacity, operation 6,000 h/y Space requirements per line Batch mixing process: 630 m 3 Bühler ContiMixer 62 mm: 450 m 3 Bühler ContiMixer 93 mm: 858 m 3 Bühler ContiMixer 125 mm: 990 m 3 Assumptions: 70 MI eletrode slurry per year (35 GWh) Dry room power consumption: 200 W/m 3 6,000 hours per year 18.1 GWh Batch mixing process (24 lines) -60% ContiMixer ContiMixer 62 mm 93 mm (24 lines) (10 lines) ContiMixer 125 mm (6 lines) Operation costs Compared to batch mixers, the continuous mixing process requires three times less specific energy input to achieve the same product properties. Furthermore, due to a smaller footprint, the needed dry room volume can be significantly reduced for the continuous mixing system. As a result, the energy consumption to maintain the dry room climate is much smaller than for conventional batch mixing systems. The high degree of automation of the continuous mixing system can reduce the required man-power to operate the plant by 50%. Process automation and inline quality control The fully automated operation of raw material dosing (powders and liquids), mixing, dispersing and degassing allows higher recipe accuracies, enhanced process control and better traceability. This is enhanced by continuous inline monitoring of the critical process parameters such as raw material flow rates, temperatures, pressures and power consumption. Furthermore, the quality control expert system QuaLIB TM enables inline monitoring and control of the electrode slurry parameters. Inline quality control expert system Data Feedback QuaLIB TM Quality A Quality B 9

10 E-mobility. Efficient battery electrode slurry production. Process and product optimization. Practice-based pilot plant and laboratory trials. Bühler operates its own test facilities and laboratories worldwide and provides support to optimize production systems with regard to yield, throughput and reduction of the energy required. Processes can be tested and optimized at the company's own test facilities for battery materials in Europe and Asia. Professional analyses ensures accurate evaluation of the different process steps and their results. Process engineer specialists carry out pilot trials and test series with the customer. The test facilities are designed for tests on a small industrial scale. The results provide an insight into the required dimensioning of the potential plant and allow realistic product and process optimizations to be carried out. The Bühler Central Laboratory in Uzwil is the ideal point of contact for analysis tasks and also offers services such as consulting, training and method development for customer s laboratories. Customers also benefit from interdisciplinary exchange with other areas of expertise within the Bühler group and from close collaboration with universities and researchers worldwide. Bühler a trustworthy partner: Global network of labs and pilot plants Skills in engineering and plant building Extensive expertise in LIB electrode slurry pro cessing Customer support for process development Wide range of reference projects in the battery industry relating to precursor/active material grinding and electrode slurry mixing 10

11 24 hours a day, seven days a week, worldwide. Services for more productivity and safety. Bühler partners with a host of industries worldwide. The tried-and-tested production systems for food, automobile parts, coatings, chemical products and colors combine first-class process quality and a high level of efficiency. Bühler Grinding & Dispersion Centres of Competence with pilot plants for battery materials Bühler Headquarters Uzwil Mahwah Wuxi Saitama 3 Bühler maintains its own service locations worldwide and is represented on every continent and can therefore be on site quickly when customers need support. Technicians procure spare parts quickly and install them professionally while specialized Bühler workshops carry out extensive repair work and retrofits. Customized maintenance and reconditioning packages ensure that machines are always state of the art. This allows customers to produce their articles profitably and safely even with older plants. Specially tailored training options ensure smooth operation of the machines, allowing you to produce excellent product quality with optimum throughput. The training courses help improve plant output and keep operating staff abreast of current technologies and safety standards. 11

12 Bühler AG _Battery3_EN_A4 CH-9240 Uzwil Switzerland T F grinding.dispersion@buhlergroup.com buhlergroup.com