New Process Makes Lithium-Ion Batteries More Economical

Researchers at TU Braunschweig further develop electrode manufacturing process for industrial use

• New process reduces energy consumption during drying of electrode coating
• Enables higher product quality and storage stability as well as more flexible production
• Development and scaling in collaboration with VARTA Coperion
• Goal: industrial scaling

Lithium-ion batteries are a cornerstone of the energy transition – but they are complex and expensive to manufacture. As part of the ‘GranuGoIn’ project (‘Granulate-based semi-dry electrode manufacturing goes industrial’), a semi-dry manufacturing process for electrodes developed in a previous project is being significantly refined. The aim is to scale up the process for industrial application, both for anodes and cathodes.

Conventional production is based on a complex dispersion and coating process using liquid mixtures, which requires long drying times and high energy consumption. The new process developed by Technische Universität Braunschweig instead relies on granulate-based material that requires virtually no solvents. This eliminates large parts of the energy-intensive drying process – a key lever for reducing production costs.

In addition to the ecological and economic advantages, the new approach also offers technological improvements: the increased storage stability of the granulates enables more flexible, time-decoupled production and at the same time increases the quality of the electrodes produced.

With the ‘GranuGoIn’ project, TU Braunschweig is working with industry partners VARTA Microbattery GmbH and Coperion GmbH to bring the process to market maturity. A particular focus is on further developing the process parameters, optimising granulate dosing and integrating inline measurement technology for quality assurance during operation.

Storing energy for the future
Efficient and affordable batteries are crucial for the expansion of electromobility and for a stable power supply from renewable energies. The further development of corresponding manufacturing processes is therefore key to strengthening Germany as a centre of technology and business.

The ‘GranuGoIn’ project promotes knowledge transfer between science and industry and supports the establishment of a sustainable, competitive battery value chain in Germany.

Project details
The joint project ‘Granulate-based semi-dry electrode manufacturing goes industrial’ (GranuGoIn) started on 1 January 2025 and will end on 31 December 2027. The project is coordinated by VARTA Microbattery GmbH, with partners including TU Braunschweig with its Institute for Particle Technology, VARTA Microbattery GmbH and Coperion GmbH, as well as associated partners Coperion K-Tron, Armor Battery Films and Matthews Int. Corp. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMFTR) is funding the GranuGoIn project with around €1.4M.