Laser Additive Manufacturing for Batteries

The development of cost-effective, high-performance battery manufacturing technologies is essential to support the U.S. electric vehicle, energy storage, and consumer electronics markets. Shifting from wet to dry processing for battery electrodes
promises to lower capital costs, energy usage, and environmental impact. This presentation explores our work on powder-based additive manufacturing techniques to produce cathode and solid electrolyte films without solvents. Using methods like selective laser melting and cold spray, these energy-efficient processes minimize material waste while achieving production speeds comparable to conventional slurry casting. I will discuss the additive manufacturing processes, the critical factors influencing film quality, and cell performance in comparison to traditional slurry-based methods. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.