Considering Solid State Batteries from a safety standpoint

Solid State Batteries (SSBs) are viewed as a promising route to increase the energy density of batteries for EV and consumer electronic applications. To achieve this will require ultra-thin lithium metal, possibly transitioning to lithium electrodeposition where the battery accommodates a lithium metal anode or an “anode less” design. Lithium metal is highly reactive and flammable making its use in common goods an increased challenge. Its electrochemical deposition is poorly controlled and often leads to the growth of lithium dendrites creating optimal short-circuiting pathways, this phenomenon being enhanced under fast charge and discharge cycles.
Over the years, traditional lithium-ion batteries have experienced a large variety of failure scenarios which led the community to develop tools to assess the safety of new chemistry and designs prior their release to the market. A similar approach should be used to understand the unique failure events of SSBs and the impact they could have on the end user. In this talk, we will review some of the tools available to the community to do so.