CIC energiGUNE, a leading Basque research center in electrochemical energy storage and conversion and thermal energy storage and conversion, is working on the development of safer and more sustainable lithium-ion batteries through the creation of battery cells with advanced cathode materials (CAM), binders and electrolytes that guarantee danger levels below EUCAR level 3. This work is part of the European SAGELi project, which is funded by the EU´s Horizon Europe program, and in which the Basque center participates along with eleven other companies and research centers on the continent.
“Obtaining a lithium-ion battery cell that is below EUCAR level 3, that is, that guarantees that there will be no breakage or fire, is a decisive advance for the integral development of mobility in all its fields, also at sea and in the air,” said the main researchers of the project at CIC energiGUNE, Jokin Rikarte and Emilie Bekaert. “In addition, these new cells will be cobalt-free, so we will make a significant contribution to sustainability,” they concluded.
In this regard, the new cathode active materials (CAM) developed by SAGELi are based on Manganese-rich oxides, which are inherently safer. Additional device safety will be ensured by reducing the active surface area of the CAMs and an innovative coating.
On the other hand, SAGELi´s safer binders aim for better adhesion, reduced bulging and improved processability, with the objective of preventing safety issues arising from cracking and inhomogeneity. In addition, SAGELi´s flame-retardant electrolytes aim for high voltage stability. In addition, SAGELi´s instantaneous thermal test will predict safety with just a few grams of new materials, eliminating the need to scale up to determine safety. In fact, SAGELi´s early safety prediction tool is expected to predict the EUCAR level during battery operation and aging.
The SAGELi consortium is led by the French Commissariat a L´Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives and includes the participation of CIC energiGUNE, Umicore, Arkema, Forschungszentrum Julich, Cidetec, Lomartov, CNRS, e-mobility Europe, Power4Future, Fincantieri and Safran.
