PHILADELPHIA –
Enables Higher Capacity, Longer Life Batteries —
— Improves Safety and Sustainability, Reduces Manufacturing Costs —
— Can Be Applied Using Standard Industry Equipment and Scaling Methods —
— Advances Development of Next Generation Batteries —
Livent Corporation announced its proprietary LIOVIX lithium metal product, a unique printable formulation of lithium metal and other specialty materials that can improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries, reduce manufacturing costs and enable the next generation of battery technology, all while enhancing safety and sustainability.
“Our customers continue to look to us for innovative and sustainable solutions that can improve battery performance, safety and manufacturing efficiency. We look forward to bringing LIOVIX to the market in the future as a product to help meet these growing requirements while opening pathways for the development of next generation battery technology,” said Paul Graves, president and chief executive officer of Livent.
Improved Battery Performance
LIOVIX can be printed on a battery’s anode during electrode manufacturing in a process called pre-lithiation. This has led to higher capacity, longer life batteries. In fact, the application of LIOVIX has been demonstrated through initial testing to improve a battery’s output and to extend its useful life with more recharge cycles than conventional batteries.
Safety and Sustainability Benefits
Beyond improving battery performance, LIOVIX is expected to enhance the safety and sustainability profile of lithium-ion batteries. The safety improvement is largely a result of the properties of the unique printable formulation of LIOVIX. Since LIOVIX delivers lithium in a highly stable, protected form, it reduces the need for stringent environmental conditions and advanced manufacturing process controls.
The immediate sustainability benefits of LIOVIX are expected to come from providing battery manufacturers with greater control and precision in how much lithium they use in battery cell production. This is expected to help reduce wasted material and costs and allow for high process efficiency (i.e., throughput). LIOVIX can potentially reduce the use of conflict and rare earth minerals in battery production by opening pathways for increased use of more accessible battery materials like silicone, manganese and even sulfur.
Manufacturing Efficiencies and Commercial Scalability
There are several potential cost savings and efficiencies for manufacturers using LIOVIX that are tied directly to the performance gains in battery capacity and cyclability. These range from needing to include fewer cells in a battery pack to achieve the same output to reducing the number of manufacturer warranty claims because of the battery’s longer useful life.
Additionally, LIOVIX is expected to significantly reduce the need for a cell manufacturing process step called “formation,” which may lower overall costs and free up space on the manufacturing floor.
Another unique feature of LIOVIX is its expected commercial scalability. It is anticipated that LIOVIX can be incorporated into existing battery manufacturing processes using standard equipment and common industry methods for scaling operations. Each method is designed to fit specific product requirements, and no changes are expected to be required to the electrode manufacturing process.
“Our customers need commercially scalable solutions that add value to the battery without adding cost to the battery manufacturing process, so it was imperative for us that LIOVIX™ improve both the attributes of the battery itself and the way in which it is produced. We believe we have successfully achieved this balance and are encouraged by the data and feedback from our pilot users. We are excited about introducing LIOVIX™ to the broader market,” said Walter Czarnecki, chief commercial officer for Livent.
Laying the Groundwork for Next Generation Batteries
LIOVIX™ should also be an important technology for the eventual development and commercialization of solid-state batteries using lithium metal. These next generation batteries will address many of the challenges and limitations of today’s liquid electrolyte-based battery cells.
“Our R&D team is proud to continue our close collaboration with some of the most innovative companies in the world. Together, we are advancing the state-of-the-art in battery technology and taking meaningful steps towards realizing the potential of solid-state battery technologies,” said Marina Yakovleva, director of research and development and new business development for Livent. “LIOVIX is expected to be a significant yet practical addition to Livent’s product portfolio and builds on our rich heritage of pioneering innovation and industry firsts.”
