Unlocking the potential of solid-state batteries through AM
Business challenge
Sector
Technology or capability
All solid-state batteries have the potential to support safer, higher-performance energy storage. But turning that potential into a scalable manufacturing process means overcoming significant material and production challenges.
Through the CeramBatt project, MTC joined Photocentric Ltd., the National Research Council of Canada and Electrovaya Inc. to develop and validate a new manufacturing route for solid-state batteries. Combining ceramic additive manufacturing with an optimised pressureless sintering process, the international team demonstrated a promising route to producing complex, high-performance solid electrolytes more cost-effectively
Project Challenges
LLZO is a promising material for solid-state battery electrolytes, but achieving the required density and conductivity can be difficult using conventional processing methods. The project focused on overcoming several manufacturing barriers, including:
- Achieving high material density without costly processing routes.
- Preventing distortion of complex 3D-printed structures during sintering.
- Minimising lithium loss at high temperatures.
- Developing a scalable process suitable for industrial adoption.
MTC's Solution
Working with project partners, MTC helped optimise the pressureless sintering of VPP-printed (Vat Photopolymerisation) LLZO components, supporting the development of a more practical and cost-effective manufacturing route for advanced battery materials.
By combining ceramic additive manufacturing with process optimisation, the team investigated how material formulations and sintering conditions influence density, conductivity and overall performance. The project focused on developing a manufacturing process capable of producing complex electrolyte architectures while maintaining the material properties required for solid-state battery applications.
Key activities included:
- Development of an optimised pressureless sintering process.
- Evaluation of nano-alumina and nano-silica sintering aids to improve densification.
- Assessment of density, phase stability and ionic conductivity.
- Validation of additive manufacturing for complex ceramic geometries.
- Investigation of material behaviour to support future industrial scale-up and commercial adoption.
CeramBatt was a cross-border collaboration between Canadian and UK research and corporate organisations that broke new ground in developing novel ceramic electrolytes. It has enabled Photocentric to subsequently derive a novel process to create solvent-less cathodes that has great commercial potential.
Paul Holt, Managing Director - Photocentric Ltd.
The Outcome
The project successfully demonstrated that pressureless sintering can produce high-performance LLZO electrolytes while retaining the design flexibility offered by additive manufacturing.
Key results included:
- 95%+ density achieved in aluminium-doped LLZO samples, demonstrating a viable alternative to more complex and costly ceramic processing routes.
- 10⁻³ S/cm ionic conductivity achieved in nano-silica-doped LLZO, a performance level considered suitable for advanced solid-state electrolyte development.
- Complex 3D electrolyte architectures successfully manufactured, overcoming geometric limitations associated with conventional ceramic forming techniques.
- Critical processing insights generated, providing industry with a clearer route towards commercial-scale manufacture of advanced solid-state battery components.
Benefits to the Client
A more cost-effective manufacturing route:
The project demonstrated a route to producing high-performance LLZO solid electrolytes through pressureless sintering. This could reduce reliance on more expensive processing methods while retaining high density and ionic conductivity.
Greater freedom in battery design:
Combining stereolithography-based 3D printing with an optimised sintering process enables the manufacture of complex and textured electrolyte structures. These architectures can increase effective surface area and have the potential to improve interfacial contact within a battery.
Evidence of high material performance:
Densities above 95% and ionic conductivity in the order of 10⁻³ S/cm demonstrate the potential of the process and material formulations investigated through CeramBatt.
A pathway towards industrial adoption:
The ability to manufacture customised LLZO components using scalable techniques gives industry a foundation for further development of advanced solid-state batteries for applications including electric vehicles, aerospace and energy storage.