Implementation of bio-material as sustainable binder system for PFAS free lithium-ion battery industry

Purpose and goal:

The project’s main goal is to steer away the battery manufacturing industries reliance on PFAS chemicals. To achieve this, the project leverages partnerships from Northvolt and biomaterials related industrial partners to optimize and scale-up lab tested bio-sourced materials into pilot-line trials for demonstration. This will be performed in conjunction with Chalmers who will refine binder chemistry. Pilot-scale testing will establish the viability of bio-sourced binder for industry adoption.

Expected results and effects:

Our lab results have shown that bio-sourced binder offers superior electrode flexibility and adhesion than PVDF, enhancing the safety of the battery as well as performance. By completely adopting biosourced binders we can curtail approximately 500 million kg in annual CO2 emissions from within Europe’s battery sector alone. Not only will this greatly enhance Europe’s battery manufacturing ecological footprint, it will also positively impact other related markets (such as EV and electronics) who also seek to reduce their carbon footprint.

Approach and implementation:

The project will collaborate with key industry partners to refine the bio-sourced binder chemistry, coating techniques and scale-up implementation. This will result in a marked increase in our Technology Readiness Level (TRL) from 3 to 6. To assist in achieving this we have outlined several distinct milestones: (1) Testing of binder on the pilot line; (2) Optimization of bio-sourced binder chemistry and transferal to pilot-line; (3) Integration of refined coating methods with new bio-binder on the pilot line for battery manufacturing.