Lithium-ion battery electrodes are usually made using a wet slurry with toxic solvents, an expensive manufacturing approach that poses health and environmental risks. To address the issue, engineers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a dry battery manufacturing process.
It eliminates the solvent, while showing promise for delivering a battery that is durable, less weighed down by inactive elements and able to maintain high energy storage capacity after use. Dry processing also saves factory floor space, as well as time, energy, waste disposal and startup expenses.