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Nuvola Technology has introduced its patented direct deposition separator technology, which could replace conventional film separators and offer incremental improvements in safety and performance.
SafeCoat Direct Deposition Separator material is the first product released by the Los Angeles-based startup, formerly known as Millibatt. Under its former name, the venture capital-funded company focused on small, high-density, rechargeable batteries for wearables, biomedical uses, and Internet of Things sensor applications.
Nuvola has been selected as one of the 10 winners of LG Energy Solutions annual 2022 Battery Challenge. The contest brought together more than 100 companies with new battery technologies and business models.
SafeCoat describes itself as a “drop-in” solution for lithium-ion batteries that is compatible with all major lithium-ion manufacturing techniques. Sprayed directly over the entire surface of the electrodes, the porous polymer coating encapsulates the electrodes and protects them from thermal runaway and possible fire.
According to Nuvola, the weak point of the battery system is the thousands of thin folded sheets of a porous plastic membrane that keep the electrodes apart and make the battery prone to manufacturing errors and failures.
“During the battery assembly process, a single spacer sheet can be damaged, creating an undetectable wrinkle, misalignment, misfolding, or even a small tear that allows the electrodes to come into contact. This can cause a fire, days, months or years later, ”says the company.
In addition to improving safety, Safe Coat is said to increase the volume of active material in the battery, improving energy density by up to 20%. By reducing the separator thickness from 20 µm of the plastic film separator to the 5 µm layer of SafeCoat, more room is left for lithium ions in the same physical space.
According to the company, the Nuvola SafeCoat product is being evaluated by several large battery producers and car manufacturers. He expects products using this technology to hit the market in 2025. |
