Swiss Holding company, Blackstone Resources AG, has been investing in finding a way to 3D print solid-state lithium-ion batteries. It announced on September 16th that it’s hit many milestones in its 3D-printing technology on this path.
Blackstone Technology’s 3D-printing process offers substantial advantages over conventional battery cell design that use liquid electrolytes. This includes:
- Significantly lower costs.
- A higher level of production flexibility when it comes to the format of the cell.
- 20% increase in energy density.
Moreover, by using this technology, the amount of materials that do not store energy could be reduced by up to 10% i.e. copper and aluminium. These advantages can be achieved independently of the electrode chemistry.
Now that the system has been successfully tried and tested, the next steps will be to start producing the 3D printed lithium-ion solid-state batteries and see if it’s possible to do so at mass-production levels.
The company is however convinced that it can produce reliable lithium-ion batteries with higher energy density levels, in large quantities and at lower costs.
The goal is to bring costs well below EUR 80.00 per kWh. This would represent the final breakthrough in storage technology.
Reference- Blackstone Resources AG Online Newsroom, Futurism, Businesswire