Batteries are devices that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy through electrochemical reactions. They are used in a wide variety of applications, including portable electronics, electric vehicles, and stationary energy storage systems.

Batteries are composed of one or more electrochemical cells which consist of an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte. When the battery is charged, electrons are transferred from the cathode to the anode through an external circuit, while positive ions are transported from the anode to the cathode through the electrolyte. When the battery is discharged, this process is reversed, and electrons are transferred from the anode to the cathode through the external circuit, providing electrical energy.

Batteries come in a range of chemistries, each with its own set of advantages and limitations. Some of the most used battery chemistries include:

• Lead-acid batteries: These are the oldest and most widely used rechargeable battery types. They are used in applications such as starting batteries for cars and trucks, backup power supplies, and off-grid energy storage systems.
• Nickel-cadmium (NiCd) batteries: These are known for their high energy density, long cycle life, and resistance to overcharging. They are used in applications such as portable electronics, power tools, and medical devices.
• Nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries: These are similar to NiCd batteries but have a higher energy density and are more environmentally friendly. They are used in applications such as hybrid electric vehicles, portable electronics, and cordless power tools.
• Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are a widely used and established battery technology, known for their high energy density, long cycle life, and low self-discharge rate. They use a liquid or gel electrolyte and a carbon-based anode, with a variety of cathode materials, such as lithium cobalt oxide (LCO), lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA), or lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC). The development of lithium-ion batteries has enabled the widespread use of portable electronics, electric vehicles, and stationary energy storage systems, making it possible to power a wide range of devices and systems without the need for a constant source of external power. Ongoing research and development efforts in the field are focused on improving the energy density, cycle life, and safety of lithium-ion batteries and reducing their cost and environmental impact.
• Solid-state batteries are a new type of battery that uses solid-state electrolytes instead of liquid or gel electrolytes found in conventional lithium-ion batteries. They have the potential to offer higher energy density, faster charging times, longer cycle life, and improved safety compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries. In a solid-state battery, the electrolyte is typically a solid material, such as a ceramic or a polymer. This makes the battery more stable and less prone to leakage, fire, and explosion. Solid-state batteries are still in the early stages of development, but they represent an exciting new development in the field of energy storage and have the potential to play a key role in the transition to a more sustainable and energy-efficient future.

At FOM Technologies, we offer a wide variety of slot-die coating products that integrate easily into your lab- or pilot-scale R&D workflow. Whether you’re coating electrodes, developing solid electrolytes, working under ambient conditions, or you require an inert glovebox environment or dry rooms, we can provide premium slot-die solutions to meet your specific needs.

At FOM, we provide the means for our clients to coat remarkable electrodes quickly. We have created a cutting-edge coating method for use in the research and development of energy storage devices on a lab scale. Our product line is widely regarded as the industry standard bearer in battery frontier research all around the world. The cutting-edge slot-die coating devices developed at FOM are used in battery research to coat uniform electrode layers with microliter control of slurry dosage, wet film thickness, and coating speed. Highly reproducible electrode coating is critical for the development of high-performance battery electrodes. Slot-die coating involves the controlled flow of an electrode slurry through a slot-shaped die onto a moving substrate. This creates an electrode layer on a current collector with precise control of the thickness, enabling the manufacture of electrodes with thicknesses ranging from a few tens of micrometers to 500 µm. Our broad range of interchangeable slot-dies enables coating widths between 2 cm and 30 cm.

Using our lab-scale devices such as FOM scalarSC and FOM vectorSC, it is possible to obtain electrode coats that are directly comparable in quality and microstructure to those coated on our pilot-scale FOM moduloR2R and FOM sigmaR2R. This dramatically improves the results that can be obtained at lab-scale and makes subsequent scaling to pilot-scale much easier.

Our system of slurry delivery minimizes material waste, thus enabling slot-die coating of even very small sample volumes.

The advantages of FOM’s slot-die coating systems include:

• The ability to get consistent coating results from lab-scale to pilot-scale that can be compared across different size scales. This enables optimization studies relating to different coating parameters to be done at a lab scale or with smaller slot-die heads on a larger device, and then scaled up subsequently.
• The ability to slot-die coat even small sample sizes makes our slot-die coating technology a viable alternative to doctor-blade coating for lab-scale applications.
• Our precise control over coating parameters combined with our user interface makes processes highly reproducible, and switching between different coating parameters can be done without loss of accuracy.
• Our roll-to-roll adaptations of our alpha and sigma machines make scale-up to pilot production seamless
• With our Modulo system, we offer a full pilot-scale coating line with the ability to customize coating widths, drying solutions, and metrology sensors.