The widespread use of rechargeable electronics and the proliferation of electric vehicles are driving an increased demand for high-performance batteries. Both the public and private sectors in the US are investing billions to meet that demand by expanding production of next-generation battery chemistries and technologies. It’s projected that by 2028, 1000 GWh/yr of battery-production capacity, enough to power 10 million electric vehicles, will be available.1 Lithium-ion battery technology leads the way in that endeavor. The batteries contain porous electrodes separated by an ion-permeable membrane. The electrodes are manufactured by coating metal foils with battery slurry, a complex fluid that contains the raw materials that make the batteries function. To reach that 1000 GWh/yr milestone on time, kilometers of electrode material must be coated with defect-free battery slurry every day.
The coating process needs to be carefully controlled to deliver the large volume of electrode slurry material and to keep...
