Titomic Limited, an Australian cold spray additive manufacturing company, has announced a partnership with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) to develop applications for lithium-ion battery electrode manufacturing. The collaboration is supported by the National Science Foundation Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York Program and aims to advance cold spray-based dry-coating technologies for battery production.
The partnership will use Titomic’s Kinetic Fusion cold spray technology to directly deposit electrode powders onto aluminum or copper foils, eliminating traditional multi-step processes that include mixing, coating, drying, and calendaring. This approach can be integrated into existing roll-to-roll production lines or adapted for 3D-printed electrodes with customized geometries and compositions.
The technical program is structured in four phases, beginning with material feasibility trials of candidate anode and cathode powders such as silicon, LTO, LMO, and LFP. Subsequent phases include developing electrode demonstrators, deploying a pilot-scale system, and conducting detailed scalability and cost analysis for large-scale industry applications.
“This deposition breakthrough represents a pivotal moment in our expansion into the clean energy sector. By applying our proven TKF™ cold spray technology to battery electrode manufacturing, Titomic is helping to overcome long-standing efficiency and sustainability challenges in lithium-ion production,” said Jim Simpson, Titomic CEO and Managing Director.
The technology enables the development of advanced silicon-copper composite electrodes and supports solvent-free and binder-free lithium-ion batteries. Titomic plans to leverage its TKF 523 and TKF 623 platforms to deliver electrode deposition at industrial scale, drawing on more than a decade of cold spray expertise across aerospace, defense, and energy sectors.
Source: titomic.com