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Innovations for a better world.
E-mobility.Efficient battery electrode slurry production.
The biggest challenge of our time is to ensure sustainable global growth while conserving natural resources.
With the growing demand for mobility and the
serious environmental challenges in densely
populated urban areas, electric vehicles are
gaining significant support as a next-generation
means of transportation.
One of the key components of all-electric and
hybrid electric vehicles is the energy storage
device. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) can poten-
tially provide the required energy densities and
thus meet the driving range requirements of
electric cars.
E-mobility. Efficient battery electrode slurry production.
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Represented with a strong service network, in more than 140
countries, from planning through to start-up, Bühler supports
its customers in all investment phases while ensuring maximum
productivity and quality across a system’s entire life cycle.
Correct preparation of the electrode active materials is the
basis for high-performance LlBs. Bühler enhances the conver-
sion of these materials with outstanding wet grinding equip-
ment and extensive expertise in nanoparticle processing.
Furthermore, Bühler offers various production technologies
for electrode slurries: batch and quasi-continuous processes
for small to me dium-sized production and continuous mixing
technology for large-scale production.
These process solutions cover LIB anode, cathode, and sep-
arator slurries, including the handling, storage and dosing of
solid and liquid raw materials.
“ Bühler is an expert partner to the automobile and supplier
industry, for example in die casting solutions, coating tech-
nologies and the production of paints. The new solutions
for producing battery electrode slurries reinforce our com-
mitment in this important industry segment.”
Samuel Schär | CEO Bühler Advanced Materials
precursor
formation
chemical
conversion precursor
electrode
slurry preparation
electrode
manufacturing
cell
assembly
Bühler
Cenomic™
full-volume mill
Bühler
MicroMedia™
high-performance mill
Batch and
quasi-continuous
processes for small and
medium-sized production
Bühler ContiMixer
continuous mixing
process for large-scale
production
Global technology partner to the battery industry.Innovative solutions for crucial process steps.
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E-mobility. Efficient battery electrode slurry production.
MicroMediaTM X for micro
wet grinding and dispersion
down to the nano range
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Perfect material transformation.Wet grinding processes for active materials.
Proper preparation of active materials is the basis for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. The particles must have the right size and the slurry must be optimized for downstream processing.
Bühler is a global leader in the field of process engineering,
especially for wet grinding and dispersion applications. With
the Cenomic™ full-volume bead mill and the MicroMedia™
high-performance bead mill technologies, Bühler draws on
decades of experience. The reliable, scalable and industry-
proven Bühler equipment is ideal for the preparation of LIB
active and separator materials.
Cenomic™
The horizontal full-volume mill with innovative functional
elements is ideal for pass operation and is also suitable for
economic recirculation mode.
The lean processing zone and EcoMizer™ high-performance
grinding discs enable energy-saving wet grinding processes.
All surfaces of the product chamber that come into contact
with the products are produced as individually exchangeable
components made of particularly hard-wearing materials.
MicroMedia™ X
The MicroMedia™ X stands out due to the extraordinary
product qualities and high level of grinding efficiency achieved.
The small-volume bead mill enables power densities of
0.1 to 4.0 kW/l and provides intensive cooling on the outer
stator surface and in the annular discharge channel between
the rotor and the inner stator. The MicroMedia™ X is suitable
for grinding beads of 20 to 800 µm and provides soft dispers-
ing in the lower nano range as well as high-energy true
grinding.
Flexible process solutions
Both machines are available in different sizes and scaled from
laboratory solutions through to large-scale production mills.
The Cenomic™ and the MicroMedia™ X are both character-
ized by high energy efficiency, ease of use, robustness and re-
liability in continuous operation.
To optimize production efficiency, Bühler supports its custom-
ers in selecting the right grinding equipment, optimizing the
process parameters and choosing appropriate small molecule
surface modifiers.
Customer benefits:
– Efficient size reduction, stabilization and homo-
genization down to the nano range
– Slurries can have a high solid content and low
viscosity at the same time
– Effective grinding with 10 –15% less energy
con sumption
– Positive impact on downstream processing
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E-mobility. Efficient battery electrode slurry production.
Fully continuous mixing
system for the production
of electrode slurries
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Conventional production methods for Lithium-Ion Battery
(LIB) electrode slurries are based on batch or quasi contin-
uous processes. However, for the expected growth created
by electric vehicles and energy storage systems, these
methods will no longer fulfill the requirements of the respec-
tive industry.
Large production capacities can only be reached by multipli-
cation of batch machines which linearly increases production
area, investment and operation costs. The Bühler fully conti-
nuous mixing process for LIB electrode slurry production
meets the requirements of large scale battery manufacturing
and provides various benefits to the customer.
Large-scale electrode slurry production.Fully continuous mixing technology.
A crucial process step in the production of lithium-ion batteries is the preparation of the electrode slurries.
LIB electrode slurry
production based on proven
Bühler extrusion technology.
The continuous mixing process
is based on proven and robust
twin screw extrusion technology
developed by Bühler for multiple
applications and industries.
Continuous powder dosing(active materials, conductive additives, binder)
Continuous liquid dosing(binder solution, solvent)
Coatingline
Immediate continuous mixing after dosing
[ t ]seconds
Powder components
Liquid components
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Continuous mixing technology
The continuous mixing process is based on a twin-screw
mixer which combines the basic operations of continuous raw
material dosing, pre-mixing, kneading, fine-dispersing and de-
gassing in a single device.
In a conventional batch mixing system, the process comprises
two steps. First, the addition of pre-weighted liquid and solid
components followed by subsequent distribution of the solid
components in the liquid phase. In order to achieve the re-
quired homogeneity at macroscopic and microscopic level,
several hours of process time are typically needed.
On the other hand, the continuous mixing process consists of
controlled continuous dosing of all liquid and solid components
and micro distribution of the solid particles in the liquid phase.
Since a large part of the mixing work is performed by continu-
ous dosing of the raw materials, the residence time in the con-
tinuous mixer is typically less than one minute.
Investment – economies of scale
Due to high productivity (up to 2,500 l/h), the continuous mix-
ing process can replace multiple batch mixers with a single
fully continuously operated production line. As a result the
required investment can be significantly reduced for large
production scale installations.
The Bühler fully continuous mixing process for LIB electrode slurry production meets the needs for large scale battery manufacturing.
E-mobility. Efficient battery electrode slurry production.
Customer benefits:
– Significantly lower investment costs due to eco nomies
of scale
– Lower operating costs due to energy savings, a high
degree of automation and less manpower required
– Enhanced reproducibility and controllability of product
properties
– More consistent product quality thanks to inline quality
control
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Operation costs
Compared to batch mixers, the continuous mixing process
requires three times less specific energy input to achieve the
same product properties. Furthermore, due to a smaller foot-
print, the needed dry room volume can be significantly re-
duced for the continuous mixing system. As a result, the
energy consumption to maintain the dry room climate is
much smaller than for conventional batch mixing systems.
The high degree of automation of the continuous mixing
system can reduce the required man-power to operate the
plant by 50%.
Process automation and inline quality control
The fully automated operation of raw material dosing (powders
and liquids), mixing, dispersing and degassing allows higher
recipe accuracies, enhanced process control and better trace-
ability. This is enhanced by continuous inline monitoring of the
critical process parameters such as raw material flow rates,
temperatures, pressures and power consumption. Further-
more, the quality control expert system QuaLIBTM enables
inline monitoring and control of the electrode slurry parameters.
Space requirements per line– Batch mixing process: 630 m3
– Bühler ContiMixer 62 mm: 450 m3
– Bühler ContiMixer 93 mm: 858 m3
– Bühler ContiMixer 125 mm: 990 m3
Assumptions:– 70 MI eletrode slurry
per year (35 GWh)– Dry room power
consumption: 200 W/m3
– 6,000 hours per yearBatch mixing
process(24 lines)
ContiMixer 62 mm
(24 lines)
ContiMixer 93 mm
(10 lines)
ContiMixer 125 mm(6 lines)
18.1GWh
-60%
Energy consumption– Batch mixing process: 75 Wh/l– Bühler ContiMixer: 25 Wh/l
Assumptions:– 70 MI eletrode slurry per year (35 GWh)– 6,000 hours per year Batch mixing process Bühler ContiMixer
-60%5.3 GWhSignificant lower investment cost: up to -60% compared to conventional batch mixing.
Investment for mixing capacity of 70 million liters
of electrode slurry per yearExample for annual equipment energy consumption
Example for annual dry room energy consumption
Assumptions: 70 MI of electrode slurry per year corresponds to 35 GWh annual production capacity, operation 6,000 h/y
Batch mixing process(24 lines)
ContiMixer 62 mm(24 lines)
ContiMixer 93 mm(10 lines)
ContiMixer 125 mm(6 lines)
-60%
QuaLIBTM
Data
Feedback
Quality A
Quality B
Inline quality control expert system
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Processes can be tested and optimized at the company's
own test facilities for battery materials in Europe and Asia.
Professional analyses ensures accurate evaluation of the dif-
ferent process steps and their results.
Process engineer specialists carry out pilot trials and test
series with the customer. The test facilities are designed for
tests on a small industrial scale. The results provide an insight
into the required dimensioning of the potential plant and allow
realistic product and process optimizations to be carried out.
The Bühler Central Laboratory in Uzwil is the ideal point of
contact for analysis tasks and also offers services such as
consulting, training and method development for customer’s
laboratories.
Customers also benefit from interdisciplinary exchange with
other areas of expertise within the Bühler group and from
close collaboration with universities and researchers world-
wide.
Process and product optimization.Practice-based pilot plant and laboratory trials.
Bühler operates its own test facilities and laboratories worldwide and provides sup-port to optimize production systems with regard to yield, throughput and reduction of the energy required.
E-mobility. Efficient battery electrode slurry production.
Bühler – a trustworthy partner:
– Global network of labs and pilot plants
– Skills in engineering and plant building
– Extensive expertise in LIB electrode slurry pro cessing
– Customer support for process development
– Wide range of reference projects in the battery industry
relating to precursor/active material grinding and
electrode slurry mixing
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Bühler maintains its own service locations worldwide and is
represented on every continent and can therefore be on site
quickly when customers need support. Technicians procure
spare parts quickly and install them professionally while spe-
cialized Bühler workshops carry out extensive repair work
and retrofits.
Customized maintenance and reconditioning packages
ensure that machines are always state of the art. This allows
customers to produce their articles profitably and safely even
with older plants.
Specially tailored training options ensure smooth operation of
the machines, allowing you to produce excellent product qual-
ity with optimum throughput. The training courses help im-
prove plant output and keep operating staff abreast of current
technologies and safety standards.
24 hours a day, seven days a week, worldwide.Services for more productivity and safety.
Bühler partners with a host of industries worldwide. The tried-and-tested production systems for food, automobile parts, coatings, chemical products and colors combine first-class process quality and a high level of efficiency.
Bühler
Headquarters Uzwil
Mahwah
Wuxi
Saitama
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Bühler Grinding & Dispersion Centres of Competence with pilot plants for battery materials
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1
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Bühler AG
CH-9240 Uzwil
Switzerland
T +41 71 955 11 11
F +41 71 955 31 49
buhlergroup.com
1610
14_B
atte
ry3_
EN
_A4
