Real Case

Lithium Ion NMC-2170 Battery Cell

 Introduction
•Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in portable electronics,
electric vehicles, and grid storage due to their high energy
density, high power density, and long lifespan.
•The cost of lithium-ion batteries has decreased significantly,
from over $1,000/kWh in the early 2000s to around $200/kWh
currently
•Manufacturing processes contribute about 25% to the cost of
lithium-ion batteries.
Battery Cell Configurations
Assumptions while determining cost
Steps in Manufacturing
 Slurry Mixing
• Slurry mixing is used in the manufacturing of lithium-ion battery cells to mix the
active materials, electrolyte, and other additives together to form a slurry
• The mixed slurry is then filtered to remove impurities or contaminants
• Hydrodynamic shear mixing (HSM) technology can be used to improve the
slurry mixing process, increasing efficiency and uniformity of the slurry.
• While we considered there are 2 vacuum mixers in the plant which run for
3763.2 hours during a year for producing 100,000 cells.
• The quantity of raw materials required for a single cell are taken into account.
Coating, Drying & Solvent Recovery
• The slurry is then pumped into a slot die, coated on both sides of the
current collector (Al foil for cathode and Cu foil for the anode), and
delivered to drying equipment to evaporate the solvent.
• Solvent recovery process is necessary for the cathode production during
drying and the recovered NMP is reused in battery manufacturing with 20%
– 30% loss.
 Calendaring
• Calendaring, the process of applying pressure to a material to alter
its physical properties, is an important step in the manufacturing of
lithium-ion battery cells.
• It can improve the bonding strength between the electrode and
current collector and increase electrochemistry performance and
cycle stability.
• The ionic conductivity of electrodes can also be related to free
surface area and the directionality of particle contacts through
simulations.
• Calendaring can be applied to both solvent-based and solvent-free
coated electrodes
 Slitting
• Slitting, the process of cutting a material into smaller
pieces, is a low-cost and high-throughput step in the
manufacturing of lithium-ion battery cells.
 Vacuum Drying
• Vacuum drying is a process used in the manufacturing of
lithium-ion battery cells to remove moisture from
electrodes.
• It is necessary to prevent reactions between moisture and
commercial Li salt LiPF6, which can generate hydrogen
fluoride gas and damage the electrodes.
 Winding & Cell
Assembly
• Stacking and cell assembly of electrodes refers to the process of arranging and
connecting multiple electrodes in a battery to create a functioning battery cell.
• In the case of lithium-ion batteries, this typically involves stacking positive
and negative electrodes, also known as cathodes and anodes, respectively,
and separating them with a thin layer of electrolyte. The electrodes are then
rolled or folded and placed inside a cylindrical or prismatic cell casing.
• These windings are then placed in the metallic casing for the cell and an
electrolyte solution of lithium salt is filled for transfer of electrons.
• Proper cell assembly is also important for ensuring the structural integrity of
the battery cell. The electrodes and electrolyte must be securely contained
within the cell casing, and the cell should be sealed to prevent any leaks or
contamination.
Welding
• Welding is a small part of the overall
manufacturing cost of batteries, but it is
important for ensuring safety and
minimizing energy loss.
• This process ensure that the cell casing is
properly sealed by welding the casing.
 Forming &
Grading
• In battery manufacturing, the formation process refers to the
formation of a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer
on the surface of the anode.
• This process is necessary to prevent the electrolyte from
decomposing and reacting with the anode material, which
can lead to capacity degradation and safety issues.
• Currently, the formation process is time-consuming and
costly, making up about 32% of the total manufacturing cost
and taking up to three weeks to complete.
 Conclusion
From these calculations, we can conclude that the cost of manufacturing of a lithium
ion NMC 2170 battery cell, is ₤9.428 or ₹780.848. The Cost Breakdown for raw
materials and overall processes are shown.

Process Cost
Raw Material Cost
Thank You!