The company’s Impervio separator suppresses dendrite growth, monitors cell activity, and signals the battery management system (BMS) to shut down the cell if necessary.
In doing so, 24M said OEMs will be able to target recalls to specific affected units rather than recalling an entire model line, which can cost in the region of $1bn.
Dendrites form when the metal ions (like lithium) deposit unevenly on the anode during charging, forming needle-like or branch-like structures.
As dendrites grow, they can pierce through the electrolyte and connect the anode to the cathode, creating a short circuit that can lead to catastrophic failure.
Ulrik Grape, president, European Operations, at 24M Technologies, could not reveal the exact inner workings of the patent protected Impervio separator.
“What I can say… is the unique properties of what we do is that the dendrites are turned away or suppressed.”
He continued: “We've contaminated a cell with stainless steel, the small pellets that you could find in in the production process, and we've demonstrated that that the cell actually continues to cycle normally because the dendrites are being suppressed. If you take a traditional separator situation, it will short circuit very fast.”
Grape added that implementing the Impervio separator has no impact on the overall charge/discharge function of the cell and that it can easily be incorporated into existing manufacturing process.
“You just receive the Impervio separator, and you implement it on your line as you have the other separators,” he said. “There should be no difference in terms of implementation.”
Furthermore, Impervio can improve battery state-of-health and end-of-life predictions, influencing overall battery life and potential reuse.
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24M Technologies is now collaborating with industry partners and leading car makers to integrate this technology into next-generation battery designs.
24M’s solution comes as the IEA estimates 250 million electric vehicles (EVs) on the world’s roads by 2030.
According to the QBE Insurance Group, some markets are already experiencing a 33 per cent increase in thermal incidents involving EVs.
At a conservative rate of one fire per 10,000 EVs, thermal incidents could reach 25,000 per year worldwide by the end of the decade.
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