Economic and environmental assessment of water-based cathode and silicon anode vis-à-vis solvent-free electrodes in LIB production

New material chemistries and process technologies are receiving high considerations in the effort to reduce cost and carbon footprint of lithium-ion batteries (LIB). As a result of product-process interdependencies, changes in the cell design imply changes in the process. This paper investigated the impact of introducing the combination of water-based cathode and silicon anode vis-à-vis the introduction of solvent-free electrodes through dry coating technology in the battery manufacturing process chain. A value stream map (VSM) based modelling approach was used to assess the process chain under uncertainties. This provides more detailed and holistic insights than the common high level calculation models that use deterministic values. The study demonstrated the importance of assessing the impact in the manufacturing process chain when considering changes in the material composition of electrodes. The results of the assessment showed that the introduction of water-based cathode and silicon anode in the same factory was the most promising technology with potential cost savings ranging between 5-8%. The introduction of solvent-free electrodes led to a potential cost savings ranging between 2-4%. However, solvent-free electrode also showed slight potential for ∼2% cost increase when running at current pessimistic operating conditions. Both technologies showed comparable kgCO₂-eq profiles, with water-based cathode and silicon anode offering the best benefits when mapped on a cost-carbon footprint matrix, due to economic advantages. Considering that both technologies are not yet matured, when current hurdles are overcome, these technologies will shape the next generation of batteries for both economic and environmental stewardship benefits.