German Battery separator company Treofan is developing a “thermally stable separator film” for lithium-ion battery cells as part of a government-funded research project.
Treofan said it aims to develop a temperature-stable lithium-ion battery for all mobile and stationary applications through its work with partners in the EUR2 million ($2.3m) HiT-Cell (High-Temperature Cell) project.
The biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) manufacturer said compared to currently available polyolefinic separators, its new separator “will have significantly higher temperature stability… particularly suitable for use in lithium-ion battery cells used in electric mobility.
According to Treofan, conventional ceramic separator coatings do increase the safety of lithium-ion battery cells, “but they are not always able to prevent the separators from collapsing under thermal stress”. Such coatings also lead to additional resistance in the cell, the firm said. “This resistance heats the cell, especially during rapid charging and discharging, which can lead to a reduction in the service life.”
HiT-Cell is led by the Forschungszentrum Jülich research centre and includes EAS Germany, which was acquired last year by Bulgarian lead-acid battery manufacturer Monbat. The project’s other partners are RWTH Aachen University and the Münster Electrochemical Energy Technology battery research centre at Münster University.
Treofan made its first large-scale foray into the lithium battery market last year.
