Korean battery trios boost efforts to enhance all-solid-state battery technology

[Courtesy of each company]

South Korea’s three major battery manufacturers - SK on Co., Samsung SDI Co., and LG Energy Solution Ltd. - are engaged in efforts to develop technologies that can expedite the commercialization of all-solid-state batteries.

SK on is at the forefront.

The pure-play battery maker under SK Group announced Thursday that it has successfully developed a new solid-state electrolyte with the world’s highest lithium-ion conductivity. The results of its collaborative research with a team led by Professor Park Hee-jung of Dankook University on the oxide-based solid-state electrolyte have been featured in the cover of the prestigious academic journal Advanced Functional Materials.

Lithium-ion conductivity refers to the speed at which lithium ions move within the electrolyte. Higher conductivity results in increased battery output and faster charging times.

The latest technology is expected to significantly enhance the competitiveness of all-solid-state batteries. SK innovation Co. has already completed patent applications for the innovative technology at home and abroad.

Solid-state electrolytes tend to be vulnerable to moisture and carbon dioxide, resulting in diminished functionality after prolonged exposure to ambient conditions.

However, the new solid-state electrolyte demonstrates exceptional stability. A higher lithium-ion conductivity often leads to lower stability, but the research team overcame this challenge by using technology to uniformly control the microstructure of lithium lanthanum zirconium oxide (LLZO), the company said.

All-solid-state batteries refer to batteries where the electrolyte is in a solid state, not liquid. These batteries have lower fire risks compared to lithium-ion batteries while they offer higher energy density.

They are categorized as oxide-based, sulfide-based, or polymer-based, depending on the composition. Oxide-based solid-state electrolytes have lower ion conductivity compared to sulfide-based ones, but they offer superior chemical stability, reduced reactivity with electrode materials, and suppression of lithium dendrite growth, making it possible to replace graphite anodes with lithium metal.

Solid-state electrolyte can also be employed in the development of next-generation batteries, including lithium-sulfur and lithium-air batteries, which currently use liquid electrolytes.

SK on is focusing on polymer-oxide composite and sulfide-based all-solid-state batteries, aiming at initial prototype production by 2026 and commercialization by 2028.

Samsung SDI produced prototype products of sulfide-based all-solid-state batteries in June, and aims to begin mass production of all-solid-state batteries in 2027.

The company plans to supply prototype products to finished vehicle makers for integration into demonstration vehicles in the second half of the year, according to Samsung SDI Vice President Michael Son.

LG Energy Solution is targeting the mass production of polymer-based all-solid-state batteries by 2026 and sulfide-based all-solid-state batteries by 2030. The company is conducting joint research on all-solid-state batteries in collaboration with academic institutions.