Upscaling high-areal-capacity battery electrodes

Moving battery technology from the laboratory to large-scale production is a necessary step in achieving cost competitiveness for high-energy-density batteries. So far, academic research has focused on the active material of the electrode and little attention has been paid to cell-level design, hindering the realization of this goal. Therefore, upscaling high-areal-capacity electrode sheets is proposed as a practical way forward. Here we evaluate the impact of high-areal-capacity electrodes on cell energy densities, energy consumption during electrode fabrication and the cost efficiency of cell production. By examining the integration of scalable roll-to-roll electrode-manufacturing techniques (such as slurry casting and dry coating) with the materials chemistry of the electrode components, electrode structure design and cell performance, we aim to outline the areas of development for high-areal-capacity electrodes and provide a structured pathway for bridging the gap between laboratory innovations and industrial scale-up.