Lotte Energy Materials Corp., a major South Korean battery materials maker, said on Tuesday it developed a nickel-plated copper foil for solid-state batteries, a game changer in the electric vehicle industry.
A nickel-plated copper foil, a next-generation electrolytic copper foil with nickel coated on both sides, improves surface corrosion resistance and conductivity as a current collector for a sulfide solid-state battery. A copper foil, also known as elecfoil, is a thin foil that surrounds the anode, the negative end of a lithium-ion battery.
Lotte, which has been cooperating with domestic major EV battery makers since the early stage of its development to optimize it to solid-state batteries, said it is testing samples of the nickel-plated copper foil for their manufacturing processes and form factors.
The company, formerly Iljin Materials Co., is also researching various types of nickel surface treatment to ensure adhesion with active materials.
“We aim to take the lead in the future industry by dominating the next-generation copper foil market as the first company succeeding in manufacturing copper foils in Korea,” said Lotte CEO Kim Yeon-seop.
COST COMPETITIVENESS
Sulfide-based batteries need either stainless foils, nickel foils or nickel-plated copper foils to prevent corrosion by sulfur.
Battery manufacturers prefer nickel-plated copper foil as stainless and nickel products are expensive, hurting their cost competitiveness, according to Lotte.
The company’s nickel-plated copper foil can be customized with various options on nickel thickness and copper foil strength to meet clients’ needs.
Its nickel-plated copper foil with highly adhesive with active materials maintains its original quality and functions without corrosion and discoloration caused by chemical reactions, Lotte said.
