Roll-2-Roll (R2R) Manufacture Of Multilayer Solid-state Batteries
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Southampton
Department Name: Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC)
Abstract
Li-ion batteries are used in electric vehicles, powering consumer electronics and to increase storage capacity for the electrical grid, among other applications. However, when these batteries malfunction, failure can result in explosions, toxic gas release, and fire. In contrast, the emerging solid-state battery technologies are inherently safer and can store more energy. Such benefits would mean electrical vehicles with longer driving range, more compact medical electronics for use inside the body and longer life consumer electronics. Despite obvious advantages, manufacture of these batteries is currently slow and expensive, using several time-consuming steps. This project researchers a novel approach for scalable solid-state glass battery manufacture. It shall draw ultra-thin molten glass sheets from a furnace. This material will be nearly ten-times thinner than a human hair, scalable in width up to several meters and continuously drawn in length. As the molten glass is drawn, materials will be added to form a battery in a continuous manufacturing approach. This will lead to higher volumes, lower cost and scalable glass battery production.
Organisations
Publications
Maniewski P
(2026)
High aspect-ratio quadrilateral flexible silica optical fibers for enhanced multi-parameter sensing.
in Nature communications
| Description | This project has shown that techniques originally developed to manufacture optical fibres can be repurposed to create a new class of solid state electrolyte materials for future batteries. Solid state electrolytes are solid materials that allow ions to move between battery electrodes. They are widely seen as a route to safer, higher energy density batteries compared with today's liquid based systems, but many candidate materials suffer from poor stability, difficult processing, or incompatibility with air and moisture. Using fibre drawing inspired manufacturing approaches, we have demonstrated that it is possible to form dense, uniform glass based electrolyte materials with tightly controlled composition and microstructure. Through systematic material screening, we have narrowed a large design space down to a small number of promising glass compositions that show good ionic transport behaviour and, crucially, stability when handled in air. The work has moved beyond proof of concept. We now have a composition that is reproducible, processable, and suitable for further electrochemical validation. This represents a substantial step towards scalable manufacturing of solid state electrolyte components using industrially relevant glass processing routes. The research has also generated new intellectual property opportunities. Several aspects of the glass forming and battery cell forming are potentially patentable and are currently undergoing further validation prior to formal filing. Overall, the project establishes a new manufacturing pathway for solid state battery materials and provides a strong foundation for follow on funding, industrial engagement, and eventual translation into next generation energy storage technologies. |
| Exploitation Route | The outcomes of this funding can be taken forward through a combination of intellectual property protection, industrial collaboration, and commercial development. The most immediate route is the filing of patents covering the newly identified glass drawing process and battery assembly. Protecting this intellectual property will enable the technology to be licensed to established battery manufacturers, materials suppliers, or advanced ceramics and glass companies. In parallel, the materials and processing methods can be shared with academic and industrial partners through collaborative projects, allowing others to evaluate performance in full battery cells, optimise compositions, and explore integration into different battery architectures. The longer term vision is commercialisation, either through licensing agreements or the creation of a University spin-out company focused on scalable production of specific solid state electrolyte materials. The use of manufacturing techniques already common within the glass and optical fibre industries lowers the barrier for industrial uptake, making translation more realistic. |
| Sectors | Electronics Energy Environment Transport |