What’s Happening
Nuvola Technology, formerly known as Millibatt, a venture-backed startup specializing in battery materials, has announced the creation of its patented SafeCoat Direct Deposition Separator (DDS)™. This material tackles the main trigger of lithium-ion battery fires by replacing the traditional plastic sheet separator material used in battery production. The ground-breaking SafeCoat spray-on coating fully encapsulates the battery’s electrodes, preventing thermal runaway and potential fires. Nuvola’s innovation has led to them being selected as one of the ten victors in the 2022 Battery Challenge held by LG Energy Solution, a competition that saw participation from over 100 companies.
Why It Matters
Lithium-ion battery fires, commonly due to internal manufacturing errors within battery cells, are a significant safety concern in electric vehicles (EVs), e-scooters, e-bikes, and cell phones. Conventional batteries often incorporate thousands of thin sheets of a porous plastic membrane, whose primary role is to prevent internal battery electrodes from contact. This 50-year-old technology, however, is susceptible to assembly errors and failures. A single damaged sheet separator can lead to a fire—days, months, or even years after assembly. Nuvola’s SafeCoat aims to address this problem by substituting the sheet separator with a sprayed polymer coating, ensuring the electrodes never come into contact.
Key Points
- Nuvola’s SafeCoat DDS™ replaces the plastic sheet separator used in battery production with a spray-on coating.
- The company’s innovation prevents the battery’s electrodes from making contact, effectively eliminating the risk of fires.
- The SafeCoat DDS™ was one of the winners in the 2022 Battery Challenge organized by LG Energy Solution.
- The DDS™ technology is expected to hit the market in 2025 and is currently being evaluated by several major battery and car manufacturers.
Bottom Line
As per James Hodgson, Research Director, Automotive at ABI Research, “Nuvola Technology’s approach of separator coating offers the opportunity to improve both safety and production yield by modifying one step of the manufacturing process.” In essence, Nuvola Technology is at the forefront of revolutionizing battery safety, a critical priority for the EV market, by providing an effective solution to an insidious problem. With incidents of EV and e-bike fires exemplifying the potential consequences of battery failure, SafeCoat DDS™ stands as a beacon of hope. By eliminating the root cause of battery fires, Nuvola’s innovation promises not only enhanced safety but also a brighter future for the battery industry.
