Global hub for research and development, testing, and prototyping of Henkel’s functional coatings for lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing.
At the heart of every battery pack are battery cells. Those cells must deliver not only power and range, but also safety, efficiency, and longevity.
The functional coatings applied to the cells, including conductive coatings and dielectric coatings, are only microns thick, but play an outsized role in increasing long-term performance, decreasing charging time, and providing vital insulation and thermal protection.
As EV architecture evolves from cell-to-module and cell-to-pack and even cell-to-chassis configurations, the continued development of advanced coatings becomes not only important, but essential, in developing batteries to drive tomorrow’s mobility.
Our state-of-the-art labs for conductive coating development are supported by a robust team of application engineers and functional coating specialists producing foil-coated samples, validating the coatings through rigorous testing, and enabling seamless product scale-up for EV battery manufacturers.
Formulating and validating conductive coatings that enable strong adhesion between current-collector foils and active materials take place in an end-to-end process across our labs.
Milling, mixing, and testing
Our advanced milling lab expertly refines pigments to their optimal particle size before blending, while precision instruments – such as pH meters, viscometers, surface tensiometers, and particle size analysers – carefully ensure formulations meet strict and variable customer requirements.
Our fully automated coil coater bridges lab-scale formulation to serial production by enabling trials of material, equipment, and line integration under real assembly line conditions.
The coil coater delivers precise, high-speed application of conductive electrode coatings onto both aluminium and copper foils. Once coated, manufacturers layer active material onto the foil, which is then ready to be cut and formed based on battery cell format.
Through an atmosphere-controlled coin cell assembly station, Henkel’s Center of Excellence, Functional Coatings, produces coated foil prototypes, enabling customers to evaluate coating performance of full electrode stack assemblies, under real-world conditions.
A variety of equipment measures essential attributes, such as electron transfer efficiency between the current collector and active material, resistance to humidity and temperature, and cycling behaviour that impacts charging speed and battery lifespan.
This in-house assembly and testing enables rapid iteration, performance validation, and design optimization – fast-tracking commercialisation while reducing risk and increasing confidence in final product performance.
Dielectric coatings form a protective layer over battery cell and power conversion components to provide critical electrical insulation, thermal protection, and mechanical durability within high-voltage battery systems. As a thin, lightweight alternative to bulky physical separators or mica sheets, dielectric coatings provide a thermal barrier to slow thermal propagation, enhancing passenger safety and ensuring the electrical integrity, safety, and reliability of EV battery systems.
Developing high-performing dielectric coatings requires consistent and homogeneous material. Henkel’s Center of Excellence, Functional Coatings employs advanced milling and mixing technologies to ensure uniform particle dispersion and optimal viscosity control in both solvent-based and solvent-free formulations.
Henkel’s plasma surface treater ensures proper surface preparation, removing oils, dust, and oxides that can interfere with adhesion and insulation.
Our automated spray equipment can spray custom patterns across different geometries and substrates, while maintaining control over film thickness, uniformity, and overspray. After spraying, 2D and 3D UV-cure ovens provide fast processing times, helping to validate cure rates and adhesion performance.
Our high-potential testing and LCR meters are designed to validate long-term electrical insulation, prevent leakage, and ensure coatings meet or exceed industry standards and customer requirements.
Learn more about Henkel's global network of centres for battery solutions.
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