PULSELiON Celebrates Its 30th Open Access Publication
The PULSELiON project is pleased to announce its 30th open access publication, titled “Influence of Slurry Drying Machinery Conditions on Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode Microstructural Properties: Multiscale Modelling Insights”, to be published in the Journal of Power Sources on 1 October 2026.
The study investigates how drying conditions during battery electrode manufacturing influence the final microstructure of lithium-ion battery cathodes. Since slurry drying is one of the most energy-intensive and costly steps in battery manufacturing, understanding and optimizing this process is essential for improving both battery performance and production efficiency.
To address this challenge, the authors developed a novel multiscale modelling framework that links drying machine operating conditions to the resulting electrode microstructure. The approach combines a macroscale model of the drying equipment, a one-dimensional drying kinetics model, and a three-dimensional mesoscale model to predict how local drying conditions affect the distribution of materials within the electrode.
The research demonstrates that local variations in airflow can result in non-uniform drying across the electrode and that high drying rates promote migration of binder materials toward the electrode surface. At the same time, the study shows that the internal pore structure of the electrode limits the free movement of binder, influencing the final microstructural properties. The results indicate that balanced drying conditions provide the best compromise for optimizing electrode structure and performance.
By providing new insights into the relationship between manufacturing conditions and electrode properties, this work contributes to the digitalization and optimization of battery manufacturing processes and supports the development of more efficient energy storage technologies.
The publication was authored by Abhilash Valisammagari, Francisco Fernandez, Mohammed Alabdali, and Alejandro A. Franco, and acknowledges support from the PULSELiON Horizon Europe project.