Critical Resources Partners With CSIRO on DSD Scale-Up

Critical Resources managing director Tim Wither talked with Proactive about the company’s collaboration with CSIRO to optimise and scale its dry supersonic deposition (DSD) battery manufacturing technology. Wither said the CSIRO collaboration provides further validation of work already undertaken with the South Dakota School of Mines in the US and will support the next phase of Critical Resources’ DSD and battery development programs. He explained that conventional lithium battery manufacturing uses a wet slurry containing polymer binders and solvents, which is coated onto foil and dried in high-temperature ovens. By contrast, the DSD process deposits battery material in a single dry step to form a dense layer, with Wither highlighting the potential manufacturing advantages as “no solvents, no binders and no ovens.” Following peer review of the company’s work in July, Wither said the next challenge was scaling the technology. CSIRO will apply advanced digital modelling to investigate the DSD process, including its operating window, the causes of defects and how the process behaves at higher volumes. The modelling will assess 14 different parameters and is expected to provide technical recommendations for potential optimisation. Wither also discussed battery testing underway in the US, where the company has progressed from coin cells to full-format pouch cells. Testing of those cells is continuing, with results expected to be reported after the ongoing cycling program. Looking ahead, Critical Resources plans to continue physical DSD testing while progressing its solid-state electrolyte program. Wither said successful integration of solid-state electrolytes into the DSD process would represent an important development toward producing a full-format cell for further testing and eventual independent evaluation. Visit Proactive’s YouTube channel for more interviews and market updates. If you found this video useful, give it a like, subscribe to the channel and enable notifications for future content.