Leclanché Announces Battery Safety Breakthrough Reduces Thermal Risk Events by Nearly 80%

According to foreign media reports, Swiss battery manufacturer Leclanché said it has made a breakthrough in the safety of lithium-ion batteries without compromising the performance of the cells.By adding a special additive to the electrolyte formulation, thermal risk events can be reduced by nearly 80%.

(Image credit: Leclanché)

The 60 Ah cells were subjected to a series of industry standard nail penetration tests by Intertek Germany's external testing laboratory to confirm battery performance.Although the test cell was punctured by an internal short, the cell exhibited a much lower risk of fire than comparable cells without flame retardant additives.Production of the new cells is expected to start in the first quarter of 2023.

In Willstätt, Germany, Leclanché uses a proprietary process to produce battery cells.When producing electrolytes, water-based processes are used instead of organic solvents such as NMP.This greatly reduces the environmental impact and reduces carbon dioxide emissions.The process has been well-proven in commercial production over the past decade.

The cells are of great interest to users in the rail, truck and bus markets, given concerns about the risk of vehicle fires.Anil Srivastava, CEO of Leclanché, said: "Manufacturers are looking forward to the next generation of solid-state batteries. This breakthrough will inspire manufacturers to advance advanced fleet designs."

Pierre Blanc, the company's chief technology officer, said: "To achieve safety, many methods are currently taken that affect the performance or life of the battery. Leclanché has developed a high-performance, high-energy density lithium-ion cell. The safety of this cell High resistance but no negative impact on performance or longevity.”

Last June, Leclanché announced that it was developing a new generation of lithium-ion modules for energy-intensive e-mobility applications on road, rail and water; it also opened a new large-scale module manufacturing line in Switzerland.