Zeta Energy, a company developing lithium-sulfur batteries, has reported the development of a sulfurized carbon material compatible with dry-electrode processing. According to the company, the dry-processed cathodes when incorporated into pouch cells had equivalent performance to cells that had been made with wet-processed cathodes.

The general process of producing electrodes involves the use of wet processes, in which electrode materials are combined with a solvent and deposited as a slurry, which is then treated and dried. 

Zeta previously used aqueous processing with its water-compatible sulfurized carbon-cathode material. Now, with the successful implementation of the dry process, the company is able to avoid the use of solvents entirely when producing electrodes. This also eliminates the need for drying.

Analyst QuickTake: In April 2023 , Zeta demonstrated that its lithium-sulfur battery technology can use unrefined sulfur with no loss of performance. This signaled that the company can produce its batteries with locally available sulfur with no restrictions. Zeta’s sulfurized carbon material prevents the polysulfide shuttle effect , which enables the production of sulfur-based cathodes that offer strong stability and performance.