At LG Energy Solution's Daejeon R&D Center, which this reporter visited on Oct. 17, researchers were immersed in developing dry electrode technology, hailed as a "game changer" in the industry. They stared at lab monitors, meticulously inspecting the quality of samples produced by dry electrode equipment. Beyond basic property checks — including the thickness, loading and adhesion of chemicals bonded to the electrodes — they repeatedly used ultra-precision microscopes to confirm that cathode materials were evenly coated.
The dry electrode technology they are developing is an innovative method that forms electrode sheets by compacting active materials into solid powder, replacing the conventional wet process that applies and dries a "slurry" — a mixture of active materials, conductive additives and binders — using liquid solvents. Electrodes are a core battery component that stores and releases energy by coating slurry onto ordinary metal.
The dry electrode process eliminates the need for equipment to dry and recover liquid solvents, dramatically shortening production lines. It also cuts energy consumption and carbon emissions, and because no liquid solvent is used, it is free from environmental regulations.
The biggest advantage of the dry electrode process, into which LG Energy Solution is pouring its R&D capabilities, is cost competitiveness. Because production equipment is smaller than in the wet process, the site required to build a factory shrinks by about 30%, reducing overall investment costs. Without liquid solvents, electricity needed to run drying equipment is saved, trimming production costs by roughly 17%.
Electrodes made with the dry process also deliver superior performance. The wet process has limits in applying sufficient active materials and additives onto foil via a dryer. By contrast, the dry process can load 20% more active materials and additives onto foil without quality degradation. This allows cells to achieve higher energy density or greater capacity, extending the lifespan and driving range of electric vehicle batteries. In short, costs drop while performance rises.
"Applying the dry process to LFP (lithium iron phosphate) electrodes would deliver better performance while narrowing the price gap with China, offering a chance to recover lost market share," a battery industry official said.
Dry electrodes are also seen as a technology that will determine the success or failure of all-solid-state batteries, the next-generation battery. All-solid-state batteries degrade easily on the surface from even small amounts of moisture, sharply reducing performance. Because wet-process electrodes must use liquid solvents that are difficult to completely remove even after drying, resolving this issue has become a top priority for both industry and academia.
Using dry electrodes eliminates the need for liquid solvents in the production process, securing product stability. LG Energy Solution is considering applying dry electrodes first to cathodes in all-solid-state battery manufacturing, then expanding their use to anodes.
Dry electrodes are also a lever for enhancing the competitiveness of energy storage system (ESS) batteries, which have emerged as a cash cow for Korea's battery industry. Unlike EVs, ESS batteries face lower demands for fast charging or high output but must operate stably over long periods.
Along with LG Energy Solution, battery makers at home and abroad are competing to secure dry electrode technology. Tesla preemptively acquired related technology in 2019 by buying Maxwell, a specialist in the dry electrode process. Tesla has applied the dry electrode process to its 4680 cells (46 mm in diameter, 80 mm in height), with trial production underway since 2024. Samsung SDI and SK On are each operating pilot lines for the dry electrode process while timing their shift to mass production.
Chinese battery maker CATL is reviewing the application of dry process technology to large-format cells, while BYD is considering its use in all-solid-state batteries. Panasonic operates a pilot line for 4680-battery dry electrode processes at its Wakayama plant in Japan.
With all major global battery firms joining the race to develop dry electrode technology, competition to stake out the technology is intensifying by the day. Tesla has filed and published a patent for a "dry electrode manufacturing method," a technology that uses multiple round roll units to produce uniform, flat electrodes.
"As technology development accelerates, the likelihood of patent disputes will inevitably grow, so how stably and swiftly dry process technology is adopted will shape the global battery industry landscape," a battery industry official said.