Application of Ultrasonic Spraying in New Energy Industry

Ultrasonic spraying technology is highly sought after in the new energy industry due to its high efficiency, precision, and material conservation. It excels particularly in areas requiring uniform, ultra-thin coatings. 

The following are its main application scenarios and advantages:

Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM)

Gas Diffusion Layer (GDL)

Electrolytic Hydrogen Production - Electrolyzer Spraying

Batteries & Electrode and Electrolyte Membranes

Transparent Conductive Film (TCF)

1. Lithium Battery Manufacturing

Electrode Coating:

Cathode/Anode Materials: Ultrasonic spraying can uniformly apply slurries of active materials (such as LiFePO₄, NMC, and graphite) to form a thin layer with controllable thickness (micrometer-level), thereby improving battery energy density and cycle life.

Advantages: Compared to traditional blade coating, it reduces material waste (slurry utilization rate exceeding 90%), prevents slurry sedimentation, and is suitable for high-viscosity or nanomaterials.

Solid Electrolyte Coating: Used for spraying ultra-thin solid electrolyte layers (such as LLZO) to improve interfacial contact.

Diaphragm Coating:

Spraying ceramic (Al₂O₃) or polymer coatings enhances the diaphragm's high-temperature resistance and electrolyte wettability.

2. Fuel Cells

Catalyst Layer (CCM):

Uniformly spraying platinum catalyst onto the proton exchange membrane (PEM) or gas diffusion layer (GDL), reducing platinum usage (lowering costs) and improving reaction efficiency.

Electrolyte Membrane Coating: Precision spraying of materials such as Nafion avoids the swelling issues associated with traditional processes.

3. Solar Cells

Perovskite Solar Cells:

Spraying perovskite precursor solutions achieves uniform film formation over large areas, eliminating material waste associated with spin coating.

Suitable for flexible substrates (such as PET), promoting the development of lightweight batteries.

Transparent Conductive Coating (TCO): Spraying indium tin oxide (ITO) or silver nanowires replaces costly vacuum coating.

4. Other New Energy Applications

Supercapacitors:

Spraying activated carbon or graphene electrodes increases specific surface area and charge transfer efficiency. Hydrogen Storage and Transportation Materials:

Blocking coatings are sprayed onto the inner surface of hydrogen storage tanks to reduce hydrogen permeation.

Technical Advantages

High Precision: Small droplet size (10-50 microns) is suitable for complex substrates (such as porous electrodes).

Low Loss: No spray gun clogging, slurry recovery, suitable for expensive materials (such as platinum and nanomaterials).

Environmental Protection and Energy Saving: No high-pressure gas is required, reducing solvent volatilization (VOC emissions are reduced by over 30%).

Challenges and Trends

Process Optimization: Matching slurry rheology with ultrasonic parameters (frequency and amplitude) is required.

Scaling: Developing multi-nozzle array technology to meet mass production requirements (such as GW-scale battery production lines).

Adapting to New Materials: Developing spray coating processes for emerging materials such as silicon anodes and sulfur cathodes.

Ultrasonic spraying technology is driving the upgrade of new energy equipment towards higher performance and lower cost, particularly in the thin-layer coating field, replacing traditional processes. With increasing automation, its application scope is expected to expand further in the future.

RPS-SONIC Ultrasonic spraying equipment videos: