The Ultra-Thin Battery Foil Market Will Continue to Grow in the Future [SMM Aluminum Industry Conference]

The magnitude of surface wetting tension is commonly referred to as the "dyne value," with its accurate term being the "surface tension coefficient." Ultra-thin aluminum foil is more prone to defects such as surface cross-grain and scratches during the rolling process, and it tends to have more surface oil than conventional products, leading to situations where the dyne value does not meet standards. Factors influencing defects include the strength of the rolling oil film, roll crown, roll roughness, and pass reduction rate. 5. Pinholes (numerous pinholes, prone to breakage) As the thickness of battery aluminum foil decreases from the commonly used 12μm-15μm to 9μm-10μm, the adverse effects of pinholes gradually become apparent. They may cause breakage during foil rolling production and during the rolling process of pole pieces, especially in the blank areas of the pole pieces. However, battery manufacturers not only do not lower their requirements for the number and diameter of pinholes due to the thinning of aluminum foil but instead demand higher standards. Theoretically, the fewer the pinholes and the smaller their diameter, the better. Pinholes (numerous pinholes, exceeding standards) Excessive localized dense pinholes can prevent normal slitting, affecting the yield of aluminum foil. Reducing pinhole defects (1) Quality control of raw materials: ① Strictly control the purity of aluminum ingots to reduce impurity content; ② Ensure the uniformity of batch alloy composition to avoid pinholes caused by composition segregation, phase aggregation, or local microstructure abnormalities; ③ Use effective refining and degassing processes during melting; ④ Employ superior filtration and purification devices to remove inclusions and oxide scales from the aluminum melt. The production of ultra-thin aluminum foil requires even stricter standards. (2) Stable rolling process: ① Reasonably control rolling speed to avoid surface cracks and pinholes caused by excessive speed; ② Optimize reduction to prevent uneven internal microstructure deformation and stress concentration, which can lead to pinholes; ③ Ensure roll quality and regular maintenance, selecting rolls with good surface quality and high precision to maintain surface smoothness and uniformity, reducing pinholes caused by roll defects. (3) Strengthen clean production: Implement reasonable clean production processes in casting (hot rolling), cold rolling, and foil rolling to ensure good mill and production environments. (4) Install online pinhole detection equipment to monitor pinholes on the aluminum foil surface in real-time, promptly identify and handle products with pinhole defects, and adjust production process parameters based on detection results. 6. Edge quality Ultra-thin aluminum foil is more prone to defects such as edge burrs, edge waves, edge scratches, and end-face aluminum powder during the slitting process. Factors influencing defects: equipment precision, slitting tool quality/lubrication/angle, aluminum foil flatness, and operator skill. Performance challenges of ultra-thin battery aluminum foil In terms of performance, mechanical property requirements are increasingly stringent, with current and proposed performance indicators. As battery foil thickness decreases, strength and toughness tend to decline, making it more brittle and prone to breakage, posing significant challenges in processing and usage. For example, during battery production processes such as coating and winding, ultra-thin battery foil must withstand certain tension and pressure. Insufficient performance can lead to issues like rupture and wrinkling. Poor mechanical properties can cause battery foil to easily break during use, affecting battery safety and stability. For instance, during battery charge and discharge cycles, the expansion and contraction of electrode materials may cause cracks in the battery foil, leading to internal short circuits and safety incidents. ► How to improve the performance indicators of ultra-thin aluminum foil? (1) Optimize the quality of raw and auxiliary materials: Select high-purity aluminum ingots and high-quality refining agents, additives, and intermediate alloys to avoid the impact of impurities on the performance of ultra-thin aluminum foil. (2) Optimize the ratio and content of alloy elements and add rare earth elements to improve the performance of ultra-thin aluminum foil. (3) Optimize heat treatment processes, precisely control annealing temperature, time, and cooling rate to achieve good comprehensive performance in aluminum foil. (4) Optimize rolling processes. Adopt multi-pass, small-reduction rolling methods to refine grains and improve the strength and toughness of aluminum foil. At the same time, control rolling speed and tension to avoid defects such as uneven thickness and surface scratches, enhancing surface quality and dimensional accuracy. Future predictions for ultra-thin battery aluminum foil The ultra-thin battery foil market is vast. In the future, the ultra-thin battery foil market will continue to grow. From a policy perspective, government support for the new energy industry continues to drive the development of new energy vehicles and energy storage, thereby boosting demand for ultra-thin battery foil. From a technological perspective, continuous innovation in battery technology, such as the development and commercialization of semi-solid, solid-state, and sodium-ion batteries, imposes higher performance requirements on ultra-thin battery foil and presents new market opportunities. From a market perspective, increasing performance demands in consumer electronics, industrial, and energy storage sectors will drive sustained growth in demand for ultra-thin battery foil. Additionally, in the aerospace sector, extremely high battery performance requirements, including high energy density, lightweight, and high reliability, make ultra-thin battery foil essential for enhancing battery performance in aerospace equipment under extreme conditions. To improve the energy density and performance of lithium batteries, the trend of thinning battery aluminum foil will continue, and the ultra-thin battery foil market is vast. Structural shortages are prominent. High-end ultra-thin aluminum foil (e.g., 8μm products) faces supply shortages due to high technical barriers and low yield rates. By 2025, the demand for ultra-thin aluminum foil is expected to increase, but capacity is concentrated in a few enterprises, exacerbating market differentiation. Cost and process bottlenecks Cost and price factors: Low yield rates result in high scrap costs, which significantly impact product prices. As technology advances and production scales up, costs are expected to gradually decrease, further driving market demand. Meanwhile, fluctuations in aluminum prices will also affect the price of battery aluminum foil, influencing the supply-demand relationship. The production of ultra-thin aluminum foil relies on high-purity aluminum ingots and precision rolling technology. Raw material fluctuations and process stability directly affect capacity release. Top-tier enterprises need to increase R&D investment to break through technical bottlenecks and produce ultra-thin lithium battery aluminum foil that is thinner, stronger, more conductive, and has better surface quality. Small enterprises face significant survival pressure due to limited technical capabilities and insufficient capacity, putting them at a disadvantage in competition with larger firms. Finally, it provides an introduction to the company and its product specifications. 》Click to view the AICE 2025 SMM (20th) Aluminum Industry Conference and Aluminum Industry Expo special report.