Quintus Technologies has entered into a research partnership with the Laboratory for Energy Storage and Conversion (LESC) at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and the University of California, San Diego to support advancements in all-solid-state battery (ASSB) development.
Designed to meet the needs of the research community, the model MIB 120 from Quintus Technologies is a self-contained isostatic battery press with minimal need for additional infrastructure.
The initiative focuses on improving manufacturing methods for solid-state batteries, which are considered a promising technology for electric vehicles (EVs) due to their potential for increased safety, higher energy density, and faster charging.
As part of the collaboration, researchers will deploy the MIB 120 warm isostatic press, a compact system that combines elevated temperature and isostatic pressure to densify layered battery components. Traditional methods, such as calendaring or hot pressing, often result in inadequate particle contact and structural inconsistencies.
In contrast, warm isostatic pressing enables uniform compression across multilayer cells, preserving internal structure and minimizing local defects.
“The increasing battery deployment to achieve a carbon-free economy comes with a rising concern for battery safety and performance,” said Professor Y. Shirley Meng of the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and the University of California San Diego. “Next-generation all-solid-state batteries can mitigate such hazards by removing the flammable liquid in the closed system.”
Research indicates that isostatic pressure is uniquely effective in eliminating porosity in coated composite layers inside ASSBs, which improves electrochemical performance and enables more consistent results across different cell formats. The MIB 120 press is designed for laboratory-scale development with parameters that are scalable to industrial production, including pressure up to 600 MPa and operating temperatures up to 140° C.
The new equipment will be installed at the LESC facility in Chicago in July 2025. The system will be used to refine the assembly of multilayer solid-state batteries under controlled conditions and support research into stackable architectures. The acquisition is supported by the LG Energy Solution Frontier Research Laboratory, which aims to accelerate ASSB research through industry-academic collaboration.
The partnership also provides access to Quintus’s Battery Application Center in Columbus, OH, where early trials will be conducted with technical support from Quintus engineers. The facility will help optimize key processing parameters before scaling up.
All equipment adheres to current ASME high-pressure safety codes, with a focus on operator safety and reproducibility for battery cell testing. The research is intended to contribute to the broader commercialization effort for solid-state batteries in transportation and stationary storage applications.
Filed Under: Batteries, Technology News