DRYtraec®-enabled upcycling of scrap waste into scalable sulfur-carbon/argyrodite cathodes and lithium metal anodes for cyclable lithium-sulfur prototype cells

Solid-state batteries with argyrodite-based electrolytes have great potential to reach 500 Wh kg-1 and higher, but still suffer from reversible electrochemical cyclability. The main reason for this is the required metallic lithium anode that creeps along the grain boundaries of the solid electrolyte during the high pressures of prototype cell manufacturing. To solve this issue, trials with different pressure procedures are required to fabricate cells. Since the argyrodite-based sulfidic electrolyte is still quite cost-intensive, recycling of the cathode material including the catholyte is much favored. Consequently, this study evaluates the DRYtraec® dry coating technology for the resource-efficient, scalable fabrication of solid-state lithium‑sulfur battery (LS-SSB) cathodes, particularly with a focus on the reusability of cost-intensive argyrodite-based electrode scrap waste. Using the solvent-free approach, cathodes can be produced with consistent thickness and sulfur loading, enabling simplified recycling of the electrode material up to four times without significant loss in quality or electrochemical performance. Electrochemical testing confirms high initial capacities of up to 1480 mAh gS-1 and stable cycling behavior in both lab-scale and pouch cell formats. Notably, the study demonstrates, for the first time, the successful cycling of an LS-SSB pouch cell incorporating a metallic lithium anode, achieving 1500 mAh gS-1 and over 20 cycles. These findings underscore the potential of DRYtraec® for sustainable, high-performance LS-SSB production and mark a significant step toward practical solid-state battery commercialization.