Huntsville, Alabama: Australia-listed advanced manufacturing firm Titomic Limited (ASX: TTT) has secured a key purchase order for Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) as it advances the commercial application of its proprietary Titomic Kinetic Fusion™ (TKF™) technology for lithium-ion battery (LIB) electrode manufacturing—marking a significant step into the high-growth semiconductor and clean energy supply chain.
The development follows a strategic collaboration with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Energy Storage Engine program in Upstate New York. The partnership is focused on replacing traditional slurry-based electrode manufacturing with a cold spray-based dry-coating process, a shift expected to significantly improve production efficiency, sustainability, and scalability.
Transforming Conventional Battery Manufacturing
Conventional LIB electrode production involves multiple energy-intensive stages such as mixing, coating, drying, and calendaring. Titomic’s TKF™ cold spray process eliminates these steps by directly depositing electrode powders onto aluminum or copper foils, enabling faster production with reduced environmental impact. The technology can be seamlessly integrated into existing roll-to-roll battery manufacturing lines or adapted for 3D-printed electrodes with customized structures and compositions.
Four-Phase Technical Program to Industrial Scale
The joint development program with RPI is structured across four stages:
-
Phase 1: Material feasibility testing of advanced anode and cathode powders—including silicon, LTO, LMO, and LFP—with comprehensive micro and macro characterization.
-
Phase 2: Electrode demonstrator development and electrochemical performance validation.
-
Phase 3: Deployment of a pilot-scale TKF™ cold spray system integrated into a customer’s roll-to-roll LIB production line.
-
Phase 4: Detailed scalability and cost assessment to enable commercial-scale transition.
Notably, the process enables the development of advanced silicon–copper composite electrodes, which offer ultra-high theoretical energy capacity, while also supporting the production of fully dry-coated, solvent- and binder-free batteries.
Strategic Expansion into Clean Energy
Commenting on the milestone, Jim Simpson, CEO and Managing Director of Titomic, said the breakthrough signals a major expansion opportunity for the company in clean energy manufacturing.
“By applying our proven TKF™ cold spray technology to battery electrode manufacturing, we are addressing long-standing efficiency and sustainability challenges in lithium-ion production. This advancement supports both our customers’ manufacturing goals and the global transition toward electrification and renewable energy.”
Faculty leads from RPI also highlighted the industrial significance of the technology.
“Direct deposition of functional electrode materials—without binders, solvents, or drying steps—addresses major inefficiencies in traditional LIB manufacturing. Titomic’s systems enable high-throughput electrode deposition critical to large-scale energy transition,” said Prof. Semih Akin and Prof. Nikhil Koratkar, principal investigators on the NSF-backed project.
Positioned for Global Scale-Up
With over a decade of experience delivering cold spray solutions across the aerospace, defense, and energy sectors, Titomic is now leveraging its TKF™523 and TKF™623 platforms to support high-performance battery electrode production at industrial scale. The LRIP order strengthens the company’s position within the fast-evolving semiconductor and energy storage manufacturing ecosystem.