Aluminium foil for batteries

Aluminium foil is crucial for modern battery cells, forming their functional backbone. At Speira, we are the European pioneer for customized aluminium electrode foils, whether for electric vehicles or stationary energy storage systems. With ION Foil, we have developed a solution that sets new standards.

Schematic depiction of a battery cell’s inside.

Impressive properties – battery foil made of aluminium

High-performing cathode foils must be thin and flexible but simultaneously possess high mechanical strength. They must further show excellent electrical conductivity and ensure exceptional adhesion to the electrode material. As such, the material aluminium provides the right balance of conductivity, lightness and stability to ensure high performance, safety, and service life.

The advantages of ION Foil at a glance:

Flexible product dimensions: Thickness ranging from 12 to 20 µm, width from 200 to 1350 mm – suitable for series production and R&D
Customized surfaces: For optimum wettability and adhesion
Excellent flatness and tight tolerances: For precise coating and consistent cell performance
High strength and elongation: Mechanically resilient and easy handling in all production steps
Thermally and electrochemically stable: long-term stability during charging and discharging
Excellent weldability: For stable connections with minimal contact resistance
Sustainable material foundation: As a pioneer in Europe and specialist in rolled aluminium products, we have been actively shaping the battery revolution for over ten years. To do so, we rely on low-carbon aluminium.

Contact us and speak with our experts

Do you need high-performance series production or a sophisticated development partnership? Our specialists for aluminium foil for batteries support you from specification to series release – with technical advice, test material, and the right coil design for your process. If you are ready to elevate your cell production, contact us.

Requirements for a high-quality aluminium foil for battery electrodes

Hand gently holding the end part of an aluminium coil.

To produce high-performance and durable electrodes for battery cells, current collector foils have to meet demanding requirements in every phase of the production process. High mechanical strength and elongation are just as crucial as flawless surface quality, tight thickness tolerances, and excellent flatness. Thanks to modern inline and offline measuring systems, IATF-certified processes, and our many years of experience, our aluminium foils prove reliable for battery production. This and our ION Foil portfolio make us your reliable partner – from coating and drying, calendering and cutting the electrodes to cell assembly and use in vehicles or energy storage systems.

The foundation for the performance and service life of battery cells lies in tight tolerances and excellent evenness with minimum thickness of the current collector – as well as high surface quality on both sides. These properties are crucial for robust handling across processes and particularly uniform electrode coating. Additionally, this guarantees sufficient adhesion between the electrode foil and the coating. If requested, we supply aluminium foils for batteries with an additionally optimized surface – for example through corona treatment. This specifically increases the surface energy and further improves the adhesion of the coating.

Our foils’ high strength and simultaneous good elongation are necessary to enable them to withstand the high mechanical loads during the subsequent calendering process. This is the only way to compact the active mass sufficiently without causing strip break, before moving on to the cutting process. Here too, dimensional accuracy is required: The track must run stably without cambering or building up tension. All these factors lead to the production of precise electrode windings or stacks, which are welded, contacted, and finalized in the battery cell housing. Only with high-quality aluminium foil for your batteries this entire process chain can be run and reproduced smoothly.

Even during battery usage, good adhesion between the active material and the aluminium cathode foil, as well as the mechanical properties of the foil remain important. Thereby, changes in volume during charging and discharging of the cell can lead to mechanical stress concentration and potential damage to the electrodes over time, including separation from the active material. Aluminium foils for batteries, such as our ION Foil 1H18, are designed to withstand such stresses without any problems.

Simultaneously, the electrochemical stability of the electrode foil is crucial for lithium-ion batteries, as the current collectors are in permanent contact with the electrolyte. In typical lithium-ion battery electrolytes such as LiPF6, our aluminium foils form a passivation layer that prevents the foil from corroding during storage and cycling. Furthermore, high electrical conductivity of the battery foil with low contact resistance is essential for the performance of the cell in use.

Exemplary depiction of an electric car, visualising how it’s charged.

Our aluminium foil for modern battery cell technology: ION Foil

Aluminium components of batteries being stacked in a row.

ION Foil refers to our portfolio of aluminium foil solutions that we have developed as a key performance driver for modern cell technology. As a first mover in Europe, we at Speira recognized early on what really matters when it comes to electrode foils. Today, we lead production with IATF-certified processes that meet the high quality standards of the automotive industry and vehicle construction. Every batch is carefully monitored – surfaces, mechanical properties, and flatness are documented and checked.

Development and cooperation with research partners

Technological progress does not happen on its own. That's why we at Speira work closely with leading research institutes, universities, and industrial partners. Our aluminium foil for batteries is therefore used in numerous publicly funded research projects that are advancing battery technologies in Europe.

Good to know: Partnerships, co-creation, and joint development work are part of our DNA. It allows us to continuously develop ION Foil – for new cell formats, optimized processes, and increasing demands on sustainability and performance.

Why Speira is a reliable partner for aluminium foil for batteries

At Speira, we do not understand our role solely as a supplier but rather as a development partner, innovation driver, and sustainability designer. This attitude encompasses our rolled aluminium products and aluminium pre-material for various end products, like those used in the automotive or battery industry.

Our ION Foil product portfolio combines technological excellence, reliable series quality, and sustainable origins. Our many years of experience in aluminium processing, our specialization in rolled products for the battery industry and our in-depth understanding of processes make us a trusted partner for cell manufacturers worldwide.