Public Funding for Knowles (UK) Limited

Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors (MLCCs) are increasingly being demanded for emerging PEMD applications, where high-voltage and high-temperature demands can only be met by MLCCs. These emerging, demanding applications are predicted to drive shipments in the years ahead. Currently there are no ceramic-based solutions that can achieve this as any such part would be too expensive, composed of banks of capacitors. This demand is exasperated by the current global shortage of MLCCs and significant challenges associated with extracting necessary raw materials such as Palladium(Pd) and Nickel(Ni). Within these emerging applications, Electric Vehicle (EV) power electronics systems are a critical market. Greater vehicle electrification is resulting in thousands of MLCCs per vehicle, the latest EVs having 10,000-15,000 MLCCs/vehicle. Increasing near-powertrain, power electronics require higher voltage (\>30V/µm) at temperatures \>100°C. In order to support EV manufacture and promote adoption, there is a **clear commercial need** for MLCCs with high-temperature and high-voltage performance that are free of Palladium, Platinum(Pt) and lead(Pb) that can be realised commercially. **Kaleidoscope addresses DER challenge through:** * **Growing UK supply chains** for global supply of powders and pastes for high-energy density dielectrics and low-cost, non-reacting Ag-based, Pd/Pt free electrode alloys for MLCCs. * **Reaching for net zero** through meeting the increasing technical demands for a range of emerging "green" applications, such as EVs, the materials supply chains will be better able to serve these markets commercially, reducing CO2 emissions. **Kaleidoscope** addresses these challenges by: * Developing environmentally-friendly, lead-free (non-toxic), high-energy density dielectrics and low-cost, non-reacting Ag-based, Pd/Pt free electrode alloys and industrial-scale scale up (post-project). These approaches, combined with demonstration of MLCC production and performance, will enable our consortium to build UK-based supply chains for global supply of powders and pastes for printing ceramic dielectrics and electrically conducting electrodes for MLCCs. **Kaleidoscope** **will open up the rapidly growing EV power electronics market to MLCCs, addressing net-zero demand.** **Kaleidoscope** **is considered innovative** as it will radically improve upon the nearest current _state-of-the-art best-in-class_ BaTiO3 ceramic-based MLCCs. Developing materials and processes to enable these MLCCs to be produced for niche and volume supply chains, **Kaleidoscope** is considered a game-changing development that opens up global power electronic applications. **Kaleidoscope** consists of 4 partners, including an SME, who have the expertise needed to develop the high-energy density dielectrics and low-cost, non-reacting Ag-based, Pd/Pt free electrode alloys and build materials supply chains for global exploitation.

Ceramic and glass bodies are manufactured widely in the UK and used by many foundation industries, from the production of ceramic electronic components used in all modern electronics, to glass and refractory kiln linings essential for glass and metal processing furnaces. All require sintering in their green state, at high temperature and over long timescales. With extended cycle times and high consumption of energy, the development of a sintering technology to significantly reduce the energy used, lower peak furnace temperature, and increase speed of sintering would provide a step change in resource efficiency for foundation industry users. This project will target benefits in resource and energy efficiency assessing the possibility of combining two novel and highly energy efficient sintering technologies to exploit the strengths of both systems, and provide sintering in seconds at temperatures as low as 100oC. Current state of the art sintering involves peak temperatures of 1200 oC -- 1800 oC +, applied for a number of hours. The project's objective is to develop a processing technology for use by the glass, ceramics (focused on electroceramics and refractories) sectors, each a foundation industry. The project builds on Lucideon' s expertise in the development of flash sintering technology, and the University of Sheffield's (UoS) development of cold sintering . Cold sintering is a pressure assisted densification technology that relies on the aqueous dissolution of ions from the constituent oxides followed by recrystallisation as the water evaporates above its the boiling point. Although many ceramic systems or ceramic composites cold sinter, the technique cannot yet be applied to all ceramics. Moreover parts are held under load for several minutes, which limits scaling the technique for manufacturing. Flash sintering has been successful in sintering a wide range of ceramic materials, but still requires relatively high furnace temperatures of 800 to 900oC. This project addresses these limitations by building a hybrid flash/cold system and providing densification within seconds at ultra-low temperatures compared to conventional sintering. This is a highly innovative world first that could usher in a new paradigm in materials processing. Technology route to market will be licencing via technology sales to manufacturers. The project will be industry led with a steering committee of project partners, represented by the foundation industries targeted .

Motivation Energy storage systems play an important role in the sustainable energy program worldwide as they enable more efficient use of energy generated, which in turn, supports the stabilization of energy market and reduces the environment impact. Efficient power conversion and management is essential for the operation of hybrid and electric vehicles (HEV), with automotive power electronics representing an emerging £40 billion global market. Current technology requires cooling of the power electronics because of limitations in the temperature rating of the components, particularly capacitors. Today’s capacitors in HEV employ electrolytic-based capacitors which cannot tolerate temperatures usually above 70 °C and voltages above 450 V and suffer from short lifetime. This is a major limitation to HEV, as it requires capacitors to operate up to 600 V and temperatures up to 140 °C. Aims This project aims to develop a new generation of high temperature stability, high energy density lead-free capacitors that will enable power electronics to operate at significantly higher temperatures (up to or above 200 °C). This will be achieved as follows: • Develop and optimize high energy density thin film compositions with high temperature stability up to 200 °C with low loss and low leakage. • Process ceramics of the developed compositions and optimize their energy density, loss and leakage properties. • Develop scaleable processes for high energy density ceramics. • Produce capacitors based on the selected composition and evaluate part properties. Impact: New high temperature and energy density capacitors would support the fast development of HEV and energy harvesting sector and thus reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. As well as the market for automotive power converters major opportunities also exist for high temperature, high energy density lead-free capacitors for emerging pulsed power applications and high voltage capacitors. General electronics applications would also benefit from a reduction in size through improved energy / capacitance density and reduced voltage coefficient of capacitance.

The goal of the NASTRAC project is to manufacture bulk advanced ceramic components with significantly enhanced properties delivered via a retained nanostructure. This will be demonstrated during the project at a pilot-scale level. Uniquely, the goal will be achieved using largely conventional processing routes (for example, powder suspension optimisation, atomisation to form a granulate and then pressing / sintering). The partners aim to realise a combined increase in sales of £5-10M over 5 years from project end. Advanced ceramic components, currently worth £17B worldwide, play an enabling role across many sectors. The NASTRAC project will focus on 2 case studies (zirconia inserts for valves and barium titanate capacitors), with inputs along the supply chain. Work will involve applying patented technology to create high solids content suspensions. Following conventional shaping, novel firing schedules (including microwave-assisted firing) will be used to ensure the nanostructure is retained. The final components will be assessed using in-field testing and / or appropriate in-service tests.