Primary lithium cells remain a critical power source for applications where long shelf life, reliability, and high energy density are essential, including medical devices, defence systems, metering, and remote monitoring equipment.
One component that plays a vital role in their performance is the current collector. Increasingly, manufacturers are turning to expanded metal foil as an alternative to traditional solid foil collectors in primary lithium cell production.
Why Current Collectors Matter in Primary Lithium Cells
In primary (non-rechargeable) lithium cells, the current collector must provide:
- Reliable electrical conductivity
- Mechanical stability within the cell structure
- Strong adhesion to the active material
- Efficient material utilisation
- Low overall weight contribution
Poorly designed collectors can lead to uneven current distribution, reduced efficiency, or compromised structural integrity, all of which impact cell reliability over long service periods.
The Role of Expanded Metal Foil
Expanded metal foil is produced by slitting and stretching metal sheet into a mesh structure, creating a continuous network without welds or joints. This structure offers several advantages for current collectors:
- Improved active material anchoring due to the open mesh design.
- Reduced material usage – expanded foil is created by slitting and stretching a solid sheet, using significantly less material than solid foils.
- Bespoke Foil Geometries – thanks to in-house tooling and processing to support custom cell formats.
- Cost Efficiency – expanded metal is manufactured via an automated, low-waste process, making it 40% to 60% cheaper to produce than labour-intensive woven wire.
- Greater mechanical strength – compared to woven substrates. Made from one continuous sheet with no weak joints.
- Quality Assurance – Our proprietary expanding equipment is self-adjusting, enabling extremely consistent mesh production at micro scales.
- Fast lead-times – CThru’s streamlined production means custom mesh is delivered quickly, avoiding project delays as well as the option for smaller MOQs when compared to other marker alternatives.
- Local Stockholding & Service options available – Through Avocet’s UK facility, equipped with in house laboratory & QA facilities, ideally placed to support European customers.
In primary lithium cells, this can translate into better electrode stability and improved long-term performance, particularly in applications where reliability over years of operation is required.
Our Partnership with C-Thru Metals
At Avocet, we supply high-quality expanded metal foil through our partnership with C-Thru Metals, a US-based specialist manufacturer with extensive experience in precision expanded metal products.
C-Thru’s expertise allows us to offer expanded metal solutions tailored to battery applications, including controlled strand width, open area percentages, and material selection to meet specific current collector requirements.
By working together, we support primary lithium cell manufacturers with material solutions designed to integrate smoothly into existing production processes.
Supporting Advanced Battery Manufacturing
Whether you’re developing compact primary lithium cells for medical use or larger-format solutions for defence and industrial systems, the right current collector can make a measurable difference in performance and efficiency.
At Avocet, we work closely with battery manufacturers to ensure the expanded metal foil supplied aligns with their electrical, mechanical, and manufacturing needs.
If you’re reviewing your current collector design or exploring alternatives to solid foil, our team would be happy to discuss how expanded metal solutions could support your next project.
