Critical Resources Achieves Single-Step Solid-State Battery Composite Layer

Critical Resources Achieves Single-Step Composite Layer for Solid-State Batteries

Critical Resources Ltd (ASX: CRR) has reported a significant Critical Resources solid-state battery manufacturing breakthrough in its evaluation programme, confirming that a complete composite layer combining cathode, solid electrolyte and conductive network has been deposited in a single, dry, room-temperature step.

According to the ASX announcement dated 16 June 2026, the work was completed at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology within the US National Science Foundation supported Centre for Solid-State Electric Power Storage (CEPS). It is being advanced as part of a licensable, solvent-free manufacturing process targeting high-density computing, data centre, defence and aerospace applications.

The result progresses from the solvent-free lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode work reported on 5 March 2026 and links directly to Critical Resources Ltd's proprietary Amorphous Solid-State Electrolyte (ASE), previously benchmarked at 3.2 mS cm⁻¹ ionic conductivity in the 28 May 2026 announcement.

"Depositing solid electrolyte, cathode and a carbon-nanotube conductive network in a single step, is a genuine milestone for our program. The hardest part of a solid-state battery is the join between the cathode and the electrolyte, and forming that join during manufacture rather than pressing finished parts together afterwards is exactly the kind of problem this technology is designed to solve."

"Doing it solvent-free, at room-temperature, and with an advanced carbon-nanotube network built in, points to a cleaner and simpler way of making these cells. Pairing this with our ASE electrolyte results means we are now making progress on both halves of the solid-state battery problem — the material and the manufacturing."

"This is early-stage laboratory work, not commercial manufacturing. Depositing a standalone electrolyte layer on its own is still in development, and we are working through it methodically."

— Tim Wither, Managing Director, Critical Resources Ltd

What Was Achieved in the Latest Solid-State Milestone

According to the announcement, the new work demonstrates that three key battery components can be formed together as one integrated layer:

• Cathode — The energy-storing positive electrode, using lithium iron phosphate (LFP) as a reference material.
• Solid electrolyte — The ion-conducting medium, using lithium lanthanum zirconium oxide (LLZO) as a reference solid electrolyte.
• Electronic conductor — A carbon-nanotube (CNT) network that moves electrons and provides internal electrical connectivity.

Using the Dynamic Spray Deposition (DSD) process, these materials were co-deposited directly onto a battery-grade aluminium foil substrate in a single dry pass at room temperature.

Key technical outcomes reported include:

• Formation of a dense, uniform composite coating approximately 15 microns thick.
• Verification by scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging that the layer is continuous and tightly packed.
• Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis showing even distribution of the LLZO electrolyte across the surface rather than localised clumping.
• Preservation of a visible carbon-nanotube network within the coating after deposition.

No solvents, binders, drying ovens or high-temperature furnaces were used in the process.

The LLZO electrolyte deployed here is described as a reference material chosen to validate the DSD method. It is, furthermore, separate from Critical Resources Ltd's ASE material, which is planned to be integrated into the DSD process in a later step.

Educational Section: How Solid-State Batteries Differ from Conventional Lithium-Ion

To understand the significance of this Critical Resources solid-state battery manufacturing breakthrough, it is useful to outline the key differences between conventional lithium-ion cells and solid-state designs.

Basic Structure of a Conventional Lithium-Ion Cell

A typical lithium-ion battery uses:

• A cathode (positive electrode) that stores lithium ions.
• An anode (negative electrode), often graphite based.
• A liquid electrolyte, which is usually flammable and conducts lithium ions.
• A separator, a thin membrane that keeps the electrodes apart while allowing ions to move.

In these cells, the liquid electrolyte and separator add weight and volume. The flammable liquid component can, moreover, contribute to thermal runaway and fire under abuse or failure conditions.

Basic Structure of a Solid-State Cell

A solid-state battery replaces the liquid electrolyte and separator with a solid electrolyte. This solid material carries lithium ions while also acting as a physical barrier between electrodes.

Key potential attributes of the solid-state architecture, as outlined in the announcement, include:

The announcement explicitly notes that these are potential characteristics of the solid-state technology class and are not performance results demonstrated by Critical Resources Ltd at this stage. Achieving such performance at commercial scale depends on solving the manufacturing challenge, which is the core focus of the current programme.

Why Is Solid-State Relevant to Defence, Aerospace and Computing?

According to Critical Resources Ltd, solid-state architectures are being targeted because they may be suited to:

• Defence systems — Where thermal extremes, long duty cycles and reliability are critical.
• Aerospace and satellite platforms — Where non-flammable operation and lower system mass are priorities.
• High-density computing and data centres — Where thermal management, space constraints and uptime requirements are demanding.

The company highlights thermal stability, non-flammable chemistry, high energy density and wide operating temperature range as attributes being pursued within its solid-state battery evaluation work, in line with requirements emerging in these markets.

Understanding Dynamic Spray Deposition and Its Role

What Is Dynamic Spray Deposition (DSD)?

Dynamic Spray Deposition is described in the announcement as a dry, room-temperature spray process where prepared powder materials are accelerated onto a substrate in a single pass.

In this programme, DSD is used to:

• Deposit cathode powders, solid electrolyte powders and conductive additives together.
• Build a dense composite layer directly onto a foil current collector.
• Avoid conventional steps such as slurry mixing, solvent drying, calendering and furnace treatment.

The process is highlighted as solvent-free and low-temperature, reducing reliance on solvent purchase and disposal, large drying lines, and high-temperature processing equipment. It is also considered potentially capital- and energy-efficient, given the reduction in process stages.

Critical Resources Ltd notes that DSD is being evaluated as a licensable manufacturing pathway, rather than a production line the company would own.

Why Does the Single-Step Composite Matter?

The announcement identifies several reasons this co-deposition result is considered important from a technical and commercial perspective:

• Interface challenge addressed — Combining cathode and electrolyte in a single composite can distribute contact throughout the layer, rather than relying on a pressed interface between two separately manufactured sheets. Poor contact at this interface is described as a leading cause of solid-state cell failure.
• Manufacturing simplification — A one-step, solvent-free process that removes drying and furnace stages may reduce cost, energy use, factory footprint and process complexity.
• Alignment with extreme-environment focus — The programme is designed around applications where conventional lithium-ion faces thermal, weight and reliability constraints.

From an investor perspective, the company emphasises that battery chemistry performance has to be matched with manufacturability. The DSD result is presented as an example of how Critical Resources Ltd is attempting to de-risk licensable intellectual property rather than committing capital to plant and equipment.

Carbon Nanotubes: Integrated Conductive Network

The announcement places specific focus on the carbon-nanotube aspect of the composite. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are described as cylinders of carbon atoms, roughly a few thousand times thinner than a human hair, that are highly electrically conductive and mechanically strong.

In battery electrodes, CNTs can act as a lightweight electronic highway, moving electrons efficiently while using less carbon by weight than traditional additives.

In the DSD composite layer:

• CNTs were co-deposited with LFP and LLZO in the same supersonic spray step.
• A continuous conductive network was formed throughout the composite.
• SEM images revealed the intact CNT network across the coating surface post deposition.

Embedding this conductive network during a single dry fabrication step, rather than mixing it into a wet slurry for later drying, is presented as part of the advanced materials engineering underpinning the process IP that Critical Resources Ltd is seeking to license.

Two Workstreams: ASE Materials and DSD Manufacturing

The solid-state battery evaluation programme is structured around two main technical workstreams, which the announcement describes as complementary rather than independent.

The 16 June 2026 announcement is positioned as a connection point between these streams because it demonstrates that a solid electrolyte material (LLZO) can be incorporated into a composite using DSD. Future steps are planned to move from this LLZO reference material to Critical Resources Ltd's proprietary ASE and a high-temperature solid-state electrolyte (HTE) covered by an existing US patent.

Program Status: Current Position and Planned Steps

The announcement provides a concise progress snapshot and outlines defined next activities within the CEPS evaluation framework.

Programme Progress at a Glance

Coin cell electrochemical testing has commenced using a liquid electrolyte as a known reference, which is described as standard practice at this stage. Early results show charge and discharge behaviour consistent with the cathode and electrolyte materials performing as expected, with full characterisation still underway.

Defined Next Steps

According to the announcement, key upcoming activities include:

1. Standalone electrolyte deposition — Conditioning electrolyte feedstock (including ball-milling to improve particle shape and flow properties) and progressing towards depositing a pure electrolyte layer by DSD, which is seen as a precondition to integrating ASE into the process.
2. Composite characterisation — Completing SEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis to confirm coating density, check phase stability of the materials, and map the distribution of electrolyte and CNT network.
3. Electrochemical baseline completion — Continuing coin cell (CR2032) tests using the liquid reference electrolyte and using results to guide the transition to full-format pouch cell development.
4. Process optimisation — Refining DSD parameters using a computational model to widen the stable operating window and improve repeatability.

These steps are described as laboratory-stage technical gates designed to de-risk the solvent-free manufacturing concept without implying commercial-scale manufacturing at this point.

Licensing-Focused IP Strategy and External Context

Critical Resources Ltd is not positioning itself as a future battery manufacturer. Instead, the company's stated model is to develop and license battery and manufacturing-process intellectual property.

Key IP-related points from the announcement include:

• An exclusive option over a portfolio of solid-state battery patents from the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, comprising five granted US patents and one pending application.
• One patent, US 10,991,976, relates to a high-temperature solid-state electrolyte (HTE) developed with NASA support. As is standard for federally supported inventions, the United States Government retains certain rights in that patent.
• All new materials, processes and structures developed under the CEPS framework, including the dry DSD work, are reported to be covered by filed provisional patent applications.

The announcement also notes that dry, solvent-free fabrication has independently emerged as a preferred architecture in advanced aerospace battery programmes, citing NASA's SABERS programme (Solid-state Architecture Batteries for Enhanced Rechargeability and Safety) as one example of an initiative adopting a similar dry-process principle.

From an investor viewpoint, the company highlights that every validated step strengthens the licensable IP position and potentially widens future partnership and licensing options across defence, industrial and high-reliability infrastructure markets.

In parallel with this technology programme, Critical Resources Ltd continues to hold the Mavis Lake Lithium Project in Ontario, Canada, the Halls Peak Base Metals Project in New South Wales, and a growing gold portfolio in New Zealand. These resource assets provide commodity exposure alongside the solid-state battery IP strategy.

Investor Relevance: Why Monitor Critical Resources' Solid-State Programme?

For investors following the ASX resources and technology space, the 16 June 2026 update on this Critical Resources solid-state battery manufacturing breakthrough highlights several factors:

• The company is advancing both materials and manufacturing aspects of solid-state batteries within a structured research framework.
• The DSD milestone suggests a potentially scalable, solvent-free process for forming key components in a single step.
• Work remains at an early laboratory stage, however clear technical gates and independent testing are planned.
• The business model is licensing oriented, which may keep capital requirements lower than a build-own manufacturing strategy.
• The combination of solid-state IP and lithium/base metals/gold projects offers exposure to both raw materials and downstream technology.

Consequently, the next catalysts to watch include completion of coin cell characterisation, fabrication of a full-format DSD pouch cell, and subsequent independent testing, alongside ongoing integration of the ASE electrolyte with the DSD manufacturing route.

Want to Learn More About Critical Resources' Solid-State Battery Programme?

Critical Resources Ltd (ASX: CRR) is advancing a licensing-focused solid-state battery IP strategy that combines proprietary electrolyte materials with a solvent-free manufacturing process — all from within a US National Science Foundation supported research centre. With structured technical milestones ahead, including full-format pouch cell development and ASE electrolyte integration, this is a programme worth watching closely. To explore the company's projects and investment case in more detail, visit the Critical Resources website.