Altech Batteries achieves “remarkable” Silumina Anodes™ milestone with 55% higher density anode

Altech Batteries achieves “remarkable” Silumina Anodes™ milestone with 55% higher density anode

Altech Batteries Ltd (ASX:ATC, OTC:ALTHF) has achieved what it describes as a “remarkable milestone” in the development of Silumina Anodes™ battery material technology with an average 55% surge in lithium battery anode energy capacity.

By utilising its innovative proprietary technology, Altech has improved on the previous 30% energy increase by blending alumina-coated silicon particles (10%) with battery-grade graphite, to create a composite graphite/silicon anode for the lithium-ion battery electrode.

Upon activation, this composite material has exhibited a 55% increase in capacity compared to the traditional graphite-only anode material.

Series of tests

In a series of tests, the Altech lithium-ion battery anode material exhibited an average energy retention capacity of approximately 500 mAh/g, which is significantly higher than the average of approximately 320 mAh/g for a normal lithium-ion battery anode.

Importantly, the Altech batteries demonstrated good stability and cycling performance, indicating that the technology is highly promising.

“Major step forward”

CEO and MD Iggy Tan said:

We are thrilled with the significant progress we have made in overcoming the critical challenges associated with using silicon in lithium-ion battery anodes.

“Our breakthrough technology represents a major step forward in unlocking the full potential of silicon in lithium-ion batteries, and we believe it has the potential to revolutionise the battery industry.”

Altech’s technology has the potential to be game-changing and has demonstrated that silicon particles can be modified to resolve the capacity fading caused by both the swelling and first-cycle-capacity-loss problems.

The company’s Research and Development team, led by Dr Jingyuan Liu, achieved this significant breakthrough.

‘Silicon barrier’ overcome

Altech previously declared a major achievement in the field of battery technology on reporting that it had overcome the ‘silicon barrier’ and had manufactured and evaluated a range of lithium-ion battery anode materials that exhibit a retention capacity of approximately 30% higher than the standard lithium-ion battery anode materials.

Following this breakthrough, Altech’s research and development laboratory in Perth, Western Australia, has been striving to further enhance the technology beyond this initial success.

As the company endeavoured to surpass the 30% retention capacity achieved in the previous generation of batteries by increasing the silicon content, it encountered challenges in dispersing the alumina-coated silicon particles.

However, Altech managed to overcome these challenges by implementing improvements in organic binders, coating parameters and several other innovative solutions.

After persistent efforts, the final challenges were eventually resolved, allowing the company to move forward with the development of the next generation of batteries.

Through laboratory testing of the composite graphite/silicon batteries, Altech was able to substantially overcome previously unresolved impediments associated with using silicon in lithium-ion battery anodes.

These impediments include silicon particle swelling, first-cycle capacity loss of up to 50% and rapid battery degradation.

Spherification success

Altech’s testing showed that the innovative composite graphite/silicon batteries were able to overcome these challenges, by spherification of the silicon particles.

The spherical structure allows the distribution of alumina-coated silicon in graphite voids, hence minimises the electrode layer damaging due to expansion.

By doing so, via the alumina coating, the negative impact caused by the expansion of silicon is well managed in a lithium-ion battery.

The lithium-ion battery industry has recognised the introduction of silicon in battery anodes as a crucial step in achieving a significant increase in energy density, as well as reducing costs.

This is because silicon has approximately 10 times the energy retention capacity of graphite, making it an ideal anode material for the next generation of lithium-ion batteries.

However, until now, the use of silicon in commercial lithium-ion batteries has been limited due to two critical drawbacks.

Firstly, during battery charge, silicon particles expand by up to 300% in volume, leading to particle swelling, fracturing, and eventual battery failure.

Secondly, silicon deactivates a high percentage of the lithium ions in a battery, immediately reducing battery performance and lifespan.

The industry has been in a race to overcome these obstacles and crack the silicon barrier to unlock the full potential of silicon in lithium-ion batteries.

Robust economics

The company completed a definitive feasibility study for the construction of an 8,000 tonnes per annum Silumina Anodes™ plant in Saxony, Germany, that included the following economics:

• Pre-tax NPV10 €684 million;
• Low capital cost of €112 million;
• Attractive Internal Rate of Return of 34%;
• EBITDA €105 million p.a.;
• Payback (full rate) 2.4 years; and
• Revenue per annum of €328 million.

Pilot plant commissioning

Altech is in a race to get its patented technology to market. To support the development, it has constructed a pilot plant adjacent to the proposed project site to enable the qualification process for its Silumina Anodes™ product.

The company has successfully completed the construction of the pilot plant and is now in the hot commissioning stage.

“We are currently commissioning a pilot plant to further scale up our technology and bring it to market,” Tan added.

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Altech Batteries achieves “remarkable” Silumina Anodes™ milestone with 55% higher density anode, source