Altech Chemicals (ASX:ATC) announces an expansion of its research and development laboratories in Perth, Western Australia.
The specialty battery materials technology company reports the expansion is to allow the production of pouch ‘cell-size’ batteries to proceed to the next stage of the Silumina Anodes Project.
During the first quarter of 2022, Altech installed and commissioned a larger-scale tube furnace in its R&D labs in Perth. The new furnace has the capability of producing larger kilogram samples per batch.
the expansion is to allow the production of pouch ‘cell-size’ batteries to proceed to the next stage of the Silumina Anodes Project
Altech announced in November last year that it had achieved the ‘game-changing breakthrough’ and produced a lithium-ion battery with 30% more energy capacity than a conventional graphite-only lithium-ion battery.
The company was able to successfully incorporate alumina-coated silicon into the graphite anode of lithium-ion batteries and achieve higher energy capacity, as well as increased cyclability.
Altech notes the battery performance testing was conducted with the industry standard coin cell rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Coin battery cells provide a very useful comparison at the early research stage, but they have limitations, because of their design and construction.
When developing new active material for lithium-ion batteries, the cell chemistry is first optimised in smaller format coin cells and then progressively scaled up to full-sized pouch cells to provide more information on electrochemical performance, energy density, and safety.
To assess anode material against EV application targets, a scale-up from coin cell to pouch cell is necessary. The pouch cell, a common design of a lithium-ion battery, is in a vacuum-packed thin plate shape in which many layers of thin cathode and anode electrodes are arranged.
Conductive foil tabs welded to the electrode and sealed to the pouch carry the positive and negative terminals to the outside. The pouch cell pack design is used in current consumer, military, and automotive applications.
Altech reports that by having an in-house pouch cell production and testing facility, electrical abuse scenarios, whereby the cell is required to operate outside nominal voltage and current limitations, can be tested.
Physical and environmental abuse scenarios, whereby the cell is subjected to temperature extremes or mechanical deformation, can also be tested.
Manufacturing a pouch cell with multiple layers requires more anode material and additional cell-making equipment.
Altech is a specialty battery materials technology company that has licenced its proprietary high purity alumina coating technology to 75% owned subsidiary Altech Industries Germany GmbH (AIG), which has commenced a definitive feasibility study for the development of a 10,000tpa silicon/graphite alumina coating plant in the state of Saxony, Germany to supply its Silumina Anodes product to the burgeoning European electric vehicle market.
Through in house R&D, the company says it has cracked the “silicon code” and successfully achieved a 30% higher energy battery with improved cyclability or battery life. Higher density batteries result in smaller, lighter batteries and substantially less greenhouse gases, and is the future for the EV market.
The company’s proprietary silicon graphite product is registered as Silumina Anodes.
Images: Altech Chemicals Ltd
