Porsche AG, which has just enhanced its electric credentials by heading a $400 million Series C investment round from the US business Group14 for innovative silicon-lithium technology.
Silicon has long been intriguing for use as a material in lithium-ion battery anodes because its energy capacity is up to ten times that of graphite, resulting in lithium-ion batteries with 20 to 40% greater energy density.
There is an issue since there is no such thing as a free lunch. During the charging process, as lithium ions flood in, silicon anodes swell over 300 percent. When the battery drains, the lithium ions leave, allowing the silicon anode to shrivel back to its former size.
As a result of the stress, the anode eventually cracks and disintegrates, with a consequent impact on battery life.
Group14 has addressed this issue with their flagship product, a silicon-carbon powder marketed under the trademarked name SCC55TM. SCC55TM offers five times the capacity and up to 50% higher energy density than traditional graphite for Lithium battery anodes. Its one-of-a-kind hard carbon-based scaffolding retains silicon in its most perfect state — amorphous, nano-sized, and carbon-encased.
As a result, the best-in-class anode material has remarkable first-cycle efficiency and extended life when cycling Li-ion batteries.
Group14 stresses the use of abundant and “non-exotic” resources in their technologies. Furthermore, the powder may be customized to meet the demands of the customer, and it can be dropped into current fabrication processes.
This is a Syndicate News Feed; researched and edited by Clean-Future Team