Graphene batteries: Introduction and Market News - Page 5

Lyten has announced it has secured a $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) to accelerate the manufacturing of its advanced lithium-sulfur battery technology. This grant (awarded by the DoE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy / Vehicle Technologies Office) specifically targets lithium-sulfur technologies that can alleviate offshore supply chain risk for EV batteries and increase EV driving range.

Lithium-sulfur is a chemistry known for decades to potentially hold 2 to 3 times the energy density of lithium-ion but was not envisioned to come into the market until the 2030s due to material science challenges. Lyten set out to accelerate this timeline by using its 3D Graphene material to develop a sulfur-graphene composite cathode. In June 2023, Lyten opened a semi-automated lithium-sulfur pilot line producing pouch and cylindrical cells on its 145,000-square-foot campus in Silicon Valley and will begin to deliver non-EV cells commercially in 2024.

According to a recent announcement, India-based IPower Batteries has launched graphene series lead-acid batteries.

The company has claimed its new battery variants have been tested by ICAT for AIS0156 and have been awarded the Type Approval Certificate TAC for their innovative graphene series lead-acid technology.

It was recently announced that Nanotech Energy is offering its graphene-based 18650 cells for pre-order through its commercialization partner, Voltaplex.

The cells bring together Nanotech Energy's electrolyte and proprietary electrodes with Soteria metallized polymer current collectors to create a major advancement in battery technology. The result, as per the Company, is a 100% American-made non-flammable lithium-ion battery pack that has shown its strength and flexibility survived a remarkable abuse trial.

Nanotech Energy has announced that graphene-based battery cells will go into full production in early 2024 at its new 150MW manufacturing facility Chico 2.

Nanotech Energy successfully completed trial weeks at Chico 2 in November and December. Almost all equipment is now in place at the Chico, CA site, and final processes are being refined ahead of a launch that will eventually generate 30,000 18650 battery cells per day.

Directa Plus has revealed that it has signed a deal with an unnamed Italian innovator to buy the technology for a system capable of preparing tailored graphene compounds. According to the Company, this technology will initially be used in batteries and polymers.

It explained that the acquired know-how and technology would help to enable the dry encapsulation of G Plus graphene nanoplatelets into different compound carriers for different exacting applications.

NanoXplore has announced the successful commissioning of two anode material pilot lines, reportedly achieving remarkable energy density and product validation. The Company called this 'a pivotal moment in NanoXplore’s ongoing commitment to advancing sustainable energy storage solutions'.

NanoXplore’s proprietary silicon graphene technology (SiG™) produced in the pilot line, has achieved an energy density of 1150 Wh/L, and demonstrated compatibility with conventional graphite anodes, resulting in an energy density of over 800 Wh/L. NanoXplore remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of energy storage capabilities using its advanced materials technology. The SiG™ family is supported by 11 patents which cover a range of different chemistries and extend to all cylindrical cell form factors.

U.S-based graphene batteries developer Nanotech Energy has stated its intention to secure a new US brownfield gigafactory site early in 2024 that will accelerate its commercialization of graphene-based non-flammable lithium-ion batteries.

The announcement follows Nanotech Energy's successful sale of its Reno, NV, site and represents the Company's ambition to satisfy increased customer demand. It plans to use the site for an up to 6GWh-per-year plant, marking the next step in its journey to bring US-made fast charging, high energy density and inherently safe batteries to market. The Company hopes the new gigafactory will be operational in 2025.

Researchers from the University of Hyderabad (UoH) and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) have developed electrode materials made of Tin antimony alloy based reduced graphene oxide composite which has the potential to enhance energy storage for sodium-ion batteries.

Sodium-ion batteries could offer enhanced energy efficiency, rapid charging capabilities, resilience to extreme temperatures, and safeguards against overheating or thermal runaway incidents. They exhibit reduced toxicity due to their lack of reliance on lithium, cobalt, copper, or nickel, which have the potential to emit environmentally harmful gases in the event of fire, according to a recent official release.

A consortium of 11 partners from six European countries has launched the GRAPHERGIA project, an ambitious 3.5-year Research and Innovation program, funded by €4.5 million under the Horizon Europe's Graphene Flagship initiative.

Aimed at redefining the integration of energy solutions into everyday life, GRAPHERGIA aims to transform how we use and store energy. Its main goal is to develop and deploy cutting-edge graphene-based materials into energy harvesting and storage devices. These advances would enable scalable and cost-efficient production of two-dimensional (2D) material technologies for a wide array of applications.

A partnership between the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) of The University of Queensland (UQ) and Graphene Manufacturing Group will aim to push forward the commercialization of graphene-enhanced batteries. The parties received financial support from the Australian Federal Government Economic Accelerator Seed Grant to promote the development of Graphene Aluminium-Ion Battery Technology.

“UQ will supply the material engineering technology and GMG has the battery fabrication facility so together we can further develop the Graphene Aluminium-Ion Battery Technology,” AIBN's Dr. Xiaodan Huang said. “A key feature of this battery technology is the faster recharging rate and longer life.