Graphene batteries: Introduction and Market News - Page 7

Nanotech Energy, Soteria Battery Innovation Group, and Voltaplex Energy will be working together to address safety concerns related to e-bike batteries. The partnership aims to commercialize U.S produced non-flammable graphene-enhanced lithium-ion battery packs by early 2024.

As part of the production process, Nanotech Energy will combine Soteria’s metallized polymer current collectors with their own electrolyte and proprietary electrodes to create high energy, ultra-safe 18650 cells. These cells will initially be manufactured at Nanotech Energy’s facility in Chico, CA, with plans to expand production capacity in the US and Europe. Voltaplex Energy will then utilize these cells to develop battery packs specifically designed for the e-bike, robotics, medical, and military markets. Expansion into other small device markets is also anticipated.

Haydale and PETRONAS Technology Ventures (PTVSB), the technology commercialization arm of Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS), have executed a collaboration agreement to functionalize graphene for product applications, in an effort to accelerate commercialization of graphene-based formulations in various different industries.

The agreement, which runs through to 31 December 2025, will see the parties exploring graphene for further commercial applications in battery cells, composites, coatings and thermal materials, among others. The collaboration will also cover knowledge sharing between the parties.

The Graphene Flagship, Europe's $1 billion graphene research initiative, has summed up its progress in advancing graphene-based innovations for automotive in the last ten years. The project examines, among other topics, how graphene can address key challenges in the automotive sector, such as fuel efficiency, recycling, and environmental impact.

Graphene has the potential to drive significant advancements in the automotive industry — from strengthening structural components to improving electrochemical energy storage (i.e., Batteries) efficiency and safety in electric cars as well as enhancing the performance of the self-driving car. The Graphene Flagship has orchestrated a number of projects researching the benefits of graphene in automotive applications and how vehicles can be improved. The Graphene Flagship reports it is now seeing this research and development come to fruition. Listed below are the automotive-related advancements that were achieved.

Lyten has announced the commissioning of its Lithium-Sulfur battery pilot line during a ribbon-cutting ceremony held at its facility in Silicon Valley. Lyten has confirmed that its proprietary 3D Graphene will be used within the battery, as part of its chemistry. 

The Lithium-Sulfur pilot line will reportedly begin delivering commercial battery cells in 2023 to early adopting customers within the defense, automotive, logistics, and satellite sectors. Battery delivery will be used to support testing, qualification and initial commercialization across the sectors. Reservations for the remaining battery cells will be limited by the pilot line’s nameplate capacity of 200,000 cells per year.

Researchers from Purdue University have developed patent-pending, solid-state, continuously tunable thermal devices based on compressible graphene foam composites. The devices can dissipate heat, insulate against cold and function across a wide range of temperatures. 

The devices have the potential to improve battery safety and performance in electronic devices and systems like battery thermal management, space conditioning, vehicle thermal comfort and thermal energy storage.

Graphene Manufacturing Group (GMG) recently announced the signing of a binding Joint Development Agreement ("JDA") with Rio Tinto, with the goal of accelerating the development and application of GMG's Graphene Aluminium-Ion batteries in the mining and minerals industry. GMG followed up on that announcement with an update on a series of changes, intended to further align development activities and support the progression of the Battery JDA.

First, the company said consumer feedback made it clear that pouch cell, rather than coin cell, batteries were of greatest interest to potential key customers. Additionally, the progression of the battery from the current Battery Technology Readiness Level (BTRL) Level 2-3 (Scientific Proof of Concept into Electrochemical Development) could be accelerated by having potential customer partners help define operating and design characteristics, the company said.

Stellantis and Lyten have announced that Stellantis Ventures, the corporate venture fund of Stellantis, invested in Lyten to accelerate the commercialization of Lyten 3D Graphene™ applications for the mobility industry, including the LytCell™ Lithium-Sulfur EV battery, lightweighting composites, and novel on-board sensing. 

Lyten will aim to leverage the tunability of the material to enable enhanced vehicle performance and customer experience while decarbonizing the transportation sector. Lyten’s tunable materials platform has demonstrated significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and will advance the transition to sustainable mobility.

HydroGraph Clean Power has announced that according to a study published in the Journal of Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage, HydroGraph’s graphene surpassed the performance of the leading cathode carbon materials in a lithium-oxygen (Li-O₂) battery test.

Lithium-oxygen batteries have emerged a promising energy storage solution, but global adoption has been hampered in achieving efficient electrocatalysis, which impacts a battery’s performance. Using HydroGraph’s patented high-purity fractal graphene, battery scientists have reportedly overcome performance challenges, allowing for a better performing battery at a lower cost compared to the incumbent.

The Centre for Advanced 2D Materials (CA2DM) at the National University of Singapore (NUS), focused on the research of graphene and other 2-dimensional (2D) materials, and CBMM, a leader in niobium products and technology, have developed new niobium-graphene batteries.

The batteries are currently being tested at the new CBMM-CA2DM Advanced Battery Laboratory which was recently launched by NUS and CBMM (established with a joint investment of USD$3.8 million) over three years, supported by the National Research Foundation, Singapore.

Graphene Manufacturing Group (GMG) has announced the signing of a binding Joint Development Agreement ("JDA") with Rio Tinto, with the goal of accelerating the development and application of GMG's Graphene Aluminium-Ion batteries in the mining and minerals industry. Rio Tinto will contribute technical and operational performance criteria and A$6 million (over USD$3,900,000), in exchange for preferential access rights.

The JDA seeks to support the accelerated development of GMG's Graphene Aluminium-Ion Batteries for use in heavy mobile equipment and grid energy storage applications in the mining and mineral industry. The JDA builds on the existing collaboration for Rio Tinto to explore the use of GMG's Energy Saving and Energy Storage solutions (announced May 2022). This JDA is effective immediately and is expected to last 2 years with payments spread over the term of the agreement. The JDA aims to co-develop GMG's Graphene Aluminium-Ion battery pouch cell into an initial battery pack/module proof of concept.