NEO Battery Materials Ltd. (TSX-V:NBM) has provided details on the company’s innovation utilizing modified carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a new material to manufacture long-lasting, low-cost and mechanically durable silicon anode active materials.
The company noted that CNTs are theoretically known to retain similar electrical conductivity to copper and have more than 100 times the strength of steel. In addition, conventional carbon fibers have been known to easily break at a 1% strain but CNTs have displayed the ability to maintain their structural properties at a 15% stretching level.
Due to this capability to endure mechanical stress, NEO said CNTs can act as an effective damper for the volumetric expansion problem of silicon anodes during charging and discharging cycles. Additionally, the superior electrical conductivity of the material allows the performance of the anode to be maximized.
READ: NEO Battery Materials pens an additional licensing agreement with South Korean University Industry Foundation
The company said major battery manufacturers such as LG Chemical are actively considering CNTs as an additive for the next-generation battery line and are aggressively targeting to increase the production of CNTs.
But despite the excellent electrical conductivity, when mixed with silicon particles, there has been difficulty maximizing the advantages of CNTs due to the lack of affinity between the two materials.
Vancouver-based NEO said it has thus secured the technology to functionalize the surface of CNTs and has confirmed that the surface-treated CNTs have an exceptional affinity with silicon particles. The modified CNTs can be applied as an effective material in NEO's silicon nanocoating technology.
NEO said its modified CNTs can have a new morphology, confirming that its technology enables a nanometer-scale conformal coating on the whole silicon particle surfaces. Battery characteristic analysis confirms that the life span is drastically improved compared to conventional CNTs that are applied to micron-sized metallurgical silicon anodes.
With NEO's single-step, one-pot solution process, the company said a process for mass production is currently being designed for the modified CNTs.
Senior research engineer appointed
In other company news, NEO announced that Dr Min Kim has been appointed as a senior research engineer for developing NEO's silicon anodes for mass production. He has served as a senior researcher at L&F Co Ltd, one of the top-tier South Korean cathode suppliers in the global lithium battery supply chain. His research and experience span across both cathode, anode, and solid electrolyte materials.
"We are at a critical stage of scaling up NEO's proprietary nanocoating technology to mass-produce low-cost and reliable silicon anodes. Dr. Min Kim will be an invaluable asset to the current scientific team and will help NEO accelerate its commercialization target,” said NEO CEO Spencer Huh in a statement. “We will be actively bolstering our manpower to form the most effective team for NEO."
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