![]() ![]() Is it about replacing graphite, or just using less graphite?Ĭonnor Hund: More about using less graphite. It’ll fracture and swell over time with too much in the anode.Ĭharged: You have a new technology, which involves silicon-based anodes. It’s a fundamentally less stable material, which is why you aren’t able to build the whole anode out of silicon. In 2022, NanoGraf won a $1-million development contract from the DOD to produce a more powerful, longer-lasting 4.3 Ah battery.Ĭharged recently spoke with NanoGraf Chief Operating Officer, Connor Hund, about graphite, silicon, and the quest for more powerful, longer-lasting batteries. It’s also designed to save their backs-soldiers may carry upwards of 20 pounds of batteries to power communication devices and other vital gadgets. Soon to be in commercial production, the cell is designed to give military personnel more runtime for their electronic equipment. In 2021, the company developed a 3.8 Ah cylindrical lithium-ion cell for the US Department of Defense, which the company claims is the world’s most energy-dense 18650 cell. NanoGraf, a Chicago-based materials developer that was formed in 2012 (under the original name SiNode) has developed a novel silicon-based anode material that it says has the long-term potential to replace graphite-based anodes, increasing both energy and power density while offering excellent cycle life. Some battery designs use small amounts of silicon mixed in with the graphite to improve battery performance, and finding ways to incorporate more Si in anodes is a major focus of battery research. Silicon is lighter, and can potentially store more energy, than graphite. However, there is another candidate for this key position. ![]() Unlike cathodes, which can be composed of various combinations of chemicals (cobalt, nickel, manganese, lithium, iron, phosphorus et al), all current anodes used in EV batteries are composed mainly of graphite. Graphite’s physical structure allows it to store lithium ions, which merrily migrate to the anode when the battery is charged. Graphite, a pure form of carbon, is a critical material for battery anodes. However, establishing domestic sources, and especially processing, is a priority. ![]()
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