Consumers are clamoring for next generation electric vehicles and smart devices but limited battery life has continued to hamper growth.
To help solve the problem, Global Graphene Group (G³) and its subsidiary, Angstron Energy (AEC) have developed GCA-II-N. The new graphene/silicon composite anode material has been designed to give lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries the capacity for higher energy storage while reducing size and weight. In November 2018 R&D Magazine acknowledged the achievement by presenting G³ and AEC with the R&D 100 Award.
“Smartphone users will be able to use their phones longer before they have to charge them,” says Dr. Bor Jang, CEO of G³. “Drivers of electric vehicles will be able to travel further. By using a graphene-enhanced anode, we can make smaller, lighter weight lithium ion batteries with higher storage capacity. This is especially useful in applications where space is limited such as mobile devices, drones and power tools.”
The award is the latest in a long line of milestones that have helped to generate more than 400 patents for G³. The leading commercial producer for graphene, G³ was the first company to successfully produce nano-graphene sheets in 2002. It patented the first production method for pristine graphene the same year. Jang and Dr. Aruna Zhamu founded Angstron Materials in 2007 and filed a patent for graphene-silicon anode technology. In 2012 Jang and Zhamu built the world’s first facility for the mass production of graphene.
In 2016 Jang announced he would open the company’s extensive patent portfolio for licensing agreements. The open architecture approach created a graphene ecosystem that has helped to foster innovation and collaboration. The same year G³ was formed to create a holding company for Angstron, Nanotek Instruments, AEC and three other divisions. Pilot production of GCA-II-N was launched in 2018.
“I’m very proud of our team and the hard work they have invested to help us realise the GCA-II-N product,” says Jang. “We are also pleased with R&D Magazine’s recognition. It underlines our continuing commitment to search for new ways to provide development and commercialisation of affordable graphene-enabled solutions to our customers.”
Headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, US G³ is the world’s largest producer of graphene material and a leader in graphene utilisation and application. The company is ISO 9001:2015 certified for full-scale graphene production. It develops, sells and licenses graphene and graphene-enabled technologies to support the evolution of products that include electric vehicles, phones, tires and paint. This pioneering work in the graphene market has provided a strong foundation for inventions like its graphene-enabled battery technologies.
https://www.rdworldonline.com/graphene-silicon-combo-could-be-key-to-next-gen-lithium-ion-batteries/
This proposal seeks to advance the next generation of portable energy storage by exploiting the high specific energy intrinsic to the Li-S system. While sulfurs low electrical conductivity and the inhibiting effects of polysulfide dissolution have historically impeded the commercialization of Li-S batteries, we propose to overcome these limitations via the utilization of graphene as a multifunctional component. Our approach leverages this 2D nanomaterial to act as (i) an electrically conductive agent, (ii) a polysulfide trap to circumvent active material loss, (iii) a robust framework to buffer volume expansion during cycling, and (iv) a wrapping agent to build uniform and spherical particles for better electrode casting. Because polysulfide dissolution is a multifaceted problem affecting the entire cell, we shall also investigate a graphene-protected anode and non-flammable electrolyte to improve cycle life performance and overall battery safety.By completion of Phase I, we intend to demonstrate a low cost (< $10/kg), high areal density (> 10 mg/cm2) cathode exhibiting improved cycle life and capacity retention bolstered by our graphene-protected anode and electrolyte formulation. In consideration of these outcomes, and our intent co-develop this technology with several industrial customers, we truly believe DoDs advanced energy goals can be realized through our approach.
This proposal seeks to develop a high-energy lithium-ion battery with enhanced safety enabled by a cost-effective graphene-protected nano-Si anode and a non-flammable electrolyte. Graphene possesses ultra-high mechanical strength and high electrical conductivity, thereby limiting the anode expansion during charging and also improving the utilization of the semi-conductive silicon material. To address the key issue inhibiting commercialization, the extremely high cost of nano-Si, Nanotek has proceeded to develop a highly scalable process to produce Si nanowires directly from low-cost, micron-scaled Si particles (currently $3-$7/kg). This surprisingly simple and effective technology is expected to enable the availability of Si nanowires at a cost less than $15/kg, which is close to the commercial graphite material ($10-$20/kg) but with much higher specific capacity (over 2,000 mAh/g). Nanoteks non-flammable electrolyte technology including solvent-in-salt design and ionic liquids will be evaluated to guarantee the safety of the batteries equipped on aircrafts or electric vehicles. Several goals are expected by the completion of Phase I: (a) demonstration of a low cost (< $20/kg), high-energy graphene-silicon nanocomposite anode; (b) further verification and validation of the prototype cell performance, delivering specific anode capacity of 600-2,000 mAh/g with a cycle life of > 500 cycles and passing preliminary safety specifications.
