Summary
- Silumina is a silicon graphite anode product that is the next generation of anode technology that can increase battery energy density with improved cyclability or battery life.
- Last year, the company announced that it had finally cracked the silicon code and produced lithium-ion batteries with 30% higher energy capacity.
The future of the lithium-ion battery industry will come to know about a product called Silumina Anodes. Silumina Anodes utilise game changing alumina coating technology that successfully incorporates silicon into the graphite anode of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Silumina is a silicon graphite anode product that is the next generation of anode technology that can increase battery energy density with improved cyclability or battery life.
The product is still in development, and an Australian company owns the technology. Elon Musk, the CEO of EV car manufacturer Tesla, has announced that the required step change to increase lithium-ion battery energy density and reduce cost is more silicon in battery anodes. However, metallurgical silicon cannot be efficiently used in commercial LIBs today due to two technological barriers. The volume of silicon expands up to 300% during battery operation causing swelling, fracturing and battery failure. The second challenge is the deactivation of up to 50% of the lithium ions by silicon. Called first-cycle-loss, lithium ions are rendered inactive by the silicon, immediately reducing battery performance and life. The entire industry has been in a race to crack the silicon code. Last year, the company announced that it had finally cracked the silicon code and produced lithium-ion batteries with 30% higher energy capacity.
The Australian company has recently registered the trademark name Silumina Anodes, which it believes will be a game changing brand of the future in the EV battery market.