EaglePicher Licenses OneD Material’s SiNANOde silicon-nanowire anode technology
30 January 2015
EaglePicher Technologies, LLC has entered into a License Agreement and an Engineering Services Agreement with OneD Material to set up a new EaglePicher production facility in Joplin to produce SiNANOde, a silicon-nanowire-based anode material originally developed by Nanosys (earlier post) for building high energy density lithium-ion cells and batteries. (In 2013, OneD Material acquired Nanosys’ nanowire technologies and related assets including its R&D activities.)
This new technology will be used in part with EaglePicher’s initiative to increase lithium-ion cell production and expand the product portfolio for defense and aerospace applications. (Earlier post.) The addition of SiNANOde raw material is a key component for improving the performance of lithium-ion cells and batteries for niche applications.
SiNANOde consists of silicon nanowires grown on various types of commercially available graphite powder—i.e., the graphite is a direct substrate for Si nanowire growth. The silicon percentage or anode specific capacity is controllable, with various grades ranging from 8% to 50% silicon to carbon weight ratio. OneD Material focused on 500 ~ 1600 mAh/g anode capacity. SiNANOde offers pack density similar to that of graphite.
The SiNANOde anodes can be matched with many existing and new cathodes, including NCA (Nickel Cobalt Aluminum Oxide), LCO (Lithium Cobalt Oxide), NCM (Nickel Cobalt Manganese Oxide) cathodes and other materials.
This agreement allows us to vertically integrate the manufacture of cutting edge, high energy anode raw material that has demonstrated cell performance in the range of 300 Wh/kg. By insourcing the raw material we can assure the supply stability that is needed for mission critical Defense and Aerospace applications.
—Ron Nowlin, EaglePicher’s VP & GM of Aerospace Systems
Under the Engineering Services Agreement, OneD Material has begun the transfer of its SiNANOde manufacturing process to enable EaglePicher to scale up production and incorporate the novel anode into new cells and batteries. EaglePicher also licensed OneD Material’s intellectual property portfolio, which includes approximately 300 patents and patent applications covering many nanomaterial and process inventions.
OneD Material operates an R&D center in Palo Alto.
Resources
Yimin Zhu (2014) “Innovative Cell Materials and Design for 300 Mile Range EVs” 2014 DOE AMR
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