This Silicon Anode Breakthrough Could Mark A Turning Point For EV Batteries

"Two U.S.-based battery companies claim to have reached a breakthrough with silicon anodes. The anode is the part of the cell that stores electrons and impacts its energy density. Automakers and electronics giants are trying to reduce their dependency on graphite for battery production. Just like cars and gadgets, battery technology evolves in phases. Sometimes you get breakthroughs, other times things get incrementally better with small year-over-year improvements. But there's a big breakthrough on the horizon:"

"Some battery companies like Group14 believe that the ideal graphite replacement will come in the form of silicon. And now, they have a pretty good proof-of-concept. Porsche-backed Group14 Technologies has teamed with New York-based battery materials firm Sionic Energy to develop silicon anodes. The companies announced joint results on Monday, concluding that its 100% silicon-carbon anodes had achieved stable performance at high temperatures during charge-discharge cycles and storage."

Silicon anodes aim to replace graphite to increase energy density and enable faster charging in lithium-ion cells. Porsche-backed Group14 Technologies and New York-based Sionic Energy developed 100% silicon-carbon anodes and tested them in 4-Ah, 10-Ah and 20-Ah pouch cells. The companies report stable charge-discharge cycling and storage performance at elevated temperatures of 45°C and 60°C. The anode stores lithium ions during charging and determines how much energy a cell can hold and how quickly it can charge. Graphite has been the staple anode material but mining graphite has environmental and cost drawbacks.

Read at insideevs.com