Chicago-based lithium-ion battery developer SiNode Systems has teamed up with Pittsburgh firm PPG to “accelerate the commercialisation” of high-energy anode materials for advanced battery applications in electric vehicles.
The 30-month project will focus on “improving the stability and scalability” of SiNode’s anode materials to meet or exceed US Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC) targets for a battery’s active materials, the companies said.
Raymor Industries will provide graphene for the project to optical and speciality products maker PPG, which will then prepare the material for SiNode. “PPG will help both Raymor and SiNode scale up their manufacturing processes to production volumes to support the project,” the companies said.
Anode materials developed under the project “will store more energy than conventional lithium-ion battery materials, enabling electric vehicles to travel farther on a single charge or to have a lighter-weight battery”, the partners said.
SiNode co-founder Samir Mayekar (pictured) said: “Partnering with PPG will allow us to accelerate the commercialisation of our battery materials platform for a wide range of markets, from consumer electronics to electric vehicles.”
The USABC selected SiNode to receive a contract for the project in 2016. USABC, a subsidiary of the United States Council for Automotive Research, is providing 50% of the funding through the US Department of Energy. The project’s partners are funding the remainder.