Graphite producer and anode material developer Volt Resources is repurposing non-spherical ultra-high purified graphite (UHPG) for use in lead-acid batteries.
Tests on the material— produced as a by-product when manufacturing lithium-ion battery anode material (BAM)— shows it can be converted into products that enhance conductivity in the lead-acid batteries.
Volt is now evaluating the electrochemical performance of its UHPG for use in the expander of lead-acid batteries.
That evaluation is being undertaken by Apollo Energy Systems (AES), a potential Volt off- take partner, and its technology partner in the US, American Energy Technologies (AETC).
Under the supervision of AES engineers and scientists, AETC has installed a pilot assembly line for in-house manufacturing of absorbent glass mat (AGM) prototype batteries.
Volt’s graphite concentrate was thermally purified and, after processing, was converted into an 8.5 micron UHPG product, which was successfully used as part of the expander composition in the negative electrodes of lead-acid batteries, said Volt.
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Testwork was undertaken at AETC’s Arlington Heights, Illinois facilities using 4Ah battery cells.
Lead-acid batteries containing Volt’s graphite were tested side-by-side with the control formulation whose expander was based on the formulation of traditional carbon materials such as carbon black and ligna sulfonate.
More work is planned with this product and battery technology and Volt will update the market as more data becomes available.
Volt managing director, Trevor Matthews, said testwork with battery maker AES and AETC had supported its goal of monetising the non-spherical by-product created during the production of lithium-ion battery anode material.
Lead-acid batteries with increased performance benchmarks are expected to fill the growing market demand for start-stop applications; photovoltaic grid energy storage and load-leveling systems— as well as SLI and backup energy storage/uninterrupted power supply (UPS) applications.
