Battery materials firm Nano One has secured a patent that stabilises lithium nickel manganese oxide (LMNO) chemistry, which could one day lead to a cobalt-free lithium-ion battery.
The Canadian company was issued Taiwanese patent number I672852 relating to LNMO cathode material, also known as high voltage spinel (HVS).
Nano One’s technology treats the surface of the discrete cathode crystals and it mitigates instabilities common to spinels including LNMO and enables elevated operating temperatures that are typical in electric vehicle batteries.
The cathode material has a theoretical capacity of 146mAhg-1 and the material can cycle at 5C without losing capacity when cycling between 3.5 and 4.9V vs. Li/Li+(1M) at 25°C, the company told BEST.
Dr. Stephen Campbell, chief technology officer at Nano One said as well as the increased durability, eliminating cobalt from the battery addressed the ethical and supply chain issues related to artisanal cobalt mining in Africa.
He told BEST: “Eliminating cobalt from the cathode material reduces supply chain risk for the cathode producers and does, of course, reduce cost although not by much.
“The interest in the LNMO material is largely due to the high cell voltage (4.7V) and the high rates of charging available with this material.”
The patent is the latest in Nano One’s IP portfolio which extends to the US, Canada, China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.
