Advances in Lithium battery performance using MOLECULAR REBAR®

Clive Bosnyak, Chief Scientific OfficerCoauthors: M. Finlayson, S. Peddini, M. Jungman, D. Kefalos, K. Swogger

The Battery Show 2015 Novi, Michigan

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Who We Are

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Who We Are

Black Diamond Structures, a developer and manufacturer of innovative nanomaterial products and solutions based on

revolutionary carbon nanotube (CNT) technology, MOLECULAR REBAR®

Now at an exciting stage of technology development for Lithium batteries.

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Who We Are

Commercial Products for Lead-Acid Batteries

• Improved lifetime (50%+), charge acceptance, and recharge time

Development stage for Lithium Batteries

• Rechargeable and Primary

R&D and Manufacturing Facilities in Austin, Texas:

• Production Capacity increasing to 3.3M litres in early 2016

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Clumps of entangled CNT’s

Clean, detangled, open-ended MR

(12nm diameter, 900nm long)

MR in LFP Electrode

MOLECULAR REBAR® Technology

Enables New Possibilities for Enhanced Battery Performance

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Market Performance NeedsHigher Capacity Materials

• Nickel-rich, Lithium-rich, >250mAh/g• Silicon (theoretical 4200 mAh/g)• Multivalent, i.e. Sulfur

Higher electrode loadings• 15 and higher mg/cm2

Form factor (i.e. pouch or engineered electrodes)

New Electrolytes• Voltages > 4.2v and safer

Improved manufacturing

More Energy Density

More Power Density• Low Temperature Power

Lower System Cost

Safer

Longer Lifetime

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MOLECULAR REBAR® Technology

The Problem

A PLATFORM FOR LITHIUM BATTERIES

Improved Attributes• Electrode Mechanical Strength• Ion Transport• Electron Transport• Fits with existing manufacturing

and opens doors for enabling low cost advanced manufacturing

Low Cost Manufacturing

BINDERS

ACTIVE MATERIALSELECTROLYTES

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Enhanced Inter-particle Bridging

MOLECULAR REBAR® Technology:

Mechanical strength and ability to maintain electrical contact on charge/discharge (swell/deswell) for high capacity materials.

Can be put in organic or aqueous binder formulations-PVDF, PAA, CMC/SBR, etc.

Can coat or bridge particlesSEM by N. Henderson

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MOLECULAR REBAR® w/ Aqueous Binders (CMC-SBR, PAA, etc.)½ cell Graphite anode

CMC:SBR 1%:1% + 0.1%MR MCMB +1%CMC/1% SBR

MCMB +1%CMC/1% SBR +0.1%MR

Crease test

• Improved electron conductivity• Especially at deeper discharge

• Improved adhesion to Cu• Thicker electrodes• Extension to silicon, tin oxide, etc.

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200 220 240 260 280 300

Dis

char

ge V

olt

age

Specific Capacity mAh/g

5C discharge rate

Control

0.1% MR

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Polymer Electrolytes (PE)Needs• Conductivity values > 10-3 S/cm

• Current PE conductivities ~10-5 S/cm

• Higher voltage stability (4.2V moving to 4.8V) for NCA, NCM• Less volatile/flammable

• MOLECULAR REBAR® provides 20x boost in ionic conductivities in polymer gel or solid electrolytes.• Solartron tests on selected polymer electrolytes at 0.5% wt MR >5x10-3 S/cm• Pouch cell tests in progress

• Rheology of MR-electrolytes can be adjusted to fit closely with existing, or new manufacturing processes such as high speed coextrusion.• Reduce/eliminate time for electrolyte wetting• Combine role of binder and electrolyte• Use of high capacity materials.

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Summary Points

• MOLECULAR REBAR® are not bundled carbon nanotubes.

• MOLECULAR REBAR® are clean, discrete, open-ended tubes- Improved Mechanical strength- Enhanced Ion and Electron Transport

• This is a technology platform for advanced binders & electrolytes

• ENABLING use of new high capacity materials

MOLECULAR REBAR® opens doors for new battery designs and manufacturing processes to deliver significant improvements in the

performance/cost balance.

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Acknowledgements

R. Iocco, R. Wilkins, C. Harrington, L. Pinnell

IndianaS. Forbey, A. Gordon, J. Fleetwood

K. Jezierski

For further discussions contact….

Dru Kefalos, Chief Marketing Officer

Black Diamond Structures

www.blackdiamond-structures.comdkefalos@bd-structures.com USA 512 792 4635

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