- Altech Chemicals (ATC) has submitted a patent with IP Australia for its alumina coating technology
- According to ATC, the technology can improve the life of lithium-ion batteries and their performance
- Last year, Altech began an independent verification phase for its method coating graphite particles with alumina
- These particles were observed as thin and continuous with a regular coating of alumina — a result the company called encouraging
- On the market, Altech is up 8.16 per cent and is trading at 5.3 cents per share
Altech Chemicals (ATC) has submitted a patent with IP Australia for its alumina coating technology.
According to ATC, the technology can extend the life of lithium-ion batteries and their performance.
Currently, graphite particles used in lithium-ion battery anodes are uncoated, but manufacturers are now looking to coat these particles with very thin layers of alumina.
When the alumina coating layer is applied to anode materials, such as graphite and silicon, it serves as an artificial solid electrolyte interface (SEI).
This is expected to reduce lithium-ion losses during each charge and discharge cycle of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which are used in electric vehicles.
Last year, Altech began an independent verification phase for its method coating graphite particles with alumina.
In the first phase of coating trials, the company applied the layers on graphite anode particles. These particles were observed with a thin and continuous coating of alumina.
A successful first round of battery testing of Altech’s alumina coated graphite has also been completed.
For this test, two batches of battery electrodes were produced, one batch used non-coated standard anode grade graphite particles, while the other batch was coated with HPA using Altechs’s technology.
100 cycles of cell charge and discharge was completed and the company called the results positive and encouraging.
“In a lithium-ion battery, lithium-ion losses initially present as inactive layers that form during the very first battery charge cycle, the losses then compound with each subsequent battery usage cycle,” the company explained.
Interestingly, typically, around 8-10 per cent of lithium ions are lost during the very first battery charge cycle.
Tests have shown that alumina-coated graphite particles have the potential to reduce first cycle capacity loss and therefore improve battery life and performance.
On the market, Altech is up 8.16 per cent and is trading at 5.3 cents per share at 1:57 pm AEST.