Start-Up Combines the Power of Plasma and AI to Manufacture Cheaper, Better, Safer Batteries
Nanoloy’s plasma manufacturing platform enables the manufacture of any current and yet-to-be-discovered battery super-materials with a reduced environmental impact. Rio Tinto becomes a joint development partner.
NEW YORK, February 28, 2024 (Newswire.com) - Nanoloy B.V. ("Nanoloy"), a plasma-printed super-materials manufacturing company, has announced today its new partnership with the Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM), of RWTH Aachen University and engineering service provider PEM Motion GmbH, to develop innovative production technologies for producing category-leading batteries. Under the partnership, PEM will assist Nanoloy in the design and manufacture of electrodes using existing and new cell chemistries to bring batteries with unprecedented performance characteristics to the market.
This marks Nanoloy's second collaboration with PEM. During the initial collaboration in Q3 of 2023, the collaboration achieved successful production and promising test results of high-performance anodes with 50 percent silicon content. This second partnership showcases the potential of Nanoloy's plasma-printed production technology to enhance battery performance and efficiency by eliminating the need for binders and toxic solvents in battery manufacturing.
Nanoloy's value proposition lies in three main areas: a) a broader choice of cell chemistry and new material combinations, allowing for higher performance & stability, b) lower material and operating costs given the speed and accuracy of the plasma printing process, and c) lower capital costs due to the simplification or elimination of several current battery manufacturing processes.
This collaboration represents a new AI-enhanced research concept that improves both new and existing cell chemistries while making the battery manufacturing process non-toxic. It will help scale Nanoloy's capacity to manufacture an entirely new class of anodes and cathodes for batteries.
“AI and Large Language Models (LLM) have been proven to discover new and exciting alloys with improved electrochemical properties. In fact, these new cell chemistries are unlikely to be manufacturable with existing production technologies. Nanoloy’s plasma printer introduces a new dimension to the manufacturability and cost of production for current and future battery innovations,” says co-founder and CTO, Krishna Tekriwal.
Nanoloy also entered into a joint development agreement with global mining and metals company Rio Tinto to work together on multiple product initiatives including borates, aluminum and iron powder. Borates already provide many benefits to lithium-ion batteries as additives in cathode materials. Using Nanoloy’s technology, the potential of borate-based anode materials is being investigated, broadening the possibility of borate applications in other battery components.
Nanoloy’s technology consists of a proven industrial-scale plasma printer, recalibrated for the mass production of battery electrodes and components. Initial joint development partners include Rio Tinto, Alkegen, Broadbit Batteries, Foresite Inc., PEM Motion GmbH and now PEM RWTH Aachen University, Germany. Additional academic and industrial partnerships are under negotiation.
“Together with our development partners, we are pushing the boundaries of battery production technologies, enabling the development of cheaper, better, safer, and more environmentally friendly battery electrodes,” says Nanoloy CEO, Alex Koszo.
Koszo added, “We are excited about the future prospects of this collaboration with PEM and the impact it will have on the battery industry. We have reached out to a number of industry-leading AI and technology companies to work with us on our initiatives and received a positive response. By combining the use of AI and Nanoloy’s expertise in plasma printing, with the in-depth electrochemistry experience/research capabilities of PEM RWTH Aachen University and the engineering prowess of PEM Motion, we can accelerate the completion of our silicon anode development and bring cheaper, better, safer and more environmentally conscious battery solutions to market faster than anyone has ever done before."
External Quotes
"Cross-sectional analysis of the Nanoloy 95% graphene and 5% PVDF (polymer) on the aluminium foil shows the carbon bond directly to the aluminium oxide layer forming strong mechanical bond to the base substrate. The carbon and polymer are present in a tightly bonded structure."
Terry Munson, CEO, Foresite Inc. USA
“For most practical applications, this LMFP cathode works close to its theoretical limit. We attribute this good performance to the high quality of the LMFP material, the low interfacial resistance of Nanoloy’s graphene coating layer and the low binder content of the dry processed cathode.”
Andras Kovacs, CTO, BroadBit Batteries OY, Finland
“Our joint development program with Nanoloy presents a remarkable opportunity for groundbreaking active material innovations and an enhanced scope for our wide range of high-purity battery raw materials.”
Philippe Bourdages, Vice President Sales, Minerals, Rio Tinto
"The technology of Nanoloy’s plasma coating process has a great potential in the field of battery production and can be an enabler for future cell technologies. Our joint goals for batteries produced over the next three years are to increase service life by 33% and energy density by 50% while improving safety and reducing production costs by 40%."
Professor Achim Kampker, Chairman PEM Motion GmbH Germany / Director of PEM RWTH Aachen University.
For more information, please visit https://www.nanoloy.com
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Media Contact:
Melissa Sheer
Kent Place Communications
melissa@kentplacellc.com
+1 917-690-2199
Business Contact:
Alex Koszo
Nanoloy B.V.
alex.k@nanoloy.com
+61 412 731741
Source: Nanoloy B.V.