Mr. Spencer Huh reports

NEO BATTERY SHOWCASES MASS-PRODUCIBLE SILICON BATTERY PROTOTYPE WITH HIGHEST CAPACITY RETENTION ACHIEVED TO DATE

Neo Battery Materials Ltd. has introduced NBMSiDE P-300N, an advanced silicon anode product with the highest-capacity retention achieved to date. The P-300N is a mass-producible prototype optimized to enhance battery stability while maintaining low-cost production.

• NBMSiDE P-300N: advanced prototype for mass-producibility testing with highest capacity retention achieved to date:
  • Average Coulombic efficiency of over 99.8 per cent with high initial capacity while maintaining low-cost production;
  • Two variations of P-300N launched for different industry requirements.
• Undergoing long-term battery performance testing with P-300N and high-capacity retention realized over 300 cycles;
• Mass-producibility testing conducted with P-300N:
  • Will produce near-commercial batteries with three to five Ah capacities with global battery value chain players.

P-300N silicon anode: highest-capacity retention achieved to date

Building on the foundation of the P-300 silicon anode introduced in January, NBMSiDE P-300N is the company's latest engineering feat with the highest capacity retention achieved to date. Neo's R&D (research and development) successfully refined the synthesis process and material characteristics while maintaining low costs and minimizing initial capacity loss.

Neo's priority is optimizing the 50-cycle average Coulombic efficiency (CE) on the half cell using a 100-per-cent pure silicon anode. With this rigorous testing condition, a high CE over the first 50 cycles is strictly required for and determines high capacity retention in long battery performance tests of 300-plus, 500-plus and 1,000-plus cycles.

Compared with predecessors, the P-300N has recorded the highest 50-cycle average CE of over 99.8 per cent. Moreover, due to the flexibility of Neo's synthesis method, two P-300N variations have been produced to cater to different industry needs:

• High-capacity variant: demonstrates initial capacity over 2,000 mAh/g (milliampere-hours per gram) with an average CE of over 99.5 per cent and maintaining performance with 50-plus cycles;
• High-stability variant: provides a balance of cycle performance and capacity with an average CE of over 99.8 per cent with approximately 2,000 mAh/g in initial capacity.

P-300N is positioned as a low-cost, competitive solution for wide applications, including 1) electronics, power tools or drone/UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) that require high capacity with ultrafast charging/discharging and 2) EV (electric vehicle) and energy storage that require high capacity with long-term stability.

Next steps: full cell testing and scaling up for commercialization

Due to surpassing half cell results, Neo is undergoing long-term full cell tests of 300-plus cycles with the P-300N. With various cathode chemistries, P-300N is combined with graphite to form high-capacity silicon-graphite anodes. High-capacity retention has been realized, but once all internal targets are achieved, the company will announce technical results through a subsequent news release.

With scale-up efforts initiated as of February, the P-300N will be the main product for mass-producibility testing. A key advantage of the P-300N is its adaptability to mass production without modifying existing processing equipment. After completing small-scale optimization, Neo plans to manufacture near-commercial battery cells with three to five Ah capacities with global battery value chain players.

P-300N: technical details of optimization

The upgraded P-300N incorporates key refinements in particle size distribution, shape control and composite layer coating on the silicon particle. The composite layer coating offers enhanced protection against the direct contact of the silicon anode and electrolyte, mitigating capacity loss and improving cycling life. Additionally, a reinforced polymer coating network aids in mechanical stress dissipation without compromising conductivity between silicon particle structures.

About Neo Battery Materials Ltd.

Neo Battery is a Canadian battery material technology company focused on developing silicon anode materials for lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles, electronics and energy storage systems. With a patent-protected, low-cost manufacturing process, Neo Battery enables longer-running and ultrafast-charging batteries compared with existing state-of-the-art technologies. The company aims to be a globally leading producer of silicon anode materials for the electric vehicle and energy storage industries.

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