Coast-to-coast silicon cooperation detailed in a release from PR Newswire has the potential to lower costs and improve battery performance for aviation, electronics, electric vehicles, and grid storage — all by 2027.
That's because New York-based company Sionic Energy's 100% silicon anode leverages patented silicon-carbon composite developed by Washington's Group14 Technologies, per the release. Group14 has been in the news recently for its silicon innovations, as well.
"Having worked extensively with several leading silicon materials in our product designs over the past several years, we've chosen Group14 as the best-in-class performer to launch our Silicon Battery Platform," Sionic CEO Ed Williams said in the written message.
Silicon is an abundant material being developed by companies — including big ones like Panasonic — to be a cheaper, better-working anode base than commonly used graphite.
That, along with "seamless manufacturing integration," is part of the way Sionic can cut costs by up to 30%, according to the company's website.
When batteries operate, ions move between the anode and cathode through a substance called the electrolyte. Sionic's version includes additives that improve safety, stabilize voltage, and mitigate dreaded thermal runaway, a failure in pack cells that can lead to rare yet serious fires.
Sionic's batteries have tested well during 1,200 cycles with an up to 50% energy density boost, according to the company. That's the amount of electricity the pack can store per pound. The latest tech can be configured for cylindrical, pouch, and prismatic cell designs, offering flexibility, according to the news release.
Part of Sionic's breakthrough is addressing some key silicon hurdles. While the material can store 10 times the energy as graphite, it's also prone to troublesome expansion and failure, as detailed here by ScienceDirect. Sionic said that its tech can limit expansion to less than 10%.
Brilliant battery innovations are being developed around the world that unlock the potential of more affordable materials, thereby lessening dependence on foreign supply chains. China, for reference, dominates global graphite production, according to data collector Statista.
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Cost 💰 For their part, Sionic's leaders said that they plan for their packs to be powering aviation and electronics this year; EVs by 2026; and used for grid storage by 2027, per the website. The company was started with expertise from Cornell scientists in 2011 and was originally called NOHMs Technologies.
The benefits can be great, because each EV that replaces a gas-burning car prevents thousands of pounds of harmful, heat-trapping air pollution annually, per U.S. government data. You can save up to $1,500 per year in gas and maintenance costs, too.
Even e-bikes, which are already widely available, can save you hundreds of dollars per year if you park your gas car in favor of the two-wheeled ride five times a week. The bikes offer fresh transportation, as government experts have linked vehicle exhaust to various health risks.
While a federal bill providing tax breaks for e-bikes is stalled in the House, many states offer credits to help with the purchase, according to Colorado nonprofit PeopleForBikes. Valuable tax incentives for EVs worth up to $7,500 are still available, as well.
And more of the batteries powering the e-bikes, EVs, and other machines could soon include silicon anodes, courtesy of Sionic and Group14.
"Group14's customers continue to raise the bar for battery performance, and we are pleased to support Sionic's silicon batteries," co-founder Rick Costantino said in the news release.
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