While the public’s attention has been focused for years on futuristic concepts such as solid electrolytes, sodium-ion or lithium-sulfur batteries, a much quieter but more realistic revolution is already underway. Instead of completely changing battery chemistry, some companies have focused on improving a key component of lithium-ion cells: the anode.
Until now, graphite has been the standard anode material. It is reliable and stable, but also heavy, inefficient in terms of volume, and more and more often it represents a limitation in further increasing capacity. Silicon, as an alternative, offers significantly greater lithium storage capacity, but for decades it has had problems with expansion, degradation and rapid cell wear.
Silicon anode as a real technological breakthrough in the world of batteries
Porsche-backed company Group14 Technologies and American Sionic Energy claim to have largely solved that problem. According to their data, the new silicon-carbon anodes have demonstrated stable performance in real-car sized pouch battery cells at temperatures up to 60 degrees and during more than 1,200 charge cycles.
The claim of an energy density of up to 400 Wh/kg is particularly significant. Today’s electric vehicles mostly use cells with 200 to 300 Wh/kg, which means that the new technology would enable a significantly smaller and lighter battery with the same or greater range. This affects not only cars, but is especially important for motorcycles, scooters and other light electric vehicles, where the mass and dimensions of the battery directly affect handling and ergonomics.
An important aspect is the supply chain. Graphite processing is today strongly concentrated in China, while silicon is an extremely widespread element, obtained from sand and quartz, with significantly lower geopolitical risks. Group14 further states that their technology is “drop-in”, meaning that it can be introduced into existing lithium-ion battery production lines without major changes in production.
Although silicon anodes still carry higher costs and require more careful thermal management, this technology is no longer experimental. It is already used in smartphones and certain vehicles, and now it is increasingly entering the zone of mass application. If the claims are confirmed in real use, the silicon anode could become one of the most important steps towards electric vehicles without the fear of a short range, writes MSN.