Natrion Demonstrates Solid-State Feasibility With Lithium EV Battery Cells

Performance data of cells using the company's patented materials shows high cycle life, high C-rate and zero fire risk – without stack pressure

CHAMPAIGN, Ill., Oct. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Natrion, a leader in solid-state electric vehicle battery technology, today revealed data on the performance of its patented compounds in lithium-metal anode pouch cells. The results showed a dramatic milestone in commercial solid-state Li-metal battery feasibility by demonstrating high C-rate capability and cycle life without the use of stack pressure. This data, a major advancement for Natrion, adds to the body of research around the viability of solid-state batteries (SSBs) for use in electric vehicles (EVs).

Previously, Natrion published data showing its proprietary material, LISIC278, delivering superior performance in standard pouch cells using graphite anodes. In this further round of testing, Natrion created new coin cells and pouch cells using a LISIC278 solid-state electrolyte separator and a lithium-metal anode composed of 5-micrometer-thick lithium-coated copper foil. They also added their newest product, a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI)-forming wetting agent called M3 that stabilizes the Li-metal, suppresses dendrites, and facilitates cycling at high coulombic efficiency without the need for external stack pressure on the cell.

• Near-zero fire risk
• 50%+ greater energy density vs state-of-the-art graphite anode due to improved volumetric and gravimetric efficiency (reduced total cell stack thickness)
• High cycle life and C-rate capability: 320 cycles demonstrated at 2C (30 min charge time) and 100% depth-of-discharge with 98% retention
• 420 to 450 miles of potential range on a single charge in an EV application, for a total of 145,000+ driving miles without loss of performance
• Viability to deliver these metrics without the use of stack pressure due to M3

Natrion's data may be the first and only known instance of a high cycle life and high C-rate with zero additional stack pressure. It is not known whether any other entity has been previously able to prove these conditions until now; while others in the industry have also demonstrated high cyclability, they have achieved this with either a much longer charge time or the use of significant external pressure.

Having achieved these outcomes without requiring stack pressure on the cell is groundbreaking. Applying stack pressure requires the integration of an external device, so any energy density gained from cell chemistry is practically erased. Applying pressure to an individual battery cell may be possible in testing, but is highly difficult to engineer into a battery pack. Natrion's solution is perhaps the first commercial example of a viable solution for EV applications.

"These metrics prove that Natrion's LISIC and M3 electrolyte solutions can lead to the advent of high energy density Li-metal cells that are highly scalable and can be very readily produced at high volume," said Alex Kosyakov, Natrion cofounder and CEO. "The benefit of LISIC over other electrolyte solutions is that we can still use roll-to-roll high-throughput manufacturing processes and established cell construction techniques. This, combined with a lack of need for stack pressure to accomplish high performance, makes us believe that we have a real opportunity to be the ones to finally deliver Li-metal cell technology to mass market EVs."

Natrion is a solid-state EV battery component maker headquartered in Binghamton, New York with operations in Champaign, Illinois. It was started out of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Indiana University in 2018 by founders Alex Kosyakov and Thomas Rouffiac. Natrion develops solid-state lithium-ion and sodium-ion battery components for electric mobility and defense applications. The company is backed by Mark Cuban, TechNexus Venture Collaborative, Tamarack Global, and others.

SOURCE Natrion