Super anode proposal

Project completed by Future Battery Industries CRC which receives allocation of MRIWA funds.

The Challenge

Graphite anodes used in lithium-ion batteries are typically manufactured from a blend of natural and synthetic graphite. The level of natural graphite is expected to increase to 70% as cost and environmental pressures increase.

Natural graphite, however, must be processed via a complex set of processes which leads to significant wastage and increased cost.

Further, the recent addition of silicon to anodes to enhance energy density poses significant challenges, primarily due to the ~400% volume change during cycling.

Proposed Solution

This project aims to develop a processing pipeline for silicon-loaded natural graphite for anode production with a reduction of up to 30% of natural graphite wastage in anode production and up to 25% improvement in electrochemical performance of assembled anodes.

This pipeline will include improved, environmentally-friendly and safe processing of natural graphite through spheronisation, purification, coating, and silicon incorporation and will examine the feasibility of hybrid graphite materials for anodes and perform a full life-cycle analysis.

Proposed Benefit to WA

This project will assist creation of a market for future WA graphite projects by providing a significant step towards establishing natural graphite as the key raw material in the production of anode materials.

It will support the nascent graphite anode manufacturing industry in Australia via the development of superior capacity graphitic anodes in battery manufacturing.