Battery makers are now able to order the Neocarbonix Slurry Precursor (NXSP) of Nanoramic from a standard catalog. The product is a composite binder that replaces the conventional binders and additives in lithium-ion cathodes and anodes, and because it is added on existing wet-coating lines, it can be adopted without any change to the production equipment.
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Nanoramic, a US-based battery materials company, has launched a standard catalog of its Neocarbonix Slurry Precursor (NXSP) products, and with it, the company is offering battery makers a binder that can be adopted without rebuilding their lines. NXSP is a drop-in replacement for the conventional binders and additives that are used in both cathodes and anodes, and it has been designed for existing wet-coating manufacturing lines.
That design is central to the launch. Because NXSP replaces the conventional materials with a single composite binder, manufacturers are not required to alter their production equipment to use it. According to the company, this removes the constraints that conventional binders place on performance, cost and sustainability, and it is intended to lower the cost per kWh of cells for electric vehicles, stationary storage, consumer electronics, drones and power tools.
The first set of benefits is seen at the cathode. NXSP is compatible with NCM, NCA, NCMA, LMR and LFP chemistries, and it can also be used in sodium-ion and solid-state batteries. Cathodes that are made with it show a higher active material content, a higher mass loading and a lower resistance, along with good mechanical flexibility and adhesion. As a result, the electrodes can be made thicker, which raises both the energy density and the power density of a cell, while the thicker electrodes and the lower processing costs reduce its cost.
The same properties are carried over to silicon anodes, where they are applied to a different problem. In conventional binder systems, silicon expands in volume during charging, and this expansion causes mechanical degradation and an unstable cycle life. NXSP provides the flexibility and the adhesion that are needed to sustain performance through repeated charge cycles, and it also improves electrical conductivity. This is expected to help manufacturers adopt silicon anodes and move beyond the energy density limits of conventional graphite anodes.
For buyers in the United States, the sourcing has also been considered. The raw material inputs for NXSP are sourced to support the customers' own compliance planning under the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the evolving Foreign Entity of Concern (FEOC) restrictions on battery materials. John Cooley, the Founder and CEO of Nanoramic, has explained the timing of the launch. "The release of our standard product catalog was a necessary step to serve the broadening demand we are receiving across all key applications," he said. "This product standardization along with the mass production capacity we brought online earlier this year positions us for rapid, organic growth."
Nanoramic is commercializing its Neocarbonix technology for all battery applications, and it works with automakers, consumer electronics companies and battery manufacturers to develop and commercialize batteries that are made with it.