Silatronix has secured commercial scale orders from several customers in North America and China for its OS3 product, a lithium-ion battery (LiB) electrolyte co-solvent.
Image: Silatronix secures order for electrolyte. Photo: Courtesy of bigjom/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Initial shipments of Silatronix OS3 to these customers are scheduled for 3rd quarter of 2018.
From its portfolio of OS advanced functional solvents, Silatronix has qualified OS3 as its first commercial product in the LiB market. The customers currently placing orders for OS3 will be using the material in LiBs for multiple applications, including military, drone, and consumer electronic products.
In total, Silatronix has OS3 design evaluations in process with over 35 organizations in the global LiB industry.
Silatronix sales & marketing vice president Carl Thoemmes said: “The stabilizing benefits of OS3 at high voltage and high operating temperature are enabling a wider range of LiB cell capability for our customers’ applications.
“We are excited for the successful launch of OS3 and are now focused on expanding our team and manufacturing capability to support the growing Silatronix customer base.”
OS3 offers a unique functionality in LiB electrolyte that stabilizes lithium salt and prevents its decomposition. This bulk electrolyte functionality allows OS3 to be applied in all commonly used LiB anode and cathode combinations produced today. Initial OS3 shipments will be used in a variety of LiB chemistries, including LCO for drones and consumer electronic products, NCA for military applications, and LFP for mobility.
Additionally, some of these systems are already utilizing silicon-containing anode materials. Future shipments will support NMC-graphite and NMC-silicon systems for automotive use.
Silatronix CEO Mark Zager said: “The market for OS3 is exciting because it’s so diverse and not limited to just one LiB chemistry or application. We see a viral adoption pattern emerging with OS3, particularly with silicon-anode systems. Silicon anodes really challenge electrolyte stability, and this is exactly where our customers report seeing the greatest benefit from adding OS3 to their electrolytes.”
Silicon anodes are one part of the multi-variable materials technologies pushing to improve LiB energy density. The latest generation of high energy anode and cathode systems rapidly degrade traditional LiB electrolytes. OS3 enabled electrolytes provide the stability needed to make these systems viable for their intended applications.
LiBs are the fastest growing segment in the battery industry with current production volume expected to grow by a factor of four by 2025. Silatronix believes commercial opportunities for its portfolio of OS electrolyte products could exceed $1bn in this timeframe.
Source: Company Press Release