A single crystal is a solid object with an orderly, three-dimensional arrangement of ions, atoms or molecules. Some minerals, for example quartz and gemstones, repeat this pattern throughout their entire volume. Now a South Korean company is mass-producing single crystal cluster materials for battery cathodes.
This is not, however, a new technology in itself. Light-emitting diodes, and solid-state integrated circuits already use use synthetic single crystals of silicon and gallium arsenide. Laboratory manufacture may involve artificially ‘growing’ single crystals from a crystal seed.
Breakthrough in Single Crystal Cluster Material Manufacture
The South Korean start-up. SM Labs says it has achieved a breakthrough in mass-production of single-crystal structures. AJU Daily reports the company plans to use these ‘as cathode electrodes in high-performance batteries in rapid-charging electric vehicles’.
This could be an important milestone at a time when battery makers are competing to produce high-density cylindrical cells. The SM Labs innovation addresses limitations of current cathode materials, AJU Daily explains. In this regard it is common knowledge that this hurdle is throttling battery progress.
More Information About The SM Labs Innovation
SM Labs has begun manufacturing single crystal cluster materials for high-performance battery electrodes. To date, initiatives by others have been less successful, owing to crystals of around four nanometers exhibiting lower output characteristics, again according to AJU Daily.
However the breakthrough by the South Koran company exhibits two significant differences:
- Their new SM Labs electrode material has a higher nickel content.
- This enables high-density batteries to charge to theoretical full capacity.
We understand that the new material manufacturing process bonds multiple single crystal particles. And that this innovation enables faster charging.
Indeed, SM Labs reports that its prototypes achieve 86% of theoretical capacity within 15 minutes. This represents a major improvement over other single crystal materials. The manufacturer is funneling its output through to a secondary battery maker, and scaling up to 30,000 tons a year.
More Information
Anode and Cathode Making a Perfect Pair
