Zenyatta Ventures Ltd will concentrate efforts on the next generation lithium-ion battery (‘LIB’) utilizing advanced nanomaterials. Recent testing has shown Zenyatta’s graphene oxide combined with silicon to perform well in this new advanced battery being developed by an innovative materials company in the United States. Given the present limitations of the existing LIB’s, R&D facilities across the world are developing a super-battery that enables higher capacity and quicker charging to meet the growing consumer demand for energy and power.
Mr. Keith Morrison, Chairman of Zenyatta stated, “Graphene is emerging as the most promising nanomaterial for enhancing the performance of products across a broad range of industry sectors. Given its incredible natural properties, it is not surprising to find graphene integrated into new LIB designs. LIB developers plan market disruption by engineering optimization of a product’s performance and cost that outperforms its internal combustion competition. The forecasted growth rates for LIB’s in the next decade are impacting critical supply chain resource values today.”
These new graphene-based batteries are receiving significant interest and R&D investment around the world in comparison to conventional Li-ion batteries. High-quality graphene can make batteries that are potentially lighter, durable, safer, have higher energy storage capacity and shorten charging times. Graphene adds greater conductivity without requiring the amount or type of carbon that is used in conventional batteries. These new advanced batteries can be enhanced by incorporating graphene into the battery and exploiting its superior conductivity, high material strength and large surface area characters to achieve optimum performance.
LIB’s are widely used globally for portable electronic devices and electric vehicles. Unfortunately, the existing lithium-ion batteries still lack the required level of energy storage to completely meet the demands of such applications as electric vehicles. The adaption of silicon-graphene based anode batteries could accelerate the fast growing market for energy storage, especially for the automotive sector. The demand for electric car batteries is driving an increased requirement for better raw material ingredients which includes graphene, the most advanced form of carbon. The electric vehicle game is all about the best battery and the trend is for companies to adapt using the best nanomaterials and technology available.
Zenyatta’s high-purity graphite was converted to graphene oxide by Dr. Aicheng Chen, Professor at Lakehead University. That material was then sent to an American advanced materials company where it was successfully used to create a silicon-graphene composite for testing as a new anode material in a next generation lithium-ion battery. The superior dispersion qualities and electrochemical performance of the Company’s material are desirable properties that are well suited for this advanced silicon-graphene battery. While silicon has many times the capacity of the current graphite anode, it cannot be used alone due to rapid degradation. A significant amount of research has been carried out to encapsulate silicon in a graphene oxide material to enhance the cycle life while also increasing charge capacity and durability for advanced lithium-ion batteries. Many companies including Samsung, Cabot Corporation, Huawei and Nokia are using graphene to enhance the performance of batteries they are developing.
