Nano One Reports On Testing Of Next Generation Battery Materials
Innovative Process Shows Favourable Capacity, Cycling and Density
VANCOUVER, BC June 17, 2015 / Nano One Materials Corp. ("Nano One" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: NNO.V) is pleased to provide an update on current activities and progress towards milestones in its battery materials optimization and piloting.
Nano One is optimizing its process and its materials with the goal of demonstrating long lasting high energy density batteries in 2015 and scalable pilot production of its materials in 2016. Recent innovations to Nano One's process have been developed to augment manufacturing efficiencies. These achievements have led to improved structural properties of the materials with higher densities. Electrochemical analyses of the materials in batteries has been underway at Nano One's Burnaby facility since April and are showing favourable capacity and charging in larger format cells.
Nano One is currently focusing its efforts on a strategically important, next generation cathode material known as lithium manganese rich lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (LMR-NMC, see detail below). The current round of battery tests use large format pouch cells that hold approximately 100 mg of LMR-NMC, which are about 40 times larger than previous coin cell tests. These most recent cells have improved cell-to-cell consistency and the materials are showing commercially viable reversible capacity up to 240 mAh/g (milliamp-hours per gram), which is in line with industry targets. Longevity is measured cycle to cycle and Nano One has seen about 0.03% capacity fade per cycle when charging and discharging once per hour. This is up to 10 times longer lasting than benchmarks used by key players in the battery space.
Furthermore, Nano One has recently doubled the density of its battery materials with some samples reaching well over 2 g/cc (grams per cubic centimetre). Higher energy storage per cell is usually associated with higher density materials and could enable further improvements to capacity, efficiency, cost, weight and performance.
Nano One's bench-scale apparatus is considered very productive at about 100 grams per hour and will require a modest scale-up, in the neighborhood of tenfold, to demonstrate pilot production. With commercialization partner, BC Research and NORAM, working on plant design, Nano One is confident that its technology is scalable for piloting and full production.
Through collaboration with 4D LABS at Simon Fraser University, Nano One is using a number of analytical tools to characterize the structural properties, chemical composition, porosity, surface area and mass of Nano One's materials. Electron microscopy is showing unique structures with beneficial shape, size and distribution. X-ray analysis of the LMR-NMC material shows a high degree of crystallinity and layered structures that support efficient transport of lithium-ions in and out of the structure.
Nano One's battery testing program began with half-cells, where it is useful to evaluate cathode materials against pure lithium anodes. Nano One has identified a number of battery materials to take to the next level of evaluation in full-cells, where the cathode is paired with a graphite anode, as it is in commercial batteries. Nano One will evaluate these materials in battery tests and anticipates that third party testing will follow, with known battery industry players.
"The electrochemical results from these latest cells improves on performance trends seen in previous tests" says Nano One CEO Dan Blondal, "and is encouraging because it uses larger batteries. We have been consistently making higher density materials now for months with some batches big enough to make thousands of these larger pouch cells. With activities moving towards full-cell battery testing, we believe that we can reach our 2015 milestone of advancing third party evaluations."
NORAM Engineering and Constructors Ltd. ("NORAM") and its subsidiary BC Research Inc. ("BCRI") are on schedule to report, by Q2 2015, on their conceptual design and cost estimate for a full cathode material commercial facility (reported April 16, 2015). Nano One expects it to help de-risk and validate commercialization plans in the coming months while guiding technology development, process optimization and pilot scale design in 2015 and 2016. Nano One believes that this study could be integral to discussions with key industry players on licensing and partnership.
LMR-NMC Detail
In the energy storage space, lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) has been widely used in the batteries that power commercial electronic devices however to address electric vehicle needs, industry players have been replacing some cobalt with nickel and manganese (NMC) to improve capacity, longevity and cost. Nano One is focused on the next generation of this material, which is known as lithium manganese rich lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (LMR-NMC) and promises even higher capacities and energy density than its predecessors. Nano One believes that its patent pending processing technology can enable the benefits of LMR-NMC and overcome challenges that others are having with longevity of materials and manufacturing complexity.
About Nano One
Nano One Materials Corp is focused on developing novel, scalable and low-cost processing technology for the production of high performance battery materials. The technology can be configured for a wide range of raw materials with the flexibility to shift with market trends and growth opportunities in other advanced nanostructured composite materials. The novel three-stage process uses equipment common to industry and is being engineered for high volume production and rapid commercialization. Nano One's mission is to establish its patent pending technology as a leading platform for the global production of a new generation of nano-structured composite materials.
About 4D LABS
4D LABS is an applications- and science-driven research institute at Simon Fraser University, located in British Columbia, Canada, offering access to multiple facilities housing state-of-the-art equipment for academic, industrial and government researchers. 4D LABS focuses on accelerating the Design, Development, Demonstration and Delivery of advanced functional materials and nanoscale devices. 4D LABS goal-oriented environment fosters intellectual freedom and creativity which are critical for breakthrough research.
About NORAM and BCRI
NORAM and BCRI have a global reputation for innovation and excellence in the supply of proprietary engineering and equipment packages to the chemical, pulp and paper, minerals processing and electrochemical sectors. Their six specialized business groups have completed capital projects on five continents. They are recognized worldwide as a leader in the fields of nitration, sulfuric acid and electrochemistry. In addition to carrying out large assignments for major multi-national clients and municipalities, NORAM and BCRI work with early-stage technology companies. They provide engineering design and fabrication support, sharing their experience in technology commercialization, and growing with companies as a strategic stakeholder.
NANO ONE MATERIALS CORP.
Dan Blondal, CEO
For information with respect to Nano One or the contents of this news release, please contact Ryan Johnson (Corporate Development) or John Lando (President) at (604) 669-2701 or visit the website at www.nanoone.ca.
Certain information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the commercialization of the Company's technology and patents. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects" or "it is expected", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including: the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that is incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws.
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SOURCE: Nano One Materials Corp.
