We have continued to optimise our lithium manganese oxide (LMO) technology for lithium-ion battery cathodes.
This is a far lower energy route (approximately 6 times less*) than conventional LMO production and is producing “onion-ring” like structures in the tiny crystals.Through our BATMn Technology, we have now optimised a technique for producing manganese oxide and “lithiating” (adding lithium) through a lithium hydroxide solution (a “salt soak”) followed by a significantly shortened heating step.
The materials produced are similar in structure to the best lab-scale, exotic nano-derived materials reported in scientific literature. These structures are well-known for their superior performance. Calix’s materials, produced at a much lower cost, are starting to emulate this performance, being well above the best performing commercial materials.
*(assuming energy requirements are propositional to lithiation time)
Dr Matt Boot-Handford – On the chemistry of Calix materials for lithium-ion batteries
“We are trying to develop processes technologies materials that look to transition us to a much more sustainable and responsible future”
Matt Boot-Handford manages Calix’s role in a variety of collaborative research programs including: storEnergy: the Australian Research Council funded Training Centre for Future Energy Storage Technologies; POLYSTORAGE: the EU funded training centre developing solid state batteries; and the Calix-led CRC-P for Advanced Hybrid Batteries.
Lab-produced lithium manganese oxide (LMO)
Schematic and correspoding SEM images supporting the growth mechanism of onion-like lithium manganese oxide (LMO) crystalline structure
