Fueling the Future: Coal Finds New Purpose as a Value-Added Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries

ORLANDO, Fla. - June 15, 2023 - PRLog -- X-BATT® and Semplastics are proud to announce the successful completion of a research and development project that explores and scales up the use of coal as a value-added material for anodes in lithium-ion batteries.
The use of lithium-ion batteries has been growing rapidly, driven by demand for EVs and renewable energy storage. These batteries rely on graphite, which is almost exclusively imported from foreign countries, primarily China. However, our research has demonstrated that coal could be a domestically sourced alternative or supplement to graphite as an anode active material.

"We are excited to have completed this project, which has the potential to make a huge impact," said Bill Easter, CEO. "The use of coal as a value-added material not only provides a domestic source for anodes but creates a new market for coal. We are grateful for the support of the Department of Energy and the NETL, who made this project possible."

The Battery Innovation Center scaled and tested this technology in 18650 cells, which are used in many commercial applications. This significant milestone in development demonstrates the technology is commercially viable and can be produced on a large scale, utilizing existing equipment and processes.

Discharge capacity retention is the the ability of a cell to retain capacity after many charge and discharge cycles. Results from the first 18650 cells that were made using coal showed a retention capacity of 80% after 1,000 cycles of being fully charged and fully discharged, showcasing it's promising cycle life capabilities.

To learn more about X-BATT®, visit www.x-battinc.com.