CLB Americas Announces New Advanced Silicon Anode & Binder Material Package for NextGen High Energy Lithium Batteries

For several years, CLB Americas Inc. and its affiliates have been conducting R&D work optimizing their proprietary silicon carbon anode material (SiCAM) to enhance lithium ion battery performance. Today, CLB is announcing the development of an industry-leading high capacity silicon anode material for next generation batteries to be used in electric vehicles (EV), consumer electronic devices, power tools and energy storage systems. 

Recent tests conducted by multiple parties show that the combination of the CLB’s M Series SiCAM anode material coupled with the Ashland SoterasTMMSi binder exhibits superior (2X+) anode capacity and stable cycle life performance compared to other competing silicon anode materials. According to Dr. Alan E. Goliaszewski, Research and Development Director, Performance Additives at Ashland, “We have seen that the CLB silicon carbon M Series anode material coupled with the Ashland Soteras MSi binder produces an outstanding anode electrode material package with over 90% first cycle efficiency, lower swelling, better charge rates and extended stable cycle life. Used appropriately, it can increase battery energy density by up to 30%.”

Global efforts to develop next generation high energy Lithium Ion Batteries (LIBs) to enable longer driving range EVs and high-performance battery-powered 3C devices are well underway. Given the need for key materials for next generation LIBs, the industry has seen a worldwide collaborative effort in developing a viable (stable) high capacity silicon anode material. The challenge is that silicon expands and contracts over 360% during charge-discharge cycles and this creates cycle stability problems, causing the battery performance to quickly fade. Many research institutes, university laboratories, and related industries have proposed and studied novel Si materials for use in a LIB anode. “The CLB technology can be used to produce a novel and robust Si dominant electrode that delivers very promising performance and provides a practical solution to battery and EV OEMs looking to incorporate silicon anodes into their next generation high energy density batteries,” said Dr. Junbing Yang, CLB’s President/CTO and SiCAM inventor.

CLB recently announced it will be giving away free samples of SiCAM electrodes containing the Ashland SoterasTMMSi binder to key prospective customers. This is an effective way for prospective customers to initially validate their new high capacity silicon composite anode material in a timely manner. “The outstanding performance data suggest that our SiCAM anode material coupled with the Ashland binder is a step-change technology to making game-changing next generation EV and 3C lithium batteries,” said Phil Roberts, CEO of CLB.

SiCAM™ is a Silicon Composite that was developed by CLB Americas Inc. as a breakthrough very high specific capacity drop-in anode material for use in most all lithium-ion batteries. The CLB process uniformly embeds and chemically bonds nano silicon particles throughout a proprietary carbonaceous composite matrix, and thus enables a stable, long life Si anode-based LIB with superior performance at a competitive price.

SoterasTMMSi binder is a unique water-based binder for high-capacity silicon-based anodes in lithium ion batteries. It controls swelling, resulting in superior cycle performance at capacities greater than 400 mAh/g when used with silicon oxide (SiOx) and silicon composite (SiC) technologies. Flexible and strong, SoterasTMMSi binder is compatible with current industry processing requirements.

About CLB Americas Inc.

Headquartered at the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) CLB is the manufacturer of a high capacity transformational silicon carbon anode material for Nextgen Lithium ion batteries. The CLB Si-C material is now in pilot-scale (MTs) production in California and is ramping up into full-scale commercial production in starting in 2019. Visit www.clbattery.com to learn more. For more information about the CLB Si-C material, global sampling and collaborative opportunities, please contact Mr. Phillip Roberts, CEO of CLB via email phil@clbattery.com

About Ashland
Ashland Global Holdings Inc. is a premier global specialty chemicals company serving customers in a wide range of consumer and industrial markets, including adhesives, architectural coatings, automotive, construction, energy, food and beverage, personal care and pharmaceutical. At Ashland, we are approximately 6,500 passionate, tenacious solvers – from renowned scientists and research chemists to talented engineers and plant operators – who thrive on developing practical, innovative and elegant solutions to complex problems for customers in more than 100 countries. Visit ashland.com to learn more. 

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