Green alternatives to energy storage

Leslah Garland 23 March 2022  

X-Batt has announced it has combined coal with its proprietary, low-cost, resin-based technology to create full-cell batteries.

The company says early tests in full coin cells show that the company’s batteries, utilising this coal composite anode material, have reached over 400 cycles. X-Batt says it has also scaled-up this technology, with the help of the Battery Innovation Centre, into single layer pouch cells that have surpassed 100 cycles and are continuing to perform well.

Bill Easter, founder of X-Batt said: “The X-Batt batteries are coal reimagined. Our early tests exceeded our expectations – the coal composite anode materials are outperforming graphite, the traditional anode material used in lithium-ion batteries.”

The company says the benefits of this new material don’t stop at its increased performance, this technology could also lead to a domestic source for anode material, helping the United States reduce reliance on foreign countries for the critical materials necessary to support the increased demand for electrification.

X-Batt will be presenting its battery results at the 39th annual International Battery Seminar & Exhibition at Loews Royal Pacific Resort in Orlando.

To help further its research, the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) awarded Semplastics, X-Batt’s parent company a $1 Million contract to produce polymer derived ceramic composite anodes using coal as a carbon source for lithium-ion batteries. The company has discovered that adding a carbon source, such as coal, to the PDC material offers stability and normalises charge / discharge behaviour, improving cycling life and decreasing nominal voltage.

“The energy race is in full swing and we’re proud to be running full speed toward an eco-friendly, long-term solution to power our world,” said Easter.