A joint development agreement between Nano One, a clean technology innovator in battery materials, and sustainable technologies company Johnson Matthey (JM) has been announced, through which the two companies will develop a series of next-generation products and processes for Johnson Matthey’s own eLNO family of nickel-rich advanced cathode materials.
For the project, Nano One’s patented One-Pot process and coated nanocrystal technology will be utilized, for the low-cost and low-carbon footprint production of high-performance lithium-ion battery cathode materials.
JM has already pushed the commercialization of its family of nickel-rich advanced cathode materials and has been setting the standard in the sustainable production of battery cathode materials. Nano One’s One-Pot process has been designed to form a type of cathode material known as a coated single crystal, which can deliver increased durability. The process will also enable these materials to be made directly from metal powders and lithium carbonate to address cost, energy and sustainability objectives across the lithium-ion battery supply chain.
The agreement is set to focus on the development of materials, new methods of production and a detailed commercialization study for pre-pilot, pilot and scaled-up manufacturing. The partnership comes as the result of several successful technical reviews, and preliminary evaluations of both Nano One’s high nickel cathode materials and IP carried out over the past year.
“Johnson Matthey is a global leader in advanced lithium-ion cathode materials, and we are proud to be working with them in the pursuit of high-performance, long-life cycles, low-carbon footprint and environmentally sustainable solutions,” commented Dan Blondal, Nano One CEO.
“We share a common vision to develop and commercialize a highly differentiated and value-added cathode materials business and we are delighted to be introducing Johnson Matthey as a trusted partner and collaborating on process innovation for a new generation of lithium-ion battery materials. Our business is primed for such opportunities, and we look forward to advancing this partnership and its joint development program.”
“We are encouraged by Nano One’s innovations and believe its technology has the potential to offer significant advantages in terms of product performance, sustainability and manufacturing cost for our eLNO family of advanced cathode materials. We are looking forward to building business opportunities and a long-lasting collaborative working relationship,” added Christian Gunther, chief executive, battery materials, Johnson Matthey.
