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Solid-State Battery Cells Pass One-Month Test
10 Sep
Summary
- Full-format lab pouch cell held charge for over a month.
- Dry Supersonic Deposition process showed promising durability.
- Capacity fade deemed an engineering challenge, not material failure.
Critical Resources has reached a pivotal point in its solid-state battery development, with a laboratory pouch cell maintaining its charge for over a month of continuous cycling. This hand-assembled cell utilized the company's innovative solvent-free Dry Supersonic Deposition (DSD) manufacturing process.
The test involved 780 hours of charge-discharge cycling at a standard 0.2C rate. While the cell retained 75% of its initial capacity after 65 cycles, management indicated that the capacity fade observed was an engineering hurdle, not a core material defect, pointing to previous coin cell tests where the DSD material performed better.
Further analysis revealed that the DSD cathode remained stable, with degradation observed on the lithium-metal anode, a known issue with liquid electrolytes. This suggests the cathode's integrity is sound. The company's strategy involves licensing its intellectual property, with successful tests de-risking the technology for potential partners.
The program, conducted at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, will now focus on engineering optimization. This includes refining cell construction and component interaction, supported by a 'Digital Twin' modeling collaboration with CSIRO. The next critical step is integrating Critical's proprietary Amorphous Solid-State Electrolyte (ASE).
Beyond battery technology, Critical Resources maintains a diversified critical metals portfolio, including the Mavis Lake lithium project in Canada and the Halls Peak base metals project in Australia. The company's recent battery test success is crucial for building a data package attractive to future licensing partners in high-value sectors.
