Empowering Tomorrow's Innovators: NeoCity Academy Students Tour X-MAT and X-BATT Labs

Oviedo, FL - March 19, 2024 - At X-MAT and X-BATT, we believe in nurturing the next generation of innovators and problem solvers. That's why we were thrilled to welcome students from NeoCity Academy for a morning of exploration and learning. As part of our ongoing commitment to education and community engagement, we opened our doors, offering them a glimpse into the world of advanced materials and battery technology.

X-BATT Unveils Groundbreaking Bio-Derived Composite Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Oviedo, FL  - February 26, 2024 - X-BATT, a pioneer in advanced material solutions, today announced a significant breakthrough in lithium-ion battery technology with the introduction of its innovative composite anode materials utilizing renewable, bio-derived materials. This cutting-edge research sets a new standard for sustainable and efficient energy storage applications.

X-BATT's research targets the pressing need for alternative anode materials in the face of skyrocketing demand for lithium-ion batteries. By leveraging agricultural waste products as a low-cost carbon source, X-BATT aims to address the critical mineral shortage threatening the electrification movement.

Pioneering the Future of Energy Storage: A High-Performance Anode Composite for Lithium-Ion Batteries from Recycled Graphite

Oviedo, FL  - October 30, 2023 - In light of the increasing global demand for energy storage, X-BATT and Semplastics are thrilled to announce their continued focus on the development of high-performance lithium-ion battery anode composites utilizing recycled graphite from spent batteries.

We are proud to collaborate with Princeton NuEnergy and the Battery Innovation Center, leading players in the energy domain. Together, we aim to transform the energy storage landscape. This initiative has been recognized and supported by a Phase II Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) Grant through the Department of Energy, emphasizing its potential impact and significance.

X-BATT Announces Joint Venture to Revolutionize Battery Technology with Coal

OVIEDO, Fla. (October 5, 2023) – X-BATT, a pioneer in advanced battery materials, is excited to announce that it has partnered with CONSOL Innovations, a subsidiary of CONSOL Energy Inc., to accelerate the development of its coal-based anode technology.   The work will be performed by C-BATT Innovations LLC, a newly formed joint venture between the companies, which is focused on advancing domestic battery materials derived from coal toward ultimate commercialization.

Semplastics awarded SBIR grant by the Department of Energy for lithium-ion battery recycling technology

Innovative battery technology earns additional $1.1 million in funds for Phase II research

OVIEDO, Fla. (Sep 6th, 2023) - Semplastics, a leading innovator in energy storage solutions, has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

This grant will enable the company to advance its pioneering work in recycling and upcycling low-value graphite from spent lithium-ion batteries to create high-performance, high-value anode materials.

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

New Anode Material Achieves Over 1000 Cycles in Large Format 18650 Cells

OVIEDO, Fla. (June 7th, 2023) – 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.

X-BATT® Builds the First 18650 Battery Using Coal

Could coal be the key to overcoming a critical mineral shortfall?

February 2nd, 2023 – Graphite, a critical mineral, is in nearly every lithium-ion battery today and not only is it in short supply but the raw materials and processing are controlled by China. To meet demand, it is projected that 97 new natural graphite mines and 56 new synthetic graphite plants would need to be opened by 2035; representing a 550% and 145% increase respectively.

With graphite making up about 28% of the typical EV battery or about 114l bs per car, the total amount of graphite needed would reach many millions of tons by 2035, and the energy, time and resources required to mine or produce graphite at this scale is astonishing. Based on the results of our research and development funded by the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, we believe that coal can play a major role in mitigating this shortfall and it is already being produced in the volumes that would be required.

X-BATT® wins Battery Innovation Center’s Voltage Award

Company awarded for revolutionary technology for lithium-ion batteries  

October 12, 2022 - A next generation battery technology has won X-BATT the Voltage Award from the Battery Innovation Center (BIC) at its 5th Annual Stakeholder Luncheon event in Indianapolis.  

The Voltage Award recognizes an emerging company and technology that shows the highest potential to make a difference in batteries and electrification. The event hosted over 200 individuals representing startups to fortune 500 companies involved in the energy storage space.

Battery materials company receives over $200K to further research and development

June 7th, 2022– The race to expand electric vehicle production is on, but how will we keep up?

X-BATT is perfecting the technology to incorporate recycled or contaminated materials from electric vehicle or consumer electronic lithium-ion batteries into high-performance anode composites. This includes graphite and other materials that have reached end of life or come from production scrap that can be reintegrated back into the supply chain.

The Department of Energy awarded Semplastics, the advanced materials technology company behind X-BATT, over $200K to develop novel high-capacity composite anodes for the upcycling of spent graphite from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries.

X-BATT® wins grant from DOE to continue development of technology for upcycling spent graphite

X-BATT® perfects revolutionary technology for recycling lithium-ion batteries from EVs

Company strengthens IP portfolio with an Issued Patent on recycled battery process

May 17, 2022 – Backed by power…and now a patent, X-BATT has the energy needed to continue innovative work in reusing and recycling lithium-ion batteries.  

X-BATT® an affiliate of X-MAT® an advanced materials technology company, has recently been granted a U.S. Patent (US 11,335,962 B2). This is one of several issued patents that support their innovative technologies.  

“What we are doing with recycled electric vehicle batteries is unique and revolutionary and the patent proves it,” said Bill Easter, CEO of X-BATT® & X-MAT®.

March 25, 2022 – X-BATT® is getting closer than ever to producing more powerful batteries by reusing waste graphite that usually ends up in landfills.  

X-BATT® is using the company’s patented, high-performance polymer technology along with recycled graphite from spent lithium-ion batteries to engineer a composite anode that outperforms traditional materials. The recycled graphite is highly contaminated and cannot currently be reused in batteries – until now.

“Graphite isn’t an unlimited resource and the U.S. imports all its battery grade graphite from foreign countries. X-BATT®’s team is combating this challenge by discovering innovative ways to reuse waste graphite and create new batteries that are just as powerful, if not more so, as their traditional counterparts – something many people thought would never be possible,” said Bill Easter, founder of X-BATT®.

X-BATT® creates next generation batteries

Recycled graphite composite improves battery performance and more

Coal composite anode materials are outperforming graphite.

March 18, 2022 -Energy is one of the most important resources in our modern world – we need it to drive our cars, light up our homes and the list goes on. As scientists across the globe race to find green alternatives to energy storage, X-BATT® has had a breakthrough, once believed to be impossible.

X-BATT®, has combined coal with its proprietary, low-cost, resin-based technology to create full-cell batteries. Early tests in full coin cells show that the company’s batteries, utilizing this coal composite anode material, have reached over 400 cycles. X-BATT® has also scaled-up this technology, with the help of the Battery Innovation Center, into single layer pouch cells that have surpassed 100 cycles and are continuing to perform well.

X-BATT® creates full-cell batteries from coal composite

December 27, 2021 - X-MAT, the Advanced Materials Division of Semplastics, has successfully fabricated a full cell battery by combining a commercial cathode and its proprietary ceramic coal composite anode.

X-MAT’s material has various current applications including fireproof roof tiles, lightweight space mirrors, battery electrodes and 3D printed ceramics. The basic production process involves mixing raw powdered coal with a proprietary resin.

This coal composite material is currently undergoing testing and has already achieved more than 450 cycles at a third-party laboratory—a significant step forward in the technology development. The team’s next step is to scale this technology for testing in single-layer pouch cells.

The X-MAT technology can also be used to up-cycle graphite from spent lithium-ion batteries, the company says.

X-MAT successfully fabricates full cell battery with ceramic coal composite anode

X-MAT® wins nearly $1 million Department of Energy contract for battery research

February 18, 2020 - Could West Virginia coal or recycled graphite be used to help power your phone or car? A research and development company near the University of Central Florida thinks so.

X-MAT®, the Advanced Materials Division of Semplastics, is working on breakthrough technology to take clean coal and use it for batteries.

Along with this new coal research, Semplastics’ battery lab at UCF has had a number of recent breakthroughs, including the testing of waste graphite as a power source. The company is working on proving the patent-pending X-MAT coating technology can make recycled graphite twice as powerful as new graphite.

X-MAT® breakthrough technology uses recycled lithium-ion batteries to create powerful battery components

December 21, 2019 - X-MAT®, the Advanced Materials Division of Semplastics, has found a way to reengineer materials acquired from recycled lithium-ion batteries to create new, better performing batteries. The advancement can upend battery manufacturing, while motivating the world to recycle more lithium-ion batteries.

The lithium-ion batteries, found in many electronics, including cell phones and electric cars, contain graphite anodes. In the United States, 95 percent of these batteries are not currently recycled. The scientists at X-MAT®’s battery research laboratory have used the company’s patented coating technology to nearly double the capacity of battery-grade graphite by coating recycled graphite, obtained from discarded lithium-ion batteries.  The recycled graphite is highly contaminated and cannot currently be reused in batteries – until now.