X-MAT Successfully Fabricates Full Cell Battery

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 upcycle graphite from spent lithium-ion batteries.

Demand for lithium-ion batteries continues to grow, with no signs of it slowing down. Each year, demand is expected to grow by 25% resulting in 14x growth by 2030.

X-MAT has gained support for its work with batteries from the Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory. In 2020, the company was awarded a nearly $1-million contract to help fund the research for utilizing coal in batteries. To date, the company has received $10.7 million in contracts and grants.