Graphene Manufacturing Group Ltd. (GMG) (TSXV: GMG, OTCQX: GMGMF) is making significant strides in the development of its Graphene Aluminium-Ion (G+AI) battery technology. The company has announced a collaboration with the Battery Innovation Center (BIC) of Indiana, USA, marking a crucial step towards commercialization.
The service contract with BIC will allow GMG to leverage BIC’s extensive technological capabilities and manufacturing facilities. This strategic move enables GMG to avoid the substantial capital expenditure, potentially exceeding AU$10 million, required to build a pilot plant for producing sample cells. Under the agreement, GMG retains all intellectual property rights related to the development work while paying for BIC’s services.
This collaboration will allow GMG to optimize cell design and battery manufacturing processes, effectively derisking the battery development process and delaying major capital investments in manufacturing capacity.
GMG is currently focused on optimizing the electrochemistry of its G+AI battery pouch cells. This is a standard procedure in battery development, similar to the challenges faced during the development of lithium-ion batteries. The company is conducting weekly “Sprints” to refine various aspects of the cell design, including anode foil types, cycle life, cell assembly processes, cathode slurry processing, electrolyte variations, charging/discharging algorithms, separator types, and material weight optimization.
Each sprint involves creating multiple battery designs, testing their performance, comparing results, reviewing optimization options, and proposing the next cell design. GMG has conducted approximately 250 scientific experiments on pouch cells, creating nearly 1,000 individual pouch cells since 2023.
In February 2024, GMG achieved a significant milestone by producing multiple battery pouch cells with over 1,000 mAh capacity, demonstrating scalability from coin cells to pouch cells after announcing 500 mAh capacity in September 2023.
The G+AI battery technology is currently at Battery Technology Readiness Level 4, with expectations to advance to levels 7 and 8 through the collaboration with BIC. The equipment and processes required for G+AI batteries are similar to those used for lithium-ion batteries.
GMG envisions a wide array of applications for its G+AI battery, leveraging its high power density and nominal energy density. The company has received interest from various global companies, including Rio Tinto, for potential collaborations in sectors such as:
- Electric Vehicles
- Grid Energy Storage
- Personal Electronics
- Heavy Industry Equipment
GMG’s G+AI battery exhibits promising performance characteristics compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries. Coin cell testing indicates superior performance with a list of beneficial characteristics. Once repeatable and fully 3rd party tested 1,000 mAh+ battery pouch cells are produced, the performance of the pouch cells will be communicated.
GMG has achieved several milestones in developing its G+AI battery, including:
- May 2020: Awarded Australian Research Council grant for graphene battery development.
- April 2021: Commenced coin cell battery development project with the University of Queensland.
- May 2021: Released graphene aluminium-ion battery performance data.
- July 2021: Investment decision for coin cell battery development center.
- October 2021: Started construction of coin cell battery development center.
- December 2021: Commenced operations at the coin cell battery development center.
- March 2022: Initial factory acceptance testing of semi-automated prototype battery cell assembly equipment.
The collaboration with BIC, ongoing electrochemistry optimization, and demonstrated scalability underscore the company’s commitment to commercializing its innovative G+AI battery could make BIC a major player in the next generation of battery technology.
