Pure Silicon Anodes Boosting the Energy Density of Li-ion Batteries

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Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are everywhere: they power smartphones, laptops, electric vehicles, hearing aids, and drones, for example. The crucial aspect in Li-ion batteries is their energy density; that is, how much energy a battery of a given volume and weight can store. The denser in energy a battery is, the longer it will last. Global R&D manages to increase the energy density of Li-Ion batteries by about 3% every year. At LeydenJar Technologies, we pioneer a process to increase the energy density by 50% without compromising on costs, safety, and lifetime. The key aspect of our innovation is a novel anode manufactured using Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD), a technology already established in the photovoltaic industry. Our innovation is at TRL 7 and it has proven performances comparable to state-of-the-art Li-ion batteries and potential to exceed them by far. We have patented the core aspects of our innovation worldwide, built a strong team, and defined a business case with the stakeholders in the value chain. Our anodes will be a breakthrough in the world of Li-ion batteries, allowing portable devices to last 50% longer and electric vehicles to drive 50% more, so the infrastructure of charging stations will need to be much less dense. Our innovation is very important for Europe, since the EC is making a huge effort to build a local battery industry that can compete with the Asian one. The market of Li-ion batteries will exceed €90 billion of turnover in 2025. To become a major player in it, during the Phase 2 project we will finalize our technology and production process, build a demo machine that exceeds in throughput the one we own now, and validate our anodes with an external battery manufacturer. Upon completion of the project, our innovation will have reached TRL 9 and we will have a launching customer among battery manufacturers. Then, the only activity left before commercialization is the setup of a commercial production plant.