UltraCharge Limited (“UltraCharge” or “the Company”, ASX: UTR) has reported significant technical advancements in the development of its world-class nanotube anode technology, which it believes will revolutionise energy storage in the future through the production of safer lithium ion batteries capable of being recharged significantly faster than current conventional lithium ion batteries.
In the last three months, UltraCharge has established a laboratory facility in Israel capable of conducting nanotube synthesis and the fabrication of the nanotube anodes. The facility has state of the art equipment facilitating development, analysis and testing, fast tracking development and production. In conjunction with the establishment of this facility the Company made two key hires, a Chemical Engineer to support the nanotube synthesis scale up and Electro Chemical Research Engineer to lead the full cell development and optimisation.
The Company has also successfully transferred the patented technology from the Nanyang Technology University in Singapore (NTU) to this new facility. The process results of the batches that were achieved in Israel, using the patented technology, have been extremely positive. Within its newly created laboratory facilities UltraCharge successfully produced a batch of Titanate Nanotube batch at a scale that is twenty (20) times higher than that achieved at NTU. NEI, an independent testing facility based in Israel, which provides research and chemical process support to UltraCharge, was able to deliver a Titanate Nanotube batch forty (40) times higher than that achieved at the NTU facility. This is a very successful early result that indicates commercial scale up with the required performance characteristics is on track. Commenting on the establishment of this new facility and the successful transfer of the patented technology to this facility, UltraCharge CEO, Mr Kobi Ben-Shabat, said, “After three very intensive months we have managed to complete an efficient technology transfer with NTU, while building our own independent capabilities to duplicate and improve NTU innovative invention and IP. “In addition, we have put the required infrastructure and resources in place to advance the nanotube anode and bring it to improved maturity level.”
UltraCharge is pioneering breakthrough lithium-ion battery (“LIB”) technologies. It has designed an anode for a battery capable of tackling some of the most significant pitfalls of the current generation of LIBs, namely slow charge rates, limited lifecycle and safety and transportation restrictions. By using titanium dioxide nanotubes (TiO2-NT) in the anode rather than traditional graphite the Company is able to produce considerably improved results. It is believed that thistechnology will ensure that batteries can be charged at faster rates with reduced overheating and record a significantly improved lifecycle – lasting over twenty times longer than current battery technologies.
