Altech Chemicals Limited (ASX: ATC) has obtained further patent filings to protect its intellectual property relating to the application of Silumina Anodes battery materials technology and alumina coating process.
In May 2022, an international patent application preserving the right to file national applications in up to 156 countries was filed. National patent applications have also been filed in the United States, Europe, China, Japan and Korea. All of these applications claim priority from Australian provisional patent application filed on 13 May 2021.
The patent applications protect Altech’s process for covering anode materials such as silicon and graphite with nano-layer alumina coatings.
The coatings serve as an artificial solid electrolyte interface (SEI) and can reduce lithium loss during each battery charge and discharge cycle, and also retards degradation of battery capacity throughout battery life. This current round of patent filings further demonstrates Altech’s commitment to protecting its intellectual property.
Altech Chemicals is a specialty battery materials technology company that has licenced its proprietary high purity alumina coating technology to 75% owned subsidiary Altech Industries Germany GmbH (AIG), which has commenced a definitive feasibility study for the development of a 10,000tpa silicon/graphite alumina coating plant in the state of Saxony, Germany to supply its Silumina Anodes product to the burgeoning European electric vehicle market.
This company recently announced its game changing technology of incorporating high-capacity silicon in lithium-ion batteries. Through in house R&D, the Company has cracked the “silicon code” and successfully achieved a 30% higher energy battery with improved cyclability or battery life. Higher density batteries result in smaller, lighter batteries and substantially less greenhouse gases, and is the future for the EV market.
The company’s proprietary silicon graphite product is registered as Silumina Annodes. The company is in the race to get its patented technology to market and recently announced the results of a preliminary feasibility study (PFS) for the construction of a 10,000tpa Silumina Anode material plant at AIG’s 14 hectare industrial site within the Schwarze Pumpe Industrial Park in Saxony, Germany. The European graphite and silicon feedstock supply partners for this plant will be SGL Carbon and Ferroglobe.
The project has also received green accreditation from the independent Norwegian Centre of International Climate and Environmental Research (CICERO). To support the development, AIG has commenced construction of a pilot plant adjacent to the proposed project site to allow the qualification process for its Silumina Anodes product. AIG has executed NDAs with two German automakers as well as a European based battery company.