The electrolytes used in nearly all lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries are carbonate-based, which makes them flammable and prone to degradation mechanisms, including side reactions, which can result in gas evolution and the formation of undesirable chemicals like hydrogen fluoride. A proprietary, non-flammable electrolyte developed by Elementium Materials, Inc. (Somerville, Mass.; www.elementium.io) avoids such failure mechanisms and is said to be compatible with nearly any battery chemistry, while also providing a higher energy density.
“Our electrolyte technology is compatible with legacy electrode materials like LFP [lithium-iron-phosphate] and graphite, and also with emerging electrode chemistries, including silicon-based, manganese-rich and high-nickel formulations, as well as sodium-ion and semi-solid-state applications,” explains Matthew Dawson, CEO of Elementium Materials.
Scientists from Elementium are optimizing a new electrolyte material to improve energy density and safety in all types of batteries (Image source: Elementium)
The key to the electrolyte and its near-universal compatibility is a novel sulfonamide-based solvent system and a relatively simple, single-step, liquid-phase synthesis platform that doesn’t require particularly high temperature or pressure. “We have a very scalable synthesis process, and currently, we just make whatever we need for our validation projects in 1-kg batches. We have plans in 2026 to build a 1 million-kg/yr commercial pilot plant that would be able to service about half a gigawatt-hour worth of batteries,” says Dawson.
Because batteries using this electrolyte are more stable and have a longer lifespan, they can be operated at higher voltage, using the electrode material more efficiently, resulting overall in smaller and lower-cost batteries. Elementium validated its electrolyte in third-party pouch cells. “We tested pouch cells at 4.7 V with a major automaker, using our electrolyte versus their conventional systems, and observed significant improvements in longevity and performance. We also have had tests in sodium-ion batteries where we’ve shown the potential to operate at 4.8 V very stably, whereas other similar batteries traditionally operate at around 3.4 V,” adds Dawson.