CALIBER: Conductive Additives to reduce Lithium Ion Battery Electrode Resistance

Talga集团是电池阳极和石墨烯生产商。它正在成为英国和欧洲锂离子电池（LIB）材料的主要供应商，专注于环保，低碳足迹的阳极产品。作为阳极生产工艺的一部分，通过分级去除大部分石墨进料以提高阳极性能。这种废物流可以使用Talga的创新生产方法转化为石墨烯和石墨烯类材料。初步研究表明，Talga石墨烯变体可用于增强电池性能。CALIBER项目探索了石墨烯作为锂离子电池导电添加剂的适用性。导电添加剂是电池结构的重要组成部分。这些是碳基材料，添加到电池电极，阳极和阴极，以确保电极更具导电性。这反过来又可以实现更快的充电和更长的电池寿命。该项目旨在开发一种尺寸，形状和纯度最适合LIB电池使用的石墨烯材料。该项目生产的材料将在电池单元中进行广泛测试，这些电池单元具有市场领先的阴极以及下一代硅阳极材料。Talga导电添加剂将与目前最先进的商业竞争对手进行比较。目前使用的主要导电添加剂是炭黑。它很容易加工成电极，但它是非晶体。结晶碳，如石墨烯或碳纳米管，在导电性方面远远超过炭黑。尽管在文献中已经探索了石墨烯作为导电添加剂的用途，但其更广泛的用途受到可用性、一致性和价格的阻碍。Talga旨在为英国电池行业提供创新和环保的大规模生产石墨烯。由于原材料将来自电池阳极精炼厂的精选废物流，该产品有望克服上述商业化挑战。该项目的成功将是朝着建立可持续、自给自足的本地导电添加剂供应迈出的一大步，为英国电池行业提供成本和性能方面的竞争优势。

Talga group is a battery anode and graphene producer. It is establishing itself as a key UK and European Lithium Ion Battery (LIB) materials supplier with a strong focus on environmentally friendly, low carbon footprint anode products. As part of the anode production process, a significant proportion of graphite feed is removed by classification to enhance the anode performance. This waste stream can be converted into graphene and graphene-like materials using Talga's innovative production methods. A preliminary study has shown that Talga graphene variants may be used to enhance battery performance. The CALIBER project explores the suitability of graphene as conductive additives in LIB.Conductive additives are an essential part of a battery structure. These are carbon-based materials that are added into the battery electrodes, anode and cathode, to ensure the electrodes are more electrically conducting. This in turn enables faster charging and longer battery life. This project aims to develop a graphene material with size, shape and purity that is optimal for LIB battery use. The materials produced in this project will be extensively tested in battery cells with market leading cathodes, as well as the next generation silicon anode materials. The Talga conductive additives will be compared to current state-of-the-art commercial competitors.The main conductive additive in use today is carbon black. It is easily processed into the electrodes, but it is non-crystalline. Crystalline carbon, such as graphene or carbon nanotubes, far outperform carbon black in conductivity. Although the use of graphene as conductive additives has been explored in literature, its wider use has been hindered by availability, consistency and price. Talga aims to provide the UK battery industry with an innovative and eco-friendly mass produced graphene. As the raw material will be sourced from the size-selected waste stream from battery anode refinery, the product is expected to overcome the above challenges to commercialisation. The success of this project would be a big step towards establishing a sustainable, self-sufficient, local supply of conductive additives that offers UK battery industry competitive advantages in both cost and performance.