Nanostructured materials are materials designed with features typically on the order of nanometers (one billionth of a meter). In batteries, this often refers to electrode materials where the particles or features are nano-sized. Nanomaterials can offer improved performance: shorter diffusion paths for lithium ions (meaning potentially faster charge/discharge), and better stress accommodation (small particles are less likely to crack from strain),. Examples include nano-silicon for anodes (to help manage the expansion of silicon), carbon nanotubes for improved conductivity with less standard conductive carbons, or coating electrode particles with nano-thin layers of protective materials.
NOVONIX works with nanostructured materials in several ways. They test batteries that use nano-scale additives, like conductive carbon nanotubes in electrodes, or nano-engineered particles, like a cathode with nano-coatings. Through NOVONIX UHPC testing, NOVONIX evaluates whether the nano approach is delivering the expected. They also evaluate how nanomaterials affect the formation of the SEI or any changes in behavior over cycling — sometimes nanomaterials have initial benefits but could lead to accelerated side reactions. On the development side, if a client or project involves creating nanostructured electrodes (say, a nanoparticle slurry), NOVONIX advises on how to process those, ensuring good dispersion of nanoparticles, etc., tying back to mixing homogeneity. Through such efforts, NOVONIX helps harness the advantages of nano-structuring while mitigating downsides.
