Superfast electrode promises step change in battery performance

The so-called Ultra Fast Electrode could, it is claimed, improve power by a factor of 10, energy storage by up to three, lifecycle by up to five and reduce charging time down to minutes instead of hours.

According to the Aix-en-Provence based firm one of the major limitations of battery power, energy and lifecycle is the powders used to make electrodes. These can lead to low electrical, thermal and ionic conductivity; poor mechanical behaviour when discharged and recharged; and can also contribute to early delamination and degradation leading to safety and lifecycle issues.

The new electrode – which is based on NAWA’s patented vertically-aligned carbon nanotube (VACNT) - combines ionic conductivity – thanks to a 3D fully accessible nanostructure – with high electrical and thermal conductivity, provided by its arrangement of 100 billion nanotubes per square centimetre, all vertically aligned.