Earlier this week, Researchers at UK-based Swansea University, in collaboration with Wuhan University of Technology, reported success in a critical step towards evolving graphene battery technology.
The breakthrough was in the mass production of graphene current collectors, with the end result being a 650 foot long, 17 micrometer (about ¼ the width of a human hair) foil capable of retaining high electrical conductivity even after being bent more than 100,000 times.
Dr. Rui Tan, co-leader from Swansea University, commented: “Our method allows for the production of graphene current collectors at a scale and quality that can be readily integrated into commercial battery manufacturing. This not only improves battery safety by efficiently managing heat but also enhances energy density and longevity.”
These current collectors will open the door for much safer lithium-ion batteries, acting as heat dissipators to prevent thermal runaway in old or failing cells.
Dr. Jinlong Yang, co-lead author from Shenzhen University further explained: “Our dense, aligned graphene structure provides a robust barrier against the formation of flammable gases and prevents oxygen from permeating the battery cells, which is crucial for avoiding catastrophic failures.”
Saudi Arabia has Oil… China has Lithium
The implementation of graphene, the world’s most efficient heat conductor, as a critical element in existing battery technology, is a logical move, especially with Chinese interests in the lithium refinement and battery production industries.
But is graphene destined for things greater than merely improving an already decades-old technology?
One advanced materials company based in Queensland, Australia, is betting that it is.
This company is also in the graphene business, and has also perfected a technology which allows for commercial-scale production of graphene, at a fraction the historic cost.
Using nothing but air, natural gas and electricity, they’re producing customized graphene for the eventual commercialization of graphene-based rechargeable batteries.
Pay special attention to that description, because it isn’t a lithium battery with a graphene add-on, but a battery designed around the nanostructure itself.
The results, in terms of performance, are stunning.
Graphene Based Batteries Are In A New Class. There Is Nothing Like it
Three times the charge capacity. Three to five times the battery lifespan.
Charge speeds of up to 70 times faster.
The figures start to lose their meaning until you consider these performance enhancements in practical terms.
Just imagine charging your phone for one minute per week.
Or your car for one minute, per month.
That’s the level of performance that these next-generation lithium-free graphene based batteries are promising.
Fire safety, though it should go without saying at this point, is also all but gauranteed.
And because costs of graphene production are plummetting, all of this is no longer just some sort far-flung science experiment.
Are Graphene Batteries Coming To Stores Near You In 2025?
Right now, the company pioneering this technology is quietly turning out some of the first batches of these batteries in small coin and pouch formats.
These first production runs will be tested and analyzed and if all goes as expected, we may start seeing this new class of batteries in consumer goods as early as next year.
You may expect something of this magnitude to be the product of a Microsoft or Apple sized technology company, but you’d be way off.
This company barely cracks $50M in market cap.
Its target market, by contrast, is expected to hit a quarter trillion per year in sales by the start of the next decade.
I’d say that the lithium industry has a lot to be worried about.
Get the details on this next-gen graphene battery, and find out why its producer may just be the most important tech-focused company in existence today. Fortune favors the bold, Alex Koyfman His flagship service, Microcap Insider, provides market-beating insights into some of the fastest moving, highest profit-potential companies available for public trading on the U.S. and Canadian exchanges. With more than 5 years of track record to back it up, Microcap Insider is the choice for the growth-minded investor. Alex contributes his thoughts and insights regularly to Energy and Capital. To learn more about Alex, click here.
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