Berlin-based Theion has developed a new lithium-sulfur cathode technology that claims to not only triple the energy density but also requires 90 percent less energy for production.
According to the company, the secret element here is sulfur, a material abundantly available compared to lithium and other materials in traditional batteries, as it is produced as a byproduct of many industrial processes. While conventional lithium-ion cells use cathode materials with high processing costs and high concentrations of metals like nickel and cobalt, sulfur demands much less energy for production while being 99 percent cheaper to source, according to Theion.
Therefore, Theion’s production process increases the life cycle of batteries by incorporating sulfur’s crystal material properties with carbon nanotubes and a patented solid electrolyte. As part of the next phase, the company plans to start shipping its material later this year to aerospace customers. After which, it plans to move on to service air taxis, drones, mobile phones, and laptops before turning to the automotive sector in 2024.
According to Marek Slavik, Theion’s co-founder and chief technical officer:
We are using mother nature’s crystals under the guidance of our patented processes to unlock sulphur’s full potential as an energy carrier. The design of our highly energy-efficient manufacturing processes makes our Crystal Batteries fully sustainable.
Recently, the company hired Dr. Ulrich Ehmes as its new chief executive to lead the commercialization phase of its upcoming new product. Dr. Ehmes is on the board of some of the major battery research clusters funded by the German Ministry of Research and Education and is also a respectable member of European and German battery associations.
Additionally, while the locations for other factories have not been officially confirmed as of yet, the company did promise that they will be close to customers, hinting that the production sites could be in Europe, Asia, and the US.
