G3 states that this breakthrough is the first of its kind to overcome the intrinsic flammability problems associated with multiple battery material components. G3 explains that a conventional Li-ion battery is made up of three primary components: a negative electrode, a separator soaked in electrolyte solution, and a positive electrode. At elevated temperatures, brought on by mechanical, electrical or thermal abuse, each of these components undergoes chemical and/or structural changes that release energy from the cell in harmful ways.
G3 has developed what it defines as a total solution to eliminate Li-ion battery fires. Acknowledging the three most susceptible components of a Li-ion battery, G3-Fireshield Technology offers a graphene-protected cathode, non-flammable electrolyte, and modified separator to achieve an unrivaled level of battery safety.
G3-Fireshield Technology features a graphene coating that is compatible with multiple cathode materials, allowing widespread adoption to improve cathode thermal stability. This is made possible by graphene’s ability to act as a barrier to unwanted oxygen release from the cathode, as well as its high thermal conductivity which promotes efficient heat dissipation from the cathode material.
Also featured is G3’s Non-Flammable Electrolyte (NFE-LP), a drop-in solution to offer current Li-ion batteries an alternative to the most energetic component of the entire system. NFE-LP is liquid-phase, and thus offers similar performance properties to what are already known in today’s electronic devices. A key advantage of this material is its compatibility with various off-the-shelf anode and cathode materials, enabling facile adoption into the cell manufacturing process.
G3’s modified separator offers protection in the event of a short-circuit and temperature increase. This material layer does not melt or shrink at elevated temperature, which is a necessary feature not offered by current polymer-based separators. Maintaining the structural stability of the separator layer is essential in preventing a complete and sudden release of energy from a Li-ion battery.
The materials comprising G3-Fireshield Technology are all commercial-ready, having reportedly undergone stringent performance evaluation tests relative to traditional Li-ion batteries. Internal results suggest that when the latter is subjected to a nail puncture test, the corresponding energy release increases the battery surface temperature upwards of 500 °C. In contrast, a prototype battery using G3-Fireshield Technology experiences negligible temperature increase (