26 Virtually no other technological trend has been as unstoppable in recent years as the development of ever more powerful energy storage options. For around 30 years, lithium-ion single-use and rechargeable batteries have been taking over the energy storage market, and are being used in more and more products and devices. Spanish manufacturer Nanomate develops advanced materials made of nanostructures for lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors. The goal: Improving the capability of these devices! Nanomate is a company with a strong core of research and development that offers technological solutions based on nanomaterials for a wide range of industries. The Energy business area, in particular, focuses on development, production, and marketing of nanomaterials to improve energy storage batteries. Nanomaterials, combined with active battery materials like LiFePO4, significantly improve the performance of the final devices. In addition to the battery sector, Nanomate is building a new factory in Badajoz for a supercapacitor device that promises to be one of the company's flagship projects. This will be the first supercapacitor factory in Spain, and will stand out for its modular design and initial production capacity of 600,000 units per year. White gold Lithium is considered a valuable raw material today, and is a key part of our everyday lives. This lightweight metal is essential for the rechargeable batteries commonly used in e-bikes, laptops and smartphones. In addition to its high energy density, the useful properties of the material include its long service life and large number of potential charging cycles for lithium-ion batteries. Arantxa Pinar Serrano, Head of the Research and Development Department for energy storage at Nanomate, describes the production of these batteries as follows: “First, the electrodes responsible for storing energy in the device are produced. Then, they are assembled by placing a separator between the anode and cathode to prevent physical contact between the electrodes from causing a short circuit in the device. Electrolyte is added after assembly – a fluid acting as an ion-conducting medium. This fluid ensures the reactions necessary for energy storage can occur. The device is then sealed in a highly controlled, low-reactivity atmosphere to prevent the ingress of air. Finally, we use a variety of test procedures to validate the characteristic performance parameters of these devices, such as their capacity and service life. After testing, we store the batteries in an asecos ION LINE safety storage cabinet.” Preventative action The higher the energy density of such batteries is, the higher the fire risk. To limit this risk as far as possible, Arantxa explains why the company chose to purchase a safety storage cabinet: “At Nanomate, safety is a key value in the corporate Nanomate – Phi4Tech | Spain CHARGING INTO THE FUTURE
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