Partnership to combine POSCO Future M’s cathode and anode material expertise with Sila’s silicon anode technology to advance next-generation battery materials
Carbon nanomaterial technology to be applied to suppress battery volumetric expansion during charge-discharge cycles, preventing structural deformation and significantly extending battery life
Young-jun Hong, Head of the POSCO Future M Research Institute: “The two companies have agreed to combine their world-class technology leadership to develop advanced battery materials”
POSCO Future M has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with U.S.-based Sila for the joint development of advanced battery materials.
The two companies signed the MOU on the 11th at COEX in Seoul, in a ceremony attended by Young-jun Hong, Head of the POSCO Future M Research Institute, Gleb Yushin, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Sila, and executives and employees from both organizations.
Under the MOU, POSCO Future M plans to push advanced battery material technology further by combining the company’s cathode and anode material capabilities with Sila’s silicon anode material technology.
Silicon anode materials offers up to ten times the energy storage capacity of conventional graphite-based anode materials, enabling a significant increase in EV driving range while substantially reducing charging times. By leveraging carbon nanomaterial technology, the two companies expect to address one of the longstanding drawbacks of silicon anode material: the volumetric expansion that occurs during charge-discharge cycles. This approach is anticipated to prevent structural deformation and significantly extend battery life. The companies also agreed to explore the use of POSCO Future M’s carbon material technology to improve the cost competitiveness of silicon anode material, which currently commands a premium price.
Young-jun Hong, Head of the POSCO Future M Research Institute, said, “The two companies have agreed to combine their world-class technology leadership to develop advanced battery materials,” and added, “We will continue to extend the partnership beyond technology development to the supply chain level.”
Sila is a battery materials company headquartered in California that holds proprietary technology for high-performance silicon anode materials. The company works with major automakers and battery manufacturers to increase EV driving range and reduce charging times, and operates a silicon anode material production facility in Moses Lake, Washington.
Meanwhile, POSCO Future M is showcasing the research and development activities of its partner companies, including Sila and Factorial, a collaborator on all-solid-state battery technology, in the Open Innovation zone of its exhibition at InterBattery, which opened on the 11th.
▲POSCO Future M and Sila signed a memorandum of understanding at COEX in Seoul on the 11th, pledging collaboration in the field of advanced battery materials. Pictured from left: Young-jun Hong, Head of the POSCO Future M Research Institute; Gleb Yushin, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Sila.