![\"\"](\"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/070-075_baterias-litio_285-2-1140px.jpg\")
Oxis Energy<\/span><\/a> Oxis Energy\u2019s laboratory in England, where its lithium-sulfur battery technology was developedOxis Energy<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n A vehicle battery is an assembly of smaller batteries, called cells, that are integrated into a package and managed by a Battery Management System (BMS). Application-specific packages are designed by connecting cells in series and parallel. A bus battery, for example, requires approximately 10,000 cells. Rodrigo Mesquita, business development manager at CODEMGE, says the new plant will produce cells but not batteries proper\u2014this final stage will be handled by companies dedicated to cell integration with Battery Management Systems (BMS).<\/p>\n \u201cWe are currently in the process of selecting integration partners. We hope to attract several to Brazil,\u201d he says. Battery integrators need to be acceptable to and selected by future buyers. Among the OEMS that have expressed interest in sourcing batteries from the new plant are Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Airbus, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche.<\/p>\n The joint venture\u2019s lithium-sulfur battery technology has been developed by its UK partner, Oxis Energy. CODEMGE, through its investment fund Aerotec, last year invested R$18.6 million in a 12% stake in Oxis Energy and intends for the production facility in Brazil to provide downstream integration for its lithium supply chain in Minas Gerais. Vale do Jequitinhonha, in the state\u2019s northeast region, has the potential to become a globally leading producer of the mineral.<\/p>\n Oxis Brasil will be the world\u2019s first plant to produce lithium-sulfur batteries at commercial scale. Several other research centers around the world are now also vested in the new technology. In Japan, Sony is looking to harness lithium-sulfur chemistry in the production of smart phone batteries, while US-based Sion Power Corporation is developing batteries with the technology for automotive applications. ALISE, a European consortium of 16 companies, including Oxis Energy, is developing new materials and insight into the electrochemical chemistry involved in lithium-sulfur technology.<\/p>\n <\/a>Brazil produced only 600 metric tons (mt) of lithium in 2018, accounting for about 0.7% of the global market. The country\u2019s entire output of the mineral was mined by Companhia Brasileira de L\u00edtio (CBL), a company co-owned by CODEMGE. The Geological Survey of Brazil has estimated reserves in Vale do Jequitinhonha to represent 8% of global reserves, or about 14 million mt. Australia and Chile are currently the world\u2019s leading producers, at respectively 51,000 mt and 16,000 mt per year.<\/p>\n Lithium is a lightweight metal that provides high energy density\u2014it can concentrate more energy per unit volume than the nickel-cadmium batteries used in early mobile phones and laptop computers, or the conventional lead-acid batteries used to start internal combustion vehicles<\/a>. Most lithium-ion batteries consist of an anode (negative electrode) made of graphite carbon and a cathode (positive electrode) made of lithium oxide and a combination of metals including nickel, manganese, and cobalt. The electrolyte (the medium through which ions move between electrodes) is a mixture of organic solvents and lithium salts<\/a>.<\/p>\n Valdirene Peressinotto, head of research, development, and innovation (RD&I) at CODEMGE, explains that because of the substances involved and the production process, this combination of materials can create a fire and explosion hazard when exposed to stressors such as warming above 45 \u00baC, a short circuit, or punctures\u2014as might occur in a vehicle collision. Oxis Energy’s battery solution uses anodes made of lithium metal in replacement of graphite carbon, and cathodes made of a combination of sulfur and carbon. The company has developed its own proprietary technology for both the cathode and the electrolyte solution. These new batteries have been shown by testing to be safe at temperatures ranging from minus 60 \u00baC to 80 \u00baC, and will not explode when punctured or shorted.<\/p>\n In addition to operating safety, lithium-sulfur batteries also have an edge in energy density. While lithium-ion batteries concentrate a maximum of 240 watt-hours per kilogram (Wh\/kg), lithium-sulfur batteries can store 450 Wh\/kg. This allows batteries to be made smaller and lighter, while giving vehicles greater range. One thing to bear in mind, says Peressinotto, is that lithium-ion batteries are already approaching their theoretical efficiency limit, whereas lithium-sulfur batteries still have potential to evolve further in terms of energy density. \u201cOxis expects to achieve 550 Wh\/kg by early 2020,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n CBMM, based in Arax\u00e1, southeastern Brazil, is the world\u2019s largest producer of niobium<\/a>. In 2018 it partnered with Toshiba Corporation to develop new lithium battery technology. Toshiba’s R&D department plans to replace the carbon anode with a titanium-niobium composite oxide (NTO) while maintaining a traditional cathode made of lithium alloy and metal. Rog\u00e9rio Marques Ribas, head of the battery division at CBMM, says that NTO will not react to lithium and generate structural stress, such as a 13% increase in volume when charging, the way carbon anodes do. \u201cThis allows for more power and faster charging times,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n In a comparison of two batteries with the same charge, the lithium-ion version takes four hours to charge, while its NTO counterpart needs just 10 minutes for a full recharge. NTO batteries also have a lifespan of over 15 years in automotive applications, while the best-performing lithium-ion batteries last around 10 years. Another advantage is that NTO anodes are safer when exposed to heat or perforation stress.<\/p>\n This year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to three scientists for research related to lithium batteries<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Under the partnership agreement between CBMM and Toshiba, each side will invest US$7.2 million in a pilot plant being built in Yokohama, Japan, where the first units are expected to be produced for testing within two years. \u201cWe hope to secure OEM approval of the technology in 2021, which will give us the green light for construction of an industrial-scale production line,\u201d says Ribas. Another project exploring applications for niobium in batteries is being developed at Wildcat Discovery Technologies in San Diego, California, he says. CBMM is also a partner in the venture, which will employ niobium in making cathodes. The project is still at an early stage of development.<\/p>\n The current drive to improve battery performance for automotive applications is the leading edge of a global effort that began several decades ago. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in October awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to American mathematician and physicist John Bannister Goodenough, British chemist M. Stanley Whittingham, and Japanese chemist Akira Yoshino for research they conducted in the 1970s and 1980s that paved the way for the development and commercial production of modern lithium-ion batteries<\/a> .<\/p>\n According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) titled Global EV Outlook 2019, the most significant recent developments in the industry involve changes in battery chemistry, such as cathodes made of lithium metal oxides with a metal ratio of 80% nickel, 10% manganese, and 10% cobalt, compared with a current ratio with an equal portion of each metal.<\/p>\n Cathodes made of lithium-nickel-cobalt-aluminum oxides, used for smaller-sized batteries, are another research front. For anode applications, silicon-graphite composites have attracted the greatest research interest. The automotive industry expects to see significant progress in improving energy density and reducing costs by 2025.<\/p>\n The global stock of pure and hybrid electric cars exceeded 5.1 million units in 2018, while the stock of electric buses reached 460,000 units, according to the IEA report. Predictions for 2030 indicate the electric vehicle fleet will range from 130 million to 250 million units, depending on the scenario. In Brazil, the number of electric and hybrid vehicles reached 10,600 units in 2018, according to data from the Brazilian Association of Automotive Vehicle Manufacturers (ANFAVEA). While no projections have been made for the Brazilian market, the expected expansion of the domestic fleet has led companies to initiate production of lithium-ion batteries locally.<\/p>\n Moura Group <\/span><\/a> A Moura-owned lead-acid battery facility, now retrofitted to produce lithium-ion rechargeable batteriesMoura Group <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n Moura Group, a leading local manufacturer of lead-acid car batteries, has established a lithium battery R&D center at its headquarters site in Belo Jardim, Pernambuco State. The company\u2019s first lithium battery, designed for forklift trucks, will be launched on the market within 2019. The company has also established a partnership with US-based Xalt Energy to produce batteries for heavy vehicles, initially to serve the bus market in Brazil. A contract has recently been signed to supply batteries to S\u00e3o Paulo bus manufacturer Eletra<\/a>.<\/p>\n Fernando Castel\u00e3o, director of Moura\u2019s lithium division, says the company will adapt Xalt’s battery technology for the severe operating conditions in Brazil. The batteries will be produced at a new manufacturing facility opened in 2018. Lithium-ion batteries require special safety measures to ensure they are properly sealed and protected from contact with water, explains Castel\u00e3o. They also need cooling systems so they are kept within a safe temperature range. \u201cVehicles in Brazil are exposed to different weather conditions than vehicles operating in the northern hemisphere,\u201d says the executive.<\/p>\n Electrocell, a company housed at the Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (CIETEC) at the University of S\u00e3o Paulo (USP), has been developing lithium-ion automotive battery technology since 2007 as a spinoff from a fuel-cell project supported by FAPESP\u2019s PIPE program. The company has established a partnership with Brasil VE Superleves, a manufacturer of super-compact battery electric vehicles hosted at the Anhanguera Business Park in Cajamar, S\u00e3o Paulo State, which is due to start production in December. The facility will produce between 40 and 200 units per month, including 2- and 4-seater passenger vehicles, minitrucks, and 12- and 24-seat buses.<\/p>\n Electrocell director Gerhard Ett, a chemical engineer specializing in the manufacture of lithium batteries in Germany, says the company will initially import battery cells and integrate them into lithium batteries in Brazil. The first shipment of battery cells will come from Germany, but the company also has prospective suppliers in China, the US, and South Korea. \u201cWe ultimately plan to produce battery cells locally. We already have the necessary expertise and knowledge of the manufacturing process. We just need to build enough scale to start production,\u201d says Ett, who is also a professor at the FEI University Center in S\u00e3o Bernardo do Campo (SP).<\/p>\n Mechanical engineer Paulo Henrique de Mello Sant\u2019Ana, of the Center for Engineering, Modeling, and Applied Social Sciences at the Federal University of ABC (CECS-UFABC), says that battery production capabilities will be strategic in a future of electric mobility. It is crucial that Brazil engage in early development of battery technology rather than only buying finished products. \u201cWhile it\u2019s still too early to say whether initiatives such as the CBMM-Toshiba or CODEMGE-Oxis joint ventures will be economically viable and successful at improving lithium battery performance, it is certainly good news that Brazilian players are now involved in the development process,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Projects<\/strong>\n <\/picture>\n
\n1.<\/strong> Development of injected graphite composites applied in electrochemical processes (n\u00ba 04\/09113-3<\/a>); Grant Mechanism<\/strong> Technological Innovation in Small Businesses (PIPE) program; Principal Investigator<\/strong> Volkmar Ett (Electrocell); Investment<\/strong> R$601,848.93.
\n2.<\/strong> Development and construction of semi-automatic fuel cell assembly line (n\u00ba 04\/13975-0<\/a>); Grant Mechanism<\/strong> Technological Innovation in Small Businesses (PIPE) program; FINEP PIPE-PAPPE Collaboration; Principal Investigator<\/strong> Gerhard Ett (Electrocell); Investment<\/strong> R$433,815.72.
\n3.<\/strong> Development of fuel cells integrated with hardware and software for monitoring, diagnostics, control, and peripherals (n\u00ba 00\/13120-4<\/a>); Grant Mechanism<\/strong> Technological Innovation in Small Businesses (PIPE) Program; Principal Investigator<\/strong> Gerhard Ett (Electrocell); Investment<\/strong> R$352,705.02.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"New initiatives set to propel Brazil into the growing market for automotive energy storage systems","protected":false},"author":538,"featured_media":329505,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1560,169],"tags":[259,227,243,262],"coauthors":[1346],"class_list":["post-329500","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-innovative-research-in-small-business-pipe-en","category-technology","tag-chemistry","tag-energy","tag-innovation","tag-sustainability","position_at_home-sumario"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/329500","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/538"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=329500"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/329500\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":330316,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/329500\/revisions\/330316"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/329505"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=329500"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=329500"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=329500"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revistapesquisa.fapesp.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=329500"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}