New LifePO4 Battery Made From Non-toxic Materials

7 posts / 0 new
Last post
wgeso
wgeso's picture
Offline
Last seen: 14 years 1 month ago
Joined: Saturday, June 27, 2009 - 05:40
Points: 34
New LifePO4 Battery Made From Non-toxic Materials

It's a revolutionary battery because it is made from non-toxic materials abundant in the Earth's crust. Plus, it's not expensive,'" says Michel Gauthier, an invited professor at the Université de Montréal Department of Chemistry and co-founder of Phostech Lithium, the company that makes the battery material. "This battery could eventually make the electric car very profitable."
The theory will soon be tested, since the 100 percent electric Microcar that's set to debut in Europe this year will be and powered by the LifePO4 battery.
Phostech Lithium's production plant in St. Bruno, Quebec, produces the black LifePO4 powder, which is shipped across the world in tightly sealed barrels.
"The theoretical principle behind the battery was patented by a University of Texas professor in 1995. However, without the work of local chemists such as Nathalie Ravet, we couldn't have developed it," says Phostech Lithium engineer Denis Geoffroy.
Süd-Chemie, a leading specialty chemistry company based in Germany, first invested in Phostech Lithium in 2005. Now, just four years later, Süd-Chemie's total Canadian investments have reached $13 million and it stands as the 100% owner of Phostech Lithium. Phostech's St. Bruno plant began to produce LiFePO4 in 2006 with 20 employees and a 400 metric-ton capacity. Since then, Phostech has nearly doubled its staff.
"It is a battery that is much more stable and much safer," says Dean MacNeil, a professor at the Université de Montréal's Department of Chemistry and new NSERC-Phostech Lithium Industrial Research Chair in Energy Storage and Conversion. "In addition, it recharges much faster than previous batteries."
The NSERC Research Chair, funded in part by Phostech Lithium, will help investigate ways to improve the LifePO4 battery.
For Gauthier, Phostech Lithium is the product of academia and the business world coming together. "Even if we knew that lithium, iron and phosphate were theoretically promising materials, we had to make them efficient. We had to find the right voltage and maintain the right charging and discharging properties. This is where the university played a major role."
Source: University of Montreal

wgeso
wgeso's picture
Offline
Last seen: 14 years 1 month ago
Joined: Saturday, June 27, 2009 - 05:40
Points: 34
Re: New LifePO4 Battery Made From Non-toxic Materials

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yeah, the LiFePO4 cost is a big problem ,case currently high price of raw materials
I think it will reduce the price as soon (maybe two , five years...)

LiFePO4 battery pack solution for continuous discharge 3C
Max.5c Discharge Current
WGESO (Shanghai) Trade Department.
Email : Sales [at] wgeso.com / Service [at] wgeso.com
Online Store : www.wgeso.com
Address : NO.76, Nanle Rd., Songjiang Dist., Shanghai

antiscab
Offline
Last seen: 10 months 2 days ago
Joined: Saturday, July 7, 2007 - 23:55
Points: 1686
Re: New LifePO4 Battery Made From Non-toxic Materials

depends what you consider expensive.

i pay US$1.10/Ah + shipping

Matt

Daily Ride:
2007 Vectrix, modified with 42 x Thundersky 60Ah in July 2010. Done 194'000km

soulbandaid
Offline
Last seen: 14 years 8 months ago
Joined: Thursday, June 11, 2009 - 22:39
Points: 31
Re: New LifePO4 Battery Made From Non-toxic Materials

depends what you consider expensive.

i pay US$1.10/Ah + shipping

Matt

Which cells?

antiscab
Offline
Last seen: 10 months 2 days ago
Joined: Saturday, July 7, 2007 - 23:55
Points: 1686
Re: New LifePO4 Battery Made From Non-toxic Materials

Thundersky and sky energy via the rick randazzo/dave kois/evcomponents rolling bulk buy.

US$1.10/Ah is the price at the factory, BMS and getting it to you is more (though does appear to include interconnects and packing straps)

Matt

Daily Ride:
2007 Vectrix, modified with 42 x Thundersky 60Ah in July 2010. Done 194'000km

soulbandaid
Offline
Last seen: 14 years 8 months ago
Joined: Thursday, June 11, 2009 - 22:39
Points: 31
Re: New LifePO4 Battery Made From Non-toxic Materials

Are they better about QC now or do people still get a fair amount of bad cells?

antiscab
Offline
Last seen: 10 months 2 days ago
Joined: Saturday, July 7, 2007 - 23:55
Points: 1686
Re: New LifePO4 Battery Made From Non-toxic Materials

i personally have only seen one suspect cell, a 40Ah.
That was from an Australian group buy where we ordered in a container load (240x40AH 120x60Ah 180x90AH and 100x200AH IIRC).
Electrically the cell seemed fine, but it had physically bloated significantly.

I'd say their QC has improved dramatically from the early days

FYI the cells in my emax have lasted 20'000km, and were only decommisioned because the rest of the bike motor mounts have had it (and i bought a bigger bike).
my old cells will be gonig into my bigger bike sometime next year, so i can properly take them to end of service life.

If you buy via evcomponents, they can handle warranty as they have continuous orders from the factory.

Matt

Daily Ride:
2007 Vectrix, modified with 42 x Thundersky 60Ah in July 2010. Done 194'000km

Log in or register to post comments


Who's online

There are currently 0 users online.

Who's new

  • Juli76
  • xovacharging
  • stuuno
  • marce002
  • Heiwarsot

Support V is for Voltage