- Northern and RAIN to develop and commercialize advanced natural graphite-based Battery Anode Material with reduced electrode swelling, an extended cycle life and an improved charging speed of lithium-ion battery cells
- New products will improve the performance of natural versus synthetic graphite-based battery anode materials
- Joint Development enables RAIN to further expand and fine-tune its portfolio of LIONCOAT® battery-grade carbon precursor materials and coating technologies
- Joint Development supports integrated mine-to-battery graphite solution for critical mineral supply chains in the Western World
Northern Graphite Corporation (TSXV: NGC) (OTCQB: NGPHF) (FSE: 0NG) (XSTU: 0NG) ("Northern") and Rain Carbon Inc. ("RAIN"), a leading supplier of carbon precursor and carbon products derived from the upcycling of industrial by-products, are pleased to announce a Joint Development Agreement ("JDA") to develop and commercialize advanced battery anode material ("BAM") used in lithium-Ion batteries for electric vehicles.
Under the terms of the JDA, Northern and RAIN will jointly develop and commercialize natural graphite BAM products designed to extend cycle life, enhance charging speed and reduce electrode swelling in lithium-ion battery cells. This innovation addresses the stability gap between natural and synthetic graphite, enabling increased use of natural graphite in Electric Vehicle ("EV") battery cells.
The JDA follows the launch of Northern's Battery Materials Group ("NGCBM") in February and RAIN's announcement of its new Technology Innovation Center for Energy Storage Materials ("Innovation Center") in August. NGCBM included the acquisition of a fully equipped, state-of-the-art carbon and battery laboratory in Frankfurt, Germany capable of both producing BAM derived from the Northern's Lac-des-Îles graphite mine in Canada and of building lithium-ion batteries according to the specifications of automakers seeking critical characteristics, ranging from cycle life and driving range to charging speed.
RAIN's Innovation Center in Hamilton, Canada allows product and application development activities of battery-grade carbon and carbon precursor products in a 30,000 sq. ft. development facility including demonstration plants for the pilot-scale processing of carbon and carbon precursor materials along with laboratories dedicated to the carbon material analysis with state-of-the-art powder and electrochemical testing equipment.
"This exclusive JDA is a significant milestone for our companies and the industry, as it enables increased use of natural graphite in battery anode materials by lowering costs and addressing the environmental concerns linked to synthetic graphite, while enhancing key performance metrics such as cycle life, charging speed and stability," said Northern's Chief Executive Officer, Hugues Jacquemin. "By leveraging Northern's expertise in mining, milling, shaping and purifying natural graphite alongside RAIN's advanced coating capabilities, we are positioned to produce the lower-cost, higher-quality BAM which battery manufacturers and consumers are demanding."
"We are delighted to partner with Northern in this development collaboration, which will allow us to expand and tailor our existing portfolio of LIONCOAT® battery-grade carbon precursors, while also advancing new, efficient and sustainable coating technologies through our Innovation Center in Hamilton, Canada," said RAIN's President, Gerard Sweeney. "This partnership enables us to combine our strengths in raw material integration and processing to produce high-performance battery anode materials, accelerating the development of innovative solutions for the rapidly growing lithium-ion battery market."