POSCO FUTURE M signed a business agreement with Sila in the United States to jointly develop advanced battery materials. Sila is a battery materials corporations headquartered in California and holds high-performance silicon anode technology. Sila operates a silicon anode production plant in Moses Lake, Washington.
On the 11th at COEX in Seoul, the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for cooperation in advanced battery materials, with POSCO FUTURE M R&D head Hong Young-jun and Sila founder and chief technology officer (CTO) Gleb Yushin, along with executives and employees from both companies, in attendance.
Through this MOU, POSCO FUTURE M plans to further advance advanced battery materials technology by combining the company's cathode and anode technologies with Sila's silicon anode technology.
Silicon anodes have up to 10 times the energy storage capacity of conventional graphite-based anodes, increasing electric vehicle driving range and significantly reducing charging time. The two companies expect to use carbon nanomaterial technology to suppress the battery's volume expansion during charging and discharging—a weakness long pointed out for silicon anodes—and prevent structural deformation, greatly extending lifespan. They also agreed to review ways to leverage POSCO FUTURE M's carbon material technology to improve cost competitiveness for the high-priced silicon anodes.
Hong Young-jun, head of the POSCO FUTURE M Technology Research Center, said, "The two companies have decided to combine each company's industry-leading technological leadership to develop advanced battery materials," adding, "We will continue to develop the partnership not only in technology development but also at the supply chain level."