Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd. ("HCC") has agreed to license from Silatronix, Inc. the rights to manufacture, sell and use specific OS compounds for use in lithium-ion battery ("LiB") electrolytes. In early 2016, HCC and Silatronix entered into a joint development agreement. The companies selected specific compounds from the Silatronix portfolio of OS materials to evaluate their feasibility for application in LiB electrolytes. Over the last 2 years, Silatronix has provided HCC with numerous samples of the selected OS materials, as well as samples of OS3, Silatronix current commercial product. Based on the performance benefits demonstrated in their evaluations, HCC found that combinations of OS materials and HCC anode materials improved LiB performance. As a result, HCC decided to obtain license rights to the selected materials, which does not include OS3. HCC expects a further synergy created by various combinations of OS materials and HCC anode materials.

Silatronix uses the fundamental stability of the silicon (Si) atom as a framework to synthesize new OS compounds with variations in physical and chemical properties that not only solvate lithium salts but can also protect materials from decomposing, improve anode and cathode functionality, and maintain a safe operating profile. From its portfolio OS advanced functional solvents, Silatronix has qualified OS3 as its first commercial product in the LiB market.

Silatronix is currently scaling up OS3 production to support pre-production and pilot builds at multiple LiB manufacturing customers. Additionally, Silatronix has OS3 evaluations in process at over 30 organizations in the global LiB industry, many based in Asia, covering a range of applications that include consumer electronics, industrial products, automotive, and military. LiBs are the fastest growing segment in the battery industry with current production volume expected to grow by a factor of four by 2025. Silatronix believes commercial opportunities for its portfolio of OS electrolyte products could exceed US$1bn in this timeframe.

"Successful development of new LiB materials requires performance validation in batteries using state-of-the-art materials and components throughout the battery system," said Dr. Art Homa, CTO, Silatronix. "In this evaluation, HCC was able to validate electrolyte performance benefits for both our current OS3 product offering and the OS materials they selected against their state-of-the-art anode materials."

"We appreciate the extensive work HCC invested in this evaluation, their interest in commercializing the licensed materials, and our ongoing relationship," said Mark Zager, CEO, Silatronix. "By joining forces, we achieved positive market validation for our OS3 product, and the OS materials they selected, which establishes a path to commercial success for both HCC and Silatronix."

Silatronix | www.silatronix.com