Phillips 66 and Faradion jointly develop sodium-ion battery materials to reduce battery costs

Phillips 66 and Faradion have entered into a technical collaboration to develop lower-cost, higher-performance anode materials for sodium-ion batteries. Faradion is one of the first companies in the UK to demonstrate a sodium-ion battery car.

Sodium-ion battery anode materials (Image source: Phillips 66)

Sodium-ion battery technology has an inherent advantage over other energy storage technologies because it is made of low-cost, sustainable and widely available materials. Carbon is the preferred battery anode material, and this collaboration is expected to leverage Phillips 66's experience in developing specialty carbon materials and Faradion's leading sodium-ion battery technology. Phillips 66 is a diversified energy manufacturing and logistics company headquartered in Houston that has applied for multiple patents on battery-related technologies.

Faradion’s technology delivers similar performance to traditional chemistries without the need for expensive materials such as cobalt, and enables the use of more sustainable and abundant sodium in place of lithium, while providing greater safety and better thermal stability.

"This agreement combines Phillips 66's hard carbon anode materials with Faradion's sodium-ion technology to create the next generation of high-performance, sustainable energy storage," said James Quinn, CEO of Faradion. "Our goal is to further accelerate the large-scale industrialization of Faradion's safe, low-cost sodium-ion energy technology. We expect Phillips 66 to support Faradion's rapid expansion into the battery market, while working together to contribute to the transformation of the global energy market."

In 2015, Faradion demonstrated the world's first sodium-ion battery vehicle and an electric bicycle demonstrator in collaboration with Williams Advanced Engineering and Oxford University. The company's IP portfolio is comprehensive, including various patent families focusing on battery cell materials, battery cell infrastructure, battery pack design, safety and transportation technology.