Altair Nanotechnologies Inc. (Reno, NV) announced the initial shipment of battery electrode nanomaterials to Advanced Battery Technologies Inc. (ABAT, Harbin, China), a manufacturer of rechargeable polymer lithium-ion (PLI) batteries used in portable consumer products, which will be used in the manufacture and testing of prototype PLI batteries. Altair previously announced a partnering agreement with ABAT on April 4, 2005.
Altair and ABAT have formed a partnership and agreed to test Altair's electrode materials for use in new, higher-performance PLI batteries to be manufactured by ABAT for sale in China. The new batteries are being tested by the partnership to meet an emerging need for higher-power, lighter-weight and more rapidly recharging batteries to power a new generation of higher-performance, electrically powered vehicles, including automobiles and buses.
A multi-phased material and battery performance testing program is being designed and conducted to refine the product and process specifications for the electrode materials and new battery products. Altair's electrode nanomaterials will be incorporated into ABAT's current PLI battery production lines. The batteries will be tested in standard battery test protocols and in real-world tests using electric vehicles in 2005.
Using Altair's rapid charge electrode nanomaterials in PLI batteries, Altair believes that the typical battery life cycle of 1,000 recharge cycles before any degradation of performance can be increased to 20,000+ cycles. In addition to improving the battery cycle life, the recharge time is expected to be reduced, depending on battery size and power.
