Output characteristics improved by more than 16%p compared to existing single crystal particles even with fast charging.
Single-crystal clusters supplied to Geumyang as 4695-size cylindrical battery material.

SM Lab (CEO Jaepil Cho) has succeeded in mass-producing a 'single crystal cluster' for the first time in the world, which improves output characteristics by more than 16%p compared to the current single crystal cathode material, which has difficulty in fully charging the theoretical capacity of a battery during fast charging.

SM Lab, a UNIST faculty startup, announced on the 27th that it has succeeded in mass producing 'single crystal clusters,' a high-capacity battery cathode material that can be used for fast charging.

The high-energy density 46 series cylindrical battery, which battery manufacturers are currently competing to develop, can only achieve the desired cell capacity using a single-crystal cathode material.

The single crystal cathode material with a size of 4-5 micrometers (μm) currently in use has poor output characteristics, making it difficult to fully charge the battery to its theoretical capacity during fast charging.

SM Lab has developed a single-crystal 'cluster' cathode material that improves output characteristics while maintaining the excellent durability of existing single-crystal cathode materials.

A technology was used to synthesize multiple single crystal particles of 2 μm in size and firmly bond them with additives at the same time.

As a result of applying the cathode material made with this technology to a battery cell, the charging Even when the charging time was reduced from 60 minutes to 15 minutes, the battery was charged to over 86% of the theoretical capacity.

In contrast, general single crystal materials showed a cell capacity retention rate of 70%.

In addition, it did not break easily, showing excellent physical properties like a single crystal particle even during high-temperature rolling processes.

SM Lab has completed mass production verification of this material and is currently supplying it to Kumyang Co., Ltd. as a 4695-size cylindrical battery material.

SM Lab announced that it has been certified as a company possessing national advanced strategic technology by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy for this technology.

CEO Cho Jae-pil said, “I believe that the certification of possession of national advanced strategic technology has provided a great impetus for strengthening the company’s technology development capabilities and expanding its business,” and “As the government has designated it as a key next-generation technology, we plan to manage key personnel and technology security capabilities at the highest level to prevent overseas technology leakage through cooperation with relevant organizations.”

National cutting-edge strategic technologies are specified as 17 technologies, including three secondary battery technologies, in accordance with the Special Act on Strengthening and Protecting the Competitiveness of National Cutting-edge Strategic Industries (hereinafter referred to as the National Cutting-edge Strategic Industries Act), enacted in 2022. They refer to technologies developed for or used in mass production.

SM Lab is expected to accelerate its business expansion with the construction of its third plant (30,000 tons/year) scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2024, following its first and second plants (annual production capacity of 10,800 tons).

Meanwhile, SM Lab, founded in 2018 by Professor Jaepil Cho of the Department of Energy and Chemical Engineering at UNIST, a world-renowned authority in the field of batteries, received Series D investment (KRW 130 billion) in October of last year, recording a cumulative investment of KRW 239 billion, and is preparing for a KOSDAQ listing within the year.

iv>