ASX-listed graphite producer and battery anode material developer Volt Resources has signed a joint development agreement (JDA) with alkaline battery producer Urban Electric Power (UEP), and Volt’s technology partner in the US, American Energy Technologies Co (AETC), to use non-spherical purified graphite for conductivity enhancement and ultrahigh-purity graphite-based coatings to improve alkaline battery performance.

“Following a visit to UEP’s facilities and meeting earlier this year, the signing of the JDA provides a clear pathway for the development of commercially based technologies to improve alkaline battery performance and lower costs.

The collaboration with UEP in alkaline battery technology combined with the previously announced programme in lead-acid battery technology with Apollo and two lithium-ion battery anode material developments, including the Energy Supply Developer’s Super Site, positions Volt to become a battery materials manufacturer for the US battery market,” says Volt MD Trevor Matthews.

He notes that the Volt board expects the JDA to accelerate the commercialisation of Volt’s downstream value-added graphite products in various battery applications.

The JDA provides for the collaboration by the three parties to improve alkaline battery performance while benefitting end-users – consumers of UEP’s alkaline battery technologies – by offering a more attractive cost structure than the currently available industry solutions on the market, Volt posits.

Following the successful completion of the graphite technology programs for use in alkaline batteries, UEP and Volt plan to enter into an offtake agreement for the supply of ultrahigh-purity graphite-based coatings and additives in addition to potential licensing benefits derived from the intellectual property developed.

The non-spherical purified graphite is made as a by-product of the spheroidization of purified graphite when producing lithium-ion battery anode material (BAM).

Volt is leveraging the `inverted’ flowsheet developed by AETC to produce not only spherical purified graphite for lithium-ion batteries, but also non-spherical material that can be used in applications such as conductivity enhancement and other specialty uses.

The development of non-spherical graphite products for the alkaline battery market will improve the economics of Volt’s planned BAM facilities in the US and Europe, leveraging flake graphite production capability from the Zavalievsky graphite business in Europe, combined with the Bunyu graphite project development in Tanzania.

UEP recently announced the installation of a 1 000 kWh battery back-up system for the San Diego University Supercomputer Centre located in California, in the US.