Independent safety tests have demonstrated the superior safety of Ilika’s Goliath solid state cell battery prototypes relative to lithium-ion equivalent batteries.
University College London carried out the nail penetration test on Ilika’s Goliath P1 prototype cells. The test simulates a catastrophic incident that would typically cause energy-dense lithium-ion cells with lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide cathode chemistry to dangerously swell, rupture, explode and catch fire, oftenleading to temperatures above 600°C.
Goliath P1 cells also use high-energy NMC cathode chemistry, however the cells neither exploded nor caught fire, with external temperatures remaining below 80°C. Testing was carried out in association with the Faraday Institution SafeBatt project.
Ilika’s CEO, Graeme Purdy, said: “Ilika has designed solid state cells intended to provide a safer alternative to high-energy lithium-ion batteries. Thanks to SafeBatt and this study, we have now observed test results which contribute to a growing body of evidence demonstrating Goliath’s superior safety performance.”