Amprius Gets $30M Boost for Silicon-Based Lithium-Ion Batteries
<p>Dec 26, 2014 10:51 AM</p>
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Jeff St John article in Greentechmedia.com</p>
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2008 Amprius: use silicon rather than carbon as electrode material.</p>
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30M new round in VC;</p>
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making batts in China > May;</p>
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total funds > 55M;</p>
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silicon: much greater energy density. 10X as much.</p>
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<b>Stfd prof Yi Cui (pron yee kwee) work on Si nanotubes</b> is the core of the work.</p>
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=> incr in 40% by today's lithium batts.</p>
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silicon expands by 4X and fractures and then degrades.</p>
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uses CVD; but needs far more effic proc</p>
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company hopes for 1000 fold scale up.</p>
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3rd generation batt will incr density to 800 watt hours per liter
(comapre to today's batts at 400 to 530.)</p>
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aiming for mkting in 2015.</p>
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consumer eletronics: laptops, tablets, phones;</p>
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its 1st gen batt: up to 580 wh/lit...</p>
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mid 2014... 700 watthr/liter...</p>
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then vehicles in 2015;</p>
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every compnay has a Si anode program;</p>
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3M, Panasonic, LG Chem...
Nexeon, Nanosys;</p>
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Yi Cui: June 2014 novel trode with Si particles that can expand and contract thru 5000 cycles.</p>
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