TRUNNANO launches battery materials division for sodium-ion layered oxide cathodes

TRUNNANO, a Chinese nanomaterials manufacturer based in Luoyang, has launched a Battery Materials Division, and its first products will be layered oxide cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries.

The cathode line is built around a nickel-iron-manganese (Ni-Fe-Mn) ternary system and adds modified versions based on copper, titanium, cobalt, chromium and pure manganese. TRUNNANO says the materials span the main layered-oxide crystal structures used in sodium-ion cells: O3-type, P2-type, P2/O3 biphasic, single-crystal and high-entropy. The portfolio is organized into six product series.

A high-nickel single-crystal grade reaches a discharge capacity of 168 mAh/g, according to TRUNNANO, which positions it for power-battery use. The company says its high-entropy and biphasic grades exceed 2,000 cycles and have improved thermal stability. Its lithium-doped and lithium-rich grades reach a specific capacity of 200–210 mAh/g by activating oxygen redox.

Sodium-ion cells use abundant, low-cost sodium in place of lithium, which makes them attractive for stationary storage and other cost-sensitive applications. Layered oxides are one of the main cathode materials being developed for sodium-ion batteries, helped by their relatively high specific capacity and compatibility with existing lithium-ion manufacturing lines. But layered-oxide cathodes have persistent problems: limited structural stability, complex phase transitions during cycling and sensitivity to air. TRUNNANO says it addresses these through elemental doping, biphasic structure design, surface modification and high-entropy strategies.

Target applications include grid-scale energy storage, low-speed electric vehicles, two-wheelers and portable electronics. TRUNNANO says its classic ternary series is produced at ton-scale using high-temperature solid-state methods.

“We are systematically translating over a decade of expertise in nanomaterials into core competitiveness for the global new energy market,” said Roger Luo, CEO of TRUNNANO.

Source: TRUNNANO