Resource World Magazine

66 www.resourceworld.com A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 9 Green Technologies by Jane Foutz NANO ONE DEVELOPING GAME-CHANGING LOW-COST, HIGH-PERFORMANCE ENERGY STORAGE MATERIALS Nano One Materials Corp. [NNO-TSXV; NNOMF-OTC-Nasdaq Intl Designation; LBMB-FSE], a Burnaby, British Columbia- based technology company, has developed a scalable industrial process that produces low-cost, high-performance materials for use in lithium-ion batteries. The electri - fication movement is garnering a lot of attention these days as it moves beyond our phones, computers and power tools to electric buses, cars and grid storage. These new industries are massive and the push to have lower cost and better performance has never been more important. Specifically, Nano One developed a proprietary processing technology for making cathode powders. The cathode is a key component in a lithium-ion battery that is made up of various metals such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, iron, phosphate, etc. and is the largest cost com - ponent in a lithium-ion battery cell. If the needle is going to be moved regarding cost, this is the best place to start. How is Nano One changing the game? The company has developed a proprietary process which dissolves the metals men - tioned above in an aqueous solution vs a mechanical grinding process that is used today. This new novel process results in sev- eral advantages such as: • Cheaper inputs can be used (lower cost metals) • One-step process for mixing vs several steps required in mechanical process • Precursor material requires less time in the furnace (less energy used) • Final material performs better due to how the materials are assembled. Nano One has 13 patents granted glob - ally and 30+ pending making for an impressive patent portfolio. These pat- ents have been developed with the help of Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) and other government grants totalling close to $10 million. They have built a successful demonstration plant in Burnaby, which has attracted the attention of some of the largest global play - ers in the electrification movement. This year has been very busy for Nano One as they have announced several Joint Development Agreements with global partners. The first agreement was with Saint-Gobain, a multi-billion Euro French company and followed by a second one with Pulead Technology, one of the world's largest cathode manufactures, which is located in China. Recently, these two com - panies joined Nano One as consortium partners along with Volkswagen and two other auto OEM on a SDTC project to com- mercialize Nano One's technology that has resulted in a notable ensemble of partners. The company has a pipeline of 20+ other strategic players interested in the technol- ogy who have signed NDA's. Nano One is well on the way to chang- ing the game and with a technology that uses cheaper inputs, uses less steps and less energy that results in high perfor- mance materials that make Nano One well positioned for global growth. MACHINE-LEARNING TECHNIQUES ENHANCE GEOTHERMAL EXPLORATION IN NEVADA As reported on the University of Nevada, Reno, website, a successful new method of geothermal exploration using machine- learning has helped scientists discover two new geothermal systems in Nevada. To further this exploration, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded a major new grant to the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology to research and expand machine-learning technology to make the exploration process more effec - tive. Machine-learning is a technique that teaches computers to analyze data, to learn from the data, and to improve their perfor- mance through adaptation. The goal is to achieve higher success rates in geothermal exploration leading to greater efficiency and lower costs for geothermal exploration and development. Lithium-ion battery cost breakdown. Illustration courtesy Nano One Technologies Corp.

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