TOKYO—Zeon Corp. has invested in a U.S. startup that is "arming the electric vehicle industry" with affordable and high-performing batteries.
Coreshell Technologies Inc., based in San Leandro, Calif., is the developer of a proprietary nanomaterial coating technology for EV batteries.
Applied to the surface of electrodes that come into contact with the electrolyte, the coating allows lithium ions to pass through without the side reactions that cause battery degradation. This increases both the capacity and the heat resistance of lithium-ion batteries, resulting in improved safety, according to Zeon's March 27 news release.
The coating material, it said, also is expected to reduce costs, as the coating process can be incorporated without major modifications into the current manufacturing process.
With the investment, carried out through venture capital arm Zeon Ventures Inc., the Japan-based group said it will "partner with Coreshell in commercializing its products."
Zeon added that its accumulated electrode binder technology—which includes elastomer binders—will be combined with Coreshell's technology to generate value-enhancing synergies.
