Technology Advancement

NEO Battery Expands Production Yield and Capacity with Manufacturing Innovation

TORONTO, March 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (TSXV: NBM) (OTCQB: NBMFF)

• Major Process Innovation Improves Silicon Anode Yield, Capacity, and Particle Uniformity
  • Achieved Pilot-Scale Capacity Expansion to 4,000 Kilograms Per Year Without Additional Equipment or Process Change
• Participated in Battery Japan and InterBattery 2024 to Establish Over 100 Relationships with EV and Battery Industry Players
• Widening Testing Pipeline Partners and Evaluation Scale Towards Larger Battery Capacities and Formats
• Appointed Mr. Daniel Lim as Chief Financial Officer
  

NEO Battery Materials Ltd. (“NEO” or the “Company”), a low-cost silicon anode materials developer that enables longer-running, rapid-charging lithium-ion batteries, is pleased to report technological advancements in NEO Battery’s silicon anode production yield, capacity, and quality through its recent manufacturing innovation.

As announced on January 11, 2024, the Company filed its 9^th patent to protect a significant process innovation in NEO’s silicon anode materials, NBMSiDE. Direct implementation has resulted in the improvement of both NBMSiDE yield and quality, increasing the pilot-scale capacity to approximately 4,000 kilograms per year from several hundred kilograms based on continuous processing.

During NBMSiDE manufacturing, special additives effectively prevent silicon particle clustering or agglomeration by acting as an interparticle buffer layer. These layers (i) stabilize the interfacial energy between particles, (ii) reduce unnecessary particle damage during the milling process, thereby preventing excessive milling, and (iii) induce the uniform dispersion of particles in the solvents to improve manufacturing efficiency directly.

By developing similar innovations, NEO Battery Materials aims to become a leader in the silicon anode market by securing price competitiveness through increased production yield and improving particle size uniformity and product quality.

Mr. Spencer Huh, President and CEO of NEO, commented, “After the relocation and return to regular operations of the R&D Scale-Up Centre, the R&D engineering team industriously continued the analysis and formulation of the special additives. This innovation is significant as no additional equipment or process changes are required to improve NEO’s One-Step Production Process. We are optimizing to minimize bottlenecks and deviations during manufacturing, increasing the yield and uniformity of NBMSiDE particle sizes.”