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Staying up to date on the latest silicon advancements at IDTechEx

Looking through the program for IDTechEx in Santa Clara this year, a theme becomes apparent instantly – the increased interest in silicon anodes from battery manufacturers and end-users. Emerging technology designers and manufacturers are looking to advanced materials, specifically silicon, as a compliment or replacement for graphite and other traditional anode materials in EVs, energy storage applications, printed electronics, and more. Coretec’s CEO Michael Kraft is attending IDTechEx to meet with potential partners, connect with decision makers spanning a number of industries to learn more about their changing demands and requirements, and introduce Coretec’s CHS technology as a game-changing advanced material in the space. Here are some of the industry issues that he’s expecting to see brought to light at this year’s show. EV batteries – A size and weight issue The global EV market is growing >60 percent per year, reaching 2.1 million in 2018 – this provides Coretec a great opportunity to partner with battery manufacturers and developers focusing exclusively on this market. EVs have two top requirements that impact performance and pricing: distance on a single charge and weight. Consumers demand smaller cars that go faster and further.  Nine countries have already announced plans to ban fossil fueled cars by 2040 and more are expected.  Battery developers need to find new ways to create lighter batteries with increased power. Today’s Tesla S battery, for example, weighs 1200 pounds. Renewable Energy – Enhanced capture and storage Energy storage for industrial applications like microgrids, wind and solar differ tremendously from those of EVs as they need to capture and store large amounts renewable resources to power cities, homes, mission-critical facilities and more. Silicon anodes offer an enormous storage capacity but the amount of cycles that it can process traditionally has been cost-prohibitive. Innovations with silicon, particularly liquid silicon like CHS, can increase the amount of life cycles these industrial-grade lithium ion batteries can process. In fact, it offers the potential to increase battery life up to 400%. CHS can also improve the efficiency of solar panels up to 10% though silicon quantum dots, making it valuable in multiple assets of renewable energy generation and storage. Printed Electronics – creating a next generation manufacturing process for semiconductors Printed electronics are taking an entirely new place in the Internet of Things, offering a flexible alternative for mobile and IoT devices. The Global Flexible Electronics market is expected to reach $24.78 billion by 2026 growing at a CAGR of 18.1%. Silicon is increasingly being adopted as a precursor for semiconductor device manufacturing. With CHS in its liquid state, it’s possible to enable silicon dielectric formation at the lower temperatures these flexible electronics require. If you’re interested in connecting with Michael at the show, he plans to attend the expert class on Tuesday, Nov. 19th on how silicon and new materials are being developed for next generation batteries, or please contact us to set up an appointment during the show at coretecgroup@fischtankpr.com.
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