Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Researchers at Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and Phostech Lithium ltd. have recentlyformed a strategic alliance in order to develop a new generation of lithium ion batteries. This alliance has already generated a new class of promising composite materials and fabrication methods. It has also generated the first joint UQAM-Phostech Lithium patent application. The purpose of this application is to capitalize on this research momentum, bydetailed testing and further development of our new materials and fabrication techniques. The objective is to develop a single versatile industrial production procedure that can be tailored toyield several composite materials each optimized for particular applications such as electrical vehicles, power tools, emergencypower etc.This project and its objectives are of environmental, strategic, economical benefit to Canada. Environmentally, the developed technology, promises to replace, partlyor fully, the organic solvents and the fluoropolymer binder used in batteryelectrode fabrication. It will in addition be combined with the signature product of Phostech Lithium: LiFePO4, which is one of the most environmentallybenign batterymaterials currentlyon the market. Strategically, the development of new and better batteries, especiallyfor electric and hybrid electrical vehicles is in line with Canada's ""green"" energyinitiatives. In fact, high power batteries are the enabling technologythat will permit Canada to use it's well developed hydroelectric and virtuallyuntapped wind resources for car transportation. Finally, what is proposed here is a value added product based on domesticallyproduced LiFePO4. This combined with a projected 1.4 billion dollar market increase for these materials over the next 5 years, yields a significant potential for strong economic growth within Canada.