SK Materials said Tuesday it has invested $17 million in a US-based startup developing advanced materials that can enhance the energy density of lithium-ion batteries by 50 percent.

According to the South Korean manufacturer of special gases and IT materials, the investments, which were made together with US-based venture capital firm OVP Venture Partners, will allow Group14 Technologies to ramp up its pilot production facility and help with the startup’s groundbreaking of a large-scale plant in Washington next year.

Group14 Technologies manufactures a silicon-carbon composite material called SCC55. This material can replace conventional graphite materials inside anodes. As one of the four key materials inside lithium-ion batteries, anodes determine a battery’s lifespan and stability.

Currently, Korean battery makers use graphite mixed with 5 percent silicon for anodes. Adding a small amount of silicon can make a battery more powerful, but there are limits as silicon expands four times in volume when anodes are fully charged, posing explosion risks.

Compared to existing graphite materials mixed with silicon, SCC55 excels in terms of energy density, life span. Above all, its manufacturing process is much simpler, according to SK Materials. Group14 Technologies claims that SCC55 can increase a battery’s energy density by 50 percent.

“Group14‘s innovative battery material chemistry maximizes high-quality production at cost,” SK Materials CEO Lee Young-wook said.

By Kim Byug-wook (kbw@heraldcorp.com)