Sicona SiCx Silicon-Carbon Anode Material

Sicona Battery Technologies is an Australian battery materials company headquartered at the iAccelerate innovation campus in North Wollongong, New South Wales, with a pilot plant and R&D laboratory nearby and a US subsidiary, Sicona Technologies Inc., in Memphis. It aims to deliver high-performance anode materials at mass-market scale and low cost, using abundant silicon metal to lift the energy density of lithium-ion batteries beyond graphite-only anodes.

Its SiCx silicon-carbon material is made through a top-down process that mechanically reduces silicon metal into nanoparticles, followed by specialised coating steps, without silane gas. The company says SiCx has over 4.5 times the capacity of graphite with comparable first-cycle efficiency, surface area and tap density, and works as a drop-in material on existing cell lines and with dry electrode processes. Target users are cell makers for EVs and energy storage.

• SiCx material: silicon-carbon anode composite based on low-cost silicon metal.
• Top-down process: mechanical reduction of silicon metal into nanoparticles without silane gas.
• High capacity: over 4.5 times the capacity of graphite with comparable first-cycle efficiency.
• Drop-in use: no changes needed on current electrode and cell production lines.
• Dry electrode ready: compatible with next-generation dry electrode manufacturing.
• Scale-up path: pilot plant in Wollongong and a planned commercial demonstration facility at Port Kembla.

Battery cell and pack makers in Vietnam could trial SiCx as a silicon additive to raise energy density in EV and e-scooter cells without new equipment. Energy storage integrators could evaluate higher-density cells to shrink cabinet footprints for commercial and microgrid systems.

Sicona reports a 20% increase in energy density over graphite-only lithium-ion cells and up to 40% faster charging for EV applications. It avoids silane gas, which the company describes as expensive, hazardous and emissions intensive, and sources silicon from Inflation Reduction Act compliant jurisdictions. As a drop-in product it requires no changes to existing battery production processes.

Cell makers are blending silicon into graphite anodes to raise energy density and charging speed, and buyers increasingly favour supply chains outside China for critical battery materials. Asian battery producers, including India-based investor Himadri and growing cell projects in Southeast Asia, are seeking scalable silicon anode sources that fit existing lines.

Sicona Battery Technologies is headquartered in North Wollongong, NSW, Australia, led by founder and CEO Christiaan Jordaan, with a US subsidiary in Memphis, Tennessee. In July 2026 it secured up to AUD 45 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency under the Battery Breakthrough Initiative for a commercial-scale demonstration facility at BlueScope's Port Kembla precinct. India's Himadri Speciality Chemical is a backer.