Johnson Matthey Adds GEMX Advanced Battery Material

Johnson Matthey (JM) and CAMX Power LLC (CAMX) have announced that JM has obtained a license under the intellectual property of CAMX relating to the GEMX platform of nickel based high energy high power cathode materials for use in lithium-ion batteries especially for electric vehicles (EVs).

The GEMX platform is based on an invention of CAMX for which patents have been granted in the US, EU, Japan and China. The invention creates a broad class of cathode materials, overarching the high nickel material classes NMC, NCA and LNO, the chemistries currently used, and expected to be used in lithium-ion batteries for EVs.

The GEMX invention places cobalt at the critical places of the cathode particles resulting in the use of less cobalt, yet with greater stability, higher performance and lower cost for all classes of high nickel materials.

“We are pleased to have obtained this further license from CAMX to support JM’s development of ultra-high energy density automotive battery cathode materials,” said Alan Nelson, sector chief executive and CTO at JM.  Nelson added that the license improves and extends JM’s intellectual property protection and supports the commercialization plans for eLNO technology. 

“Adding the GEMX platform also gives us a broader chemistry landscape to which we can apply JM’s expertise in materials design, development, scale up and manufacturing.  This is how JM provides our customers, and ultimately consumers, with battery materials that have the performance characteristics required to drive an electric vehicle revolution and enable the journey to pollution-free roads. 

“In May 2016, Johnson Matthey purchased a license for the CAM-7 platform of CAMX. Using its own processing technologies and other know how Johnson Matthey successfully developed eLNO and is currently commercializing its technology. With the GEMX license JM can further enhance eLNO as well as take an advanced position in other material classes such as NCA and NMC,” said Dr. Kenan Sahin, president and founder of CAMX.

“Also with the GEMX license which extends CAM-7, JM will now have patent protection beyond 2030 in the key jurisdictions in the world and especially in the biggest market, China,” Sahin said.