Critical Resources Limited has completed extended capacity retention testing on its first-generation, full-format pouch cell built using a solvent-free Dry Supersonic Deposition cathode matrix, sustaining more than 780 hours of continuous charge-discharge cycling.

The evaluation program, conducted at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology within the Centre for Solid-State Electric Power Storage, tested a single hand-assembled laboratory pouch cell at a 0.2C duty cycle consisting of a five-hour charge and a five-hour discharge.

The cell delivered an initial specific capacity of approximately 145 mAh g⁻¹ and retained approximately 75% of that capacity after completing 65 cycles. The characteristic lithium iron phosphate voltage plateau at 3.4 to 3.5 volts remained present throughout every cycle of the test, and coulombic efficiency stayed near 100% for the majority of the program, indicating that the cathode chemistry remained electrochemically active while the cell aged.

The results compare with an initial specific capacity of approximately 154 mAh g⁻¹ achieved during previous coin-cell evaluations of the technology. Post-test inspections by researchers indicate that capacity fade and end-of-life behaviour were driven primarily by degradation of the conventional liquid reference electrolyte and the lithium-metal anode rather than the DSD-deposited cathode matrix itself.

Critical Resources initiated its structured solid-state battery evaluation program in February 2026. As the next technical milestone, the company plans to replace the liquid reference electrolyte with its proprietary Amorphous Solid-State Electrolyte. In parallel, technical teams are advancing cell engineering optimisation efforts focused on improving full-format cycle life by addressing manual assembly variables, including electrode wetting, stack pressure, and layer lamination.

Read the full announcement: Full-Format DSD Cell Sustains Month of Cycling