A firm headquartered in Oklahoma is expanding output of its battery additive product. Ten-Nine Technologies has developed a patented cathode additive under the name TENIX.
The company asserts that the formula targets the underlying mechanisms of battery degradation at a cellular level. Incorporated at a concentration of just 0.5 to 2 percent by weight — roughly 0.5 to 2 kilograms per 100 kilograms of cathode material, an amount comparable to what a standard electric vehicle battery pack contains — the additive is introduced directly into the cathode during the production process.
With a manufacturing output of 100 tonnes, Ten-Nine holds the capacity to produce enough TENIX to service anywhere from 50,000 to 200,000 standard electric vehicle battery packs.
According to Ten-Nine Technologies Founder and CEO Paige Johnson, battery degradation occurs as chemical byproducts accumulate through regular operation, gradually reducing both capacity and overall lifespan. Johnson, a chemist, said her goal was to address the underlying problem directly, rather than engineer a new battery as a workaround.
According to the manufacturer, TENIX employs a distinct surface chemistry that may slow battery degradation, potentially extending both output capacity and operational lifespan.
According to independent evaluations, TENIX achieved a charge-discharge cycle count more than 75 percent above industry norms, potentially pushing an electric vehicle battery's operational lifespan from a 150,000-mile warranty standard to upwards of 265,000 miles. An extended service life cuts the cost per kilowatt-hour delivered across a battery's operational span by around 40 percent, while a 10 percent reduction in internal resistance enables quicker recharging and reduces energy lost to heat.
According to the company, TENIX reduces a battery's thermal output by roughly 40 percent across its operational lifespan, a property that holds growing relevance as AI-powered data centres place heavier demands on backup power systems.
This shift coincides with a broader industry pivot toward manganese-rich cathode materials, which offer lower costs, greater supply availability, and reduced dependence on cobalt and nickel — elements that have long underpinned electric vehicle battery formulations. Ten-Nine Technologies disclosed that cathodes with high manganese content could provide a less vulnerable supply chain compared with the nickel- and cobalt-dependent alternatives they are positioned to replace.
Extraction of manganese occurs across a broad range of regions worldwide, rather than being concentrated in a few nations, which may reduce its vulnerability to the supply chain and geopolitical concerns that weigh on battery producers and policymakers. Historically, degraded cycle performance has constrained the commercial viability of manganese-rich cathode materials — a limitation that TENIX was developed to address.
The company anticipates that this transition has the potential to transform cathode supply chains worldwide.
