9 — Silixon Battery

What It Is

Silixon Battery is Hardin Labs' solid-state electrochemical energy storage technology, distinguished from conventional lithium-ion batteries by its use of a Silixon-derived ceramic electrolyte rather than liquid or gel polymer electrolytes. The ceramic electrolyte is a lithium-ion-conducting phase formed within the Silixon-PDC matrix — specifically, a lithium silicon oxynitride (LiSiON) glass-ceramic — that offers ionic conductivity above 10⁻³ S/cm at room temperature while being non-flammable, non-volatile, and dimensionally stable across the full range of operating temperatures from -80 °C to 500 °C.

Architecture

Each Silixon Battery cell consists of a 100-µm ceramic electrolyte film sandwiched between a lithium metal anode and a silicon-carbon composite cathode — both deposited as thin films onto the electrolyte face by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Because the electrolyte is a solid, there is no liquid to leak, freeze, or vaporize, and no separator membrane that can shrink or melt. Cells are stacked in series-parallel configurations and encased in a Silixon-PDC bipolar housing that integrates cell interconnects, thermal monitoring sensors, and the Silixon-Radiant emissive coating on external faces for passive heat rejection during fast charging.

Energy Density and Safety

The combination of thin-film lithium metal anodes (theoretical specific capacity ~3,860 mAh/g) with a ceramic electrolyte that prevents dendrite formation enables a projected volumetric energy density of 800–1,200 Wh/L — two to three times that of current commercial lithium-ion cells. The absence of liquid electrolyte eliminates thermal runaway risk: even if a cell is punctured or crushed, no flammable material is present to ignite. These properties make Silixon Battery the primary energy storage solution for the Silixon Bioid (powering actuators, processors, and sensors for up to 72 hours of continuous operation) and the DART aircraft's emergency power reserve.