Elegus Forms Li-Ion JV with XALT and EPS

Elegus Technologies, a spin-out from the University of Michigan announced a joint venture with XALT Energy and Energy Power Systems (EPS), lithium-ion battery manufacturers based in Midland and Pontiac, Michigan, respectively. The $1.5M joint venture partnership combines the disruptive battery separator technology being developed at Elegus with the resources and industry experience found at XALT Energy and EPS.

“As improvements in technology allow higher and higher energy density Li-ion batteries, safety issues become far more challenging,” said Dennis Townsend, XALT Board Chairman. “Making these batteries safe and reliable will require the need for an advanced separator solution with excellent electrical performance and dimensional integrity. XALT believes that Elegus’ Aramid Nano Fiber Separator will be the solution that will enable XALT to achieve its higher energy roadmap while maintaining safety.”

The Elegus lithium-ion battery separator technology, licensed from the University of Michigan, was developed to solve the problem of energy density and safety found in lithium-ion batteries, which power everything from iPhones to laptops to electric vehicles. Normally, plastic separators are found in the middle of all these batteries, but Elegus is developing a separator that is both thinner and stronger, which can allow for a safe increase in energy density.

“We’re very excited for this next phase in our development”, said Elegus Technologies CEO John Hennessy. “We’re excited to be partnering with battery manufacturers who recognize the problem of safety and energy density. XALT and EPS understand the problem, and their long-term vision aligns with ours. Things like the large-scale adoption of electric vehicles just cannot happen without gains in energy density, battery longevity, and safety. It’s a great partnership for all parties.”

Elegus’ patent-pending process is based on the transformation of macroscale aramid threads into membranes with a pore range of 5- to 50-nm. As a result, the separator increases temperature resilience, which allows for the ability to withstand thermal instabilities at high charge/discharge rates. Moreover, the highly competitive mechanical strength has been shown to prevent dendrite-related shorts and decreases in capacities. Elegus’ membranes satisfy the requirements of multiple energy storage technologies including the following applications including Li-ion batteries, Li-S batteries, Li-air batteries, and thin-film batteries.

XALT Energy was originally founded in 2009 as Dow Kokam. In 2013, after Dow Chemical Co. sold its interest in Dow Kokam, the company was renamed to XALT Energy. To date, XALT has invested more than $600M in its lithium battery manufacturing facility in Midland, Michigan.

EPS supports renewable energy sources such as solar and wind by providing critical energy storage technology that buffers the inherently intermittent supply of these technologies. EPS grid-scale products contribute to improving the reliability and efficiency of electrical power transmission and the company’s automotive products reduce CO2 tailpipe emissions and reduce fuel consumption.