News

NanoGraf Awarded $7.5 Million for Silicon-Graphene Anode Material Commercialization

July 30, 2019 by Scott McMahan

NanoGraf Technologies was awarded $7.5 Million for the further commercialization of high-energy anode materials for lower-cost batteries, from United States Advanced Battery Consortium LLC (USABC).

USABC, a subsidiary of the United States Council for Automotive Research LLC (USCAR), and a collaborative organization of General Motors, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) US LLC, and Ford Motor Company gave the award to the Chicago, Illinois company. The contract award is for a 36-month project that includes a 50% cost-share.

Specifically, the goal of the project that began earlier this month is to advance the commercialization of silicon-based active materials for higher-energy anodes and lower-cost batteries for EVs, as outlined by the USABC.

NanoGraf Technologies produces silicon-graphene composites for lithium-ion battery anodes. The company claims that this composite material can be customized provide a capacity of between 1000mAh/g to over 2500 mAh/g. NanoGraf points out that current graphite-based anodes offer a capacity of 372 mAh/g.

Established by a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), USABC intends to devise electrochemical energy storage technologies that promote the commercialization of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, electric and fuel cell vehicles. As part of this mission, USABC has created mid- and long-term goals to guide its projects and gauge its progress.

"The high-energy anode materials commercialization contract award with NanoGraf is part of USABC's broad battery technology research and development program," said Steve Zimmer, executive director of USCAR. "Programs like this are critical to advancing the technology needed to meet both near- and long-term goals that will enable broader scale vehicle electrification."