Newswise — Argonne Partners with Strem Chemicals to Deliver Next-Gen Battery Materials to Industry
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory has teamed up with Strem Chemicals, Inc. to provide industry and the battery research community with next-generation materials that could improve energy storage.
Strem, a manufacturer and distributor of specialty chemicals founded in 1964, has licensed 23 separate pieces of intellectual property from Argonne and will manufacture and distribute nine battery solvents and additives via its marketing and global distribution networks.
The materials were all invented at Argonne’s Electrochemical Energy Storage Center and scaled at the laboratory’s Materials Engineering Research Facility (MERF). Since its founding, MERF has scaled up and distributed over 30 kilograms of materials in the form of 150 different samples.
“We continue to receive requests for samples of materials that we have scaled but have not fully distributed,” said MERF Director Greg Krumdick. “Partnering with Strem [makes] sense to help make these materials available.”
MERF was established to meet the need for a facility that could help expedite the transfer of advanced battery materials from the bench to industry. Though current projects in the facility are focused on the development of advanced batteries for vehicle and grid storage applications, MERF can support scale-up projects for any type of material.
“Strem has a range of products for energy applications and is pleased to introduce these innovative products from MERF.” said Dr. Ephraim Honig, Chief Operating Officer of Strem Chemicals.
The agreement with Strem both funds and exemplifies successful technology transfer across the research spectrum: from invention at the bench to scale-up to use by industry.
Through this collaboration, Argonne has transferred some sample material and technology packages to Strem that detail how to successfully and economically scale the materials up from single gram to kilogram-sized batches. Strem has already successfully manufactured some of these technologies and plans to commence commercial production in the near future for the remaining samples. MERF will also provide guidance on the synthesis and validation to ensure that the materials produced meet the chemical purity and electrochemical performance requirements prior to distribution.
“This agreement helps us get these materials out the door and into the hands of industry and researchers,” said Krumdick. “It takes us one step closer to our final goal, implementation in commercial batteries. Strem will enable the research community to have greater access to these materials.”
The Materials Engineering Research Facility is supported by the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office.
Strem Chemicals, Inc., established in 1964, is a privately held manufacturer and marketer of specialty chemicals of high purity. Strem’s key products include catalysts, ligands, organometallics, metal carbonyls, CVD and ALD precursors and nanomaterials. Its products are used for research and development and commercial scale applications, especially in the pharmaceutical, microelectronics, chemicals and petrochemicals industries. Strem Chemicals also provides custom synthesis, process development and cGMP manufacturing services. For more information, visit www.strem.com.
Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation’s first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America’s scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit the Office of Science website.
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