Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) announced last week that SPARKZ Inc., an energy storage start-up, has exclusively licensed a battery cycling technology designed to enable the rapid production of lithium-ion batteries commonly used in portable electronic devices and electric vehicles.
ORNL’s technology, called fast formation cycling, reduces production time significantly and also enhances battery performance which can lead to reduced costs.
It’s the second licensing agreement between the start-up and ORNL in about a year. Last February, SPARKZ exclusively licensed five battery technologies designed to eliminate cobalt metal in lithium-ion batteries. The advancement is aimed at accelerating the production of electric vehicles and energy storage solutions for the power grid. The licensed technologies include cathode materials, a novel electrolyte formula and a scaling process that will together enable industrial scale production of more sustainable, fast-charging cobalt-free batteries.
“ORNL’s fast formation cycling invention is necessary to meet industry needs and supports the increasing adoption of lithium-ion batteries,” said Sanjiv Malhotra, Chief Executive Officer of SPARKZ who is pictured here at the February 2020 licensing announcement. “We are pleased to have the exclusive license on this technology, and it will further assist in our goal of enabling the industrial scale production of next generation batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage solutions.”
SPARKZ is evaluating a location for an R&D and prototyping facility in the U.S. to scale its licensed battery technologies to meet the demands of customers in the mobility and grid sectors.
We had a chance to talk with Malhotra last Friday and will share his exciting plans in an upcoming article.
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