2022 Spring Meeting

Strategic defense and federal initiatives to secure the battery supply chain
ABSTRACT:  The rapid expansion in demand for li-ion batteries in the commercial sector has led to a projection of over 6TWh in annual capacity in the near future. In the Defense sector, reliance on lithium batteries to support key operational capabilities has driven the Department to review its current posture with respect to policy, infrastructure, standardization, and supply chain security. The one year report to Executive Order 14017, Securing Defense-Critical Supply Chains, summarizes recommendations/actions the Department will take to address these challenges, in close coordination with Interagency partners.
Speaker: Eric Shields, Sr. Battery Advisory, Office of the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy

U.S. Battery Supply Chains: Locally Charged?
ABSTRACT:  Mr. Coffin and Mr. Horowitz will be discussing the U.S. EV battery supply chain, building off research from the Supply Chain for Electric Vehicle Batteries, and Supply Chain for EV Batteries: 2020 Trade and Value-added Update, which established a methodology for measuring value-added at different stages of the value chain from cell to vehicle, and analyzed existing battery trade data. They will also incorporate upstream trade data to examine the foreign sources for battery inputs which U.S. battery production relies on. Next they will examine the development of a domestic battery supply chain, including recent investments and joint ventures by vehicle manufacturers and challenges with onshoring the pre-cell portions of that supply chain.
Speakers: David Coffin & Jeffrey Horowitz, U.S. International Trade Commission

Educational resources to meet the workforce training needs of the battery industry
ABSTRACT:  The Electrochemical Society (ECS) and NAATBatt International (NAATBatt) are partnering to develop educational resources to meet the workforce training needs of the battery industry. Through their aligned technical scopes and complementary memberships, ECS and NAATBatt are uniquely poised to address critical workforce development gaps in the battery industry. NAATBatt, with its focus on commercialization and manufacturing, brings the industry perspective and an understanding of workforce development needs; ECS, heavily steeped in academics and research, represents the global community of scientists, engineers, and educators needed to develop and deliver targeted, industry-specific curricula to address these identified workforce development needs.  The goals of this partnership and its potential impact for the modern battery workforce will be presented.
Speaker: Christopher Jannuzzi, Executive Director/CEO, The Electrochemical Society

100% porous silicon anode-based pouch cell with extreme high energy, fast charging and safety
ABSTRACT: TBD
Speaker: Rob Anstey, Graphenix Development, Inc.

Enabling High-Rate Lithium Metal Anodes by Tailored Structures and Interfaces
ABSTRACT:  Oxide-based solid-state Li-batteries (SSLiBs) have the potential to be a transformational and intrinsically safe energy storage solution due to their non-flammable ceramic electrolyte that enables the use of high-capacity Li metal anodes and high voltage cathodes for higher energy density over a much wider operating temperature range. However, their progress has been limited due to electrode/electrolyte interfacial issues. In particular for Li-metal anodes concerns over dendrite formation/propagation and the requirement for elevated temperature and high stack pressure are still prevalent. To eliminate these concerns a rational design of tailored structures and interfaces in Li-metal anodes will be presented. In addition, progress toward full cells using these tailored structures and interfaces will be presented.
Speaker: Eric Wachsman, Ph.D., UMD Professor & Maryland Energy Innovation Institute Director 

Aqueous solid polymer L-ion battery electrolytes: safely enabling high energy batteries with domestically sourced components
ABSTRACT:  As use of lithium-ion batteries continues to grow, concerns over their safety, and more recently material supply chain security, have influenced research for alternative electrolyte materials. Our battery systems offer the opportunity to enable high energy cells using Si anodes with materials-level intrinsic safety, enabling domestic production, and improving supply chain security by utilizing domestically sourced materials. Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) offer a safer approach due to their inherit nonflammability, while offering decreased cost and weight, ease of processibility, and increased long-term chemical and mechanical stability. Our work builds upon the concept of plasticization of polymer networks with strong oxidative stability. Small-molecule “plasticizers” can disrupt inter- and intrachain interactions to reduce the overall crystallinity of the network, impart mobility to polymer chains, and reduce impedance for lithium-ion movement. By using water as a plasticizer, we can create aqueous SPEs that exhibit preferential Li + transport and high ionic conductivity. Inclusion of a second, non-aqueous solvating molecule can extend the electrochemical stability window (ESW). 
Speaker: Peter Kofinas, Ph.D., CHBE Professor & Chair, UMD

Fluorinated Materials for Battery Electrolytes: Enablers and Key Challenges
ABSTRACT:  Fluorinated polymers (e.g., PVDF) have long been used in Li-ion cells, as well as the critical salt LiPF6. PVDF is commercially being replaced by other binders, however, to enable aqueous electrode processing. But advanced electrolyte formulations by battery researchers have increasingly embraced the use of fluorinated materials. Such novel electrolytes may prove to be enablers for the more challenging active materials essential for ultra-high energy cells, but key challenges must be taken into consideration and perhaps overcome for commercialization of cells with these relatively new fluorinated battery materials.
Speaker: Wesley Henderson, Ph.D., ARL

Cathode supply chain considerations with focus on North America
ABSTRACT:  The U.S. market for Lithium-ion batteries is forecast to grow by more than 10X by 2030 driven primarily by the electrification of light duty automobiles. Moreover, today’s battery market is supplied primarily by cathode manufactured in Asia. This dependence on global supply presents challenges that go beyond the existing supply chain concerns for raw material availability. Global automakers are investing $100’s Billions to adapt their businesses to the new electrified vehicle model including investment in necessary battery supply chains. This is resulting in transformation of battery supply chain to accommodate the unprecedented demand growth. The presentation will discuss cathode supply chain considerations with focus on North America.
Speaker:  Rob Privette, Umicore Sustainable Materials/USA

Challenge of Supporting Lithium Battery with Domestic Suppliers
ABSTRACT: Demand for lithium batteries is rapidly growing worldwide.  The supply chain to support the domestic & foreign production of lithium batteries is ramping up to meet the growing demand. The large volume battery needs are for electric vehicles. Not to be forgotten are the thousands of types of low volume batteries familiar to the extreme battery community--specialized batteries for defense, space, medical, and more. The presentation will survey the current landscape of U.S. companies supplying materials and components for domestic cell producers. The presentation will focus on understanding what is needed for U.S. battery materials, equipment, and software supply to ramp up domestic production for extreme batteries. EV's will also be mentioned.
Speaker: Mark Willey, Ph.D., PNNL

Battery chemistries for relieving supply chain issues of today, tomorrow and day-after-tomorrow
ABSTRACT: Lithium-ion batteries have become the choice of power source for portable electronics and electrification due to their high energy density. However, with the rapid proliferation of battery technologies for electric vehicles and grid storage, cost, sustainability, and supply chain issues will be the single dominant factor as we move forward. Cobalt use is a problem today due to limited abundance and ethical concerns and air pollution associated with mining. Although nickel has become indispensable to replace cobalt, nickel will become a problem tomorrow, and as we move forward, any mined metal, including lithium, can be a problem day-after-tomorrow. This presentation will focus on battery chemistries that can progressively address or relieve these challenges.
Speaker: Arumugam Manthiram, Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering Professor, University of Texas

Connecting Mines, Molecules & Machines: A True Domestic Supply Chain & Home Grown Gigafactories
ABSTRACT:  As the battery industry transitions from GWh to TWh, we at C4V and iM3NY are diving deeper into the basics of high yield and smarter factories that can be scaled faster and run profitably right here in the United States. Our proprietary machine learning solution called Digital DNA, along with a highly efficient Giga-machine designed by the core engineers in association with the machine builders, a new Cobalt and Nickel free Chemistry as well as next generation mining operations running outside Asia to foster domestic manufacturing would be discussed in detail during this presentation.
Speaker: Shailesh Upreti, Ph.D., CEO of C4V

High Safety, High Energy and High power LiVPO4F Battery
ABSTRACT:  LiVPO4F is an intrinsically safer cathode material than other available cathodes such as Lithium Cobalt Oxide (LCO), Nickel Cobalt Aluminum Oxide (NCA), and Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC) because of the presence of PO4 group in its tavorite structure, which is similar to lithium iron phosphate. In addition, LiVPO4F has a higher energy density than LiFePO4 due to the higher lithiation/delithiation potential (4.2V) than that of (3.4V) LiFePO4. LiVPO4F does not have transition metals Co or Ni, which may increase in price as a large amount of Li-ion batteries with NMC and NCA, LCO cathodes are manufactured. With sponsor from ARL & CREB and collaboration from our cathode supplier, Saft is developing High Safety, High Energy and High power LiVPO4F Batteries for army applications.
Speaker:  Xilin Chen, Ph.D., Saft America, Inc.

Start-up Perspective on reducing reliance on Chinese manufacturing and Li, Ni & Co resource constraints
ABSTRACT:  TBD
Speaker: Ricky Hanna, CEO, Ion Storage Systems

Eric Shields is a Senior Battery Advisor in the Research and Analysis Directorate in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy. He has worked in operational energy efforts for 15 years in the Navy and Marine Corps to include lithium battery safety, expeditionary renewables, hybrid and microgrid systems, human energy behavior and efforts to improve common DOD power sources. Shields holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland.

David Coffin is an a Senior International Trade Analyst at the U.S. International Trade Commission, responsible for motor vehicles. He has an M.A. in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and was a 2010 Presidential Management Fellow. Coffin had temporary assignments with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Department of  Energy, and U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. For two years, he taught English and studied Chinese in Shanghai and Hangzhou, China. 

Jeff Horowitz is a Senior International Trade Analyst in the Office of Industries at the U.S. International Trade Commission. His focus is the electrification and automation of the automotive industry, automotive supply chains, trade in used vehicles, and policies and regulations impacting automotive trade. Horowitz is a co-leader of the USITC Global Value Chains Group. His work with David Coffin is published in the Journal of International Commerce and Economics. Horowitz has an M.A. in International Trade and Investment Policy from the George Washington University.

Christopher Jannuzzi is the Executive Director and CEO of the Electrochemical Society, charged with stewarding the 100+ year-old organization as it advances electrochemical and solid state sciences. Prior to joining ECS, Jannuzzi was the Executive Director of the IEEE Electron Devices Society and the IEEE Photonics Society. He received his undergraduate degree from New York University and holds a master’s degree in Organization and Leadership from Columbia University.

Rob Anstey is the Founder and CEO of Graphenix Development (GDI) in Rochester, New York. In collaboration with ARL and CREB, GDI is investigating pure silicon anodes intended to be compatible with any lithium battery architecture. GDI also does roll-to-roll manufacturing, dispersions, and coatings. Anstey's Doctor of Law is from Northeastern University and he has an undergraduate degree from McGill as well.

Eric Wachsman is a UMD Professor with appointments in the Departments of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CHBE) and Materials Science and Engineering (MSE). He is also the Director of the Maryland Energy Innovation Institute. After receiving his Ph.D. from Stanford University, Wachsman spearheaded the creation of the Florida Institute on Sustainable Energy at the University of Florida. His research is focused on solid ion-conducting materials and electrocatalysts, including solid state batteries, solid oxide fuel cells and electrolysis cells and ion-transport membranes.

Peter Kofinas is Professor and Chair of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at UMD and director of the Functional Macromolecular Laboratory (FML). The FML Lab performs research on nanostructured functional polymers for a variety of technological fields ranging from medicine and pharmaceutics to energy storage and microelectronics. Kofinas works in the synthesis and structure-properties characterization of functional polymer-based architectures, including block copolymer and crosslinked network systems. 

Wesley Henderson is an Army Research Laboratory battery research senior scientist located at ARL Central in Chicago, Illinois. His focus is the energy storage challenge for America's soldiers. Henderson is the Cooperative Agreement Manager for CREB managed research in areas such as materials development related to Si-based anodes, high-energy cathodes and advanced (safe) electrolytes. His Ph.D. is from the University of  Minnesota and he taught at the U.S. Naval Academy and North Carolina State University. 

Rob Privette is responsible for Umicore’s Rechargeable Battery Materials commercial business in North America. Previously he (1) led XG Sciences’ Energy Materials business supplying silicon/graphene anode materials and graphene conductive additives for lithium-ion batteries, and (2) was Product Development Director and Fuel Cell Development Director at Ovonic Energy Conversion Devices and Umicore Fuel Cells respectively. Privette earned his M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University and has completed M.B.A. coursework, too.

Mark J. Willey, Ph.D., came to Pacific Northwest National Laboratories (PNNL) following a seventeen-year career in private industry in the fields of process control, semiconductor capital equipment, semiconductor and battery materials manufacturing. At Moses Lake Industries, he led the battery materials business unit developing novel materials for non-EV U.S. lithium battery cell producers. Willey holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University where he focused on electrochemical deposition and modeling.  

Arumugam Manthiram is is the Cockrell Family Regents Chair in Engineering and Director of the Texas Materials Institute at the University of Texas at Austin. He has authored ~ 900 journal articles and 16 issued patents with 88,000 citations and an h-index of 147. Manthiram has mentored close to 300 students and postdoctoral researchers, including the graduation of 67 Ph.D. students. He delivered the 2019 Chemistry Nobel Prize Lecture on behalf of Professor John Goodenough. 

Shailesh Upreti, Ph.D., is the CEO of C4V and Chairman of iM3NY, building Giga factories in New York and Australia. He was a member of Professor Stan Whittingham at SUNY Binghamton. Upreti has established and stabilized an ex-Asia supply chain that includes 100+ global brands. Upreti’s expertise lies in bridging the gap between meaningful findings from early-stage development and commercialization. 

Xilin Chen, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist at Saft America, Inc, Space and Defense Division. He has more than 15 years of experience developing electrode materials, electrolytes, and platform design for lithium-ion batteries. Chen's current research focuses includes phosphate cathodes and high energy anodes. Saft America’s Space and Defense Division is a full-service lithium-ion cell and battery manufacturing facility with all equipment and trained personnel needed to design, assemble, test and deliver products.

Ricky Hanna is CEO of ION. He has been Executive Director of Battery Operations for Apple, CEO of Electric Vehicles International, and Vice President of Worldwide Operations for Valence Technologies.  Hanna oversaw supply chain and manufacturing operations in China, Mexico, Northern Ireland, and the United States. His expertise includes technology scaleup, global manufacturing, automation, quality control, and implementing cost reduction initiatives.

Planning to attend in person?  Please note: There are three airports that service the Baltimore/Washington D.C. region (Dulles, Reagan National and BWI).

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