Enable IPC’s subsidiary, SolRayo has received a National Science Foundation Small Business Technology Transfer (NSF-STTR) Phase II grant worth $499,998 to develop nanoparticle oxide coatings for increasing the operating life of batteries.
This grant to SolRayo is based on the successful completion of the NSF-STTR Phase I program titled ‘Using Nanoparticle Oxide Coatings to Extend Cycle Life of Cathode Materials in Lithium-Ion Batteries.’ During the Phase I project, the company demonstrated that its low-cost, easy-to-apply nanoparticle oxide coating improved the life cycle of specific rechargeable lithium ion batteries by several folds. The Phase I project was concluded on June 30, 2011.
This Phase II grant will be used for the commercialization of the nanoparticle oxide coating. The University of Wisconsin in Madison is a partner in the research and development of this nanotechnology.
The Phase II project was formally begun on April 1, 2012 and is slated for completion on March 31, 2014. The research is being carried out jointly at the laboratory of Marc Anderson, a professor at the University of Wisconsin, and at SolRayo's facility located in Madison. Dr. Walter Zeltner, Director of Battery Research at SolRayo, will lead the project at the company.
The work under the direction of Dr. Zeltner was a success during the Phase I project. Dr. Zeltner informed that enhanced results are expected during the Phase II project and a completely commercialized product for use in battery production processes is expected to be available at the completion of the Phase II project.