BINGHAMTON, NY — Natrion is pleased to announce its selection for the New Energy New York (NENY) Technical Assistance Voucher Program. Led by Binghamton University in partnership with the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium (NY-BEST), the program advances new battery technologies and expands the energy storage innovation ecosystem in upstate New York. Under this voucher program, Natrion will receive support to assemble, test, and certify advanced lithium battery cells leveraging the company’s proprietary electrolyte technology, LISIC.
This selection follows the successful launch of Natrion’s production line in upstate New York earlier this year in partnership with FuzeHub and Binghamton University’s Center for Advanced Microelectronics Manufacturing (CAMM). Now, Natrion will have the opportunity to fabricate pouch cells representative of automotive and consumer electronics batteries and certify them to UN38.3 standards. UN38.3 is a major technical milestone towards verifying a battery technology’s commercial maturity, capability, and readiness.
Using materials produced at Natrion’s new facility, NENY collaborators at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Binghamton University, and Intertek will support Natrion in building high-capacity LISIC-containing cells to carry out the rigorous testing process. Some of these cells will use advanced Li-metal anode enabled by LISIC, delivering 50% more energy density than current state-of-the-art Li-ion batteries with graphite anode. The project will begin in January 2025 and last approximately 6 months.
“There are few examples of commercial Li-metal cells that can actually meet UN38.3 safety standards — we will be showing how LISIC can change that. We are honored to have NENY’s support to assist us in carrying out this testing with leading institutions here in upstate NY.”
— John Fox, COO of Natrion
Natrion has also recently been selected as one of nine companies that will receive Use-Inspired R&D funding from the National Science Foundation’s Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine. Led by 2019 Nobel Laureate for Chemistry Dr. M. Stanley Whittingham, the Upstate NY Engine seeks to establish an industry-driven hub for new battery componentry and manufacturing to bolster America’s competitiveness in the global battery market.
Natrion’s Engine grant will be deployed towards a 12-month project to automate and scale critical quality control processes at its production line with CAMM. LISIC generated from this line will be fabricated into 18650-type cylindrical cells in partnership with RIT. Natrion will demonstrate how these cells will deliver augmented capability and reduced manufacturing costs that surpass those of overseas battery offerings.
“These kinds of cylindrical cells are used in everything today from electronics to electric cars to stationary energy storage devices — they are the most cost-efficient kind of battery to make,” said Dr. Duke Shih, CTO of Natrion. “The flexibility and mechanical strength of LISIC gives us a unique opportunity to integrate the material into these cells and afford domestic battery makers a leading cost advantage from a dollars-per-kilowatt-hour perspective.”
