The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Dow Kokam have entered into a $5.5 million deal to augment the capabilities of Dow Kokam for the development and commercialization of sophisticated lithium ion batteries.
The six-year deal builds on a proven collaboration stemming from a joint research and development deal financed by Dow Kokam and the Energy Department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
According to the agreement, ORNL will offer guidance in the fields of microstructural and electrochemical analysis, raw material classification, processing components of batteries and in-line quality control process development. Other aspects of the deal include technical strategic guidance and technology development to improve the materials and production processes of Dow Kokam.
Dow Kokam’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Ravi Shanker stated that the company’s collaboration with ORNL strengthens its research and development efforts in performance enhancing innovations that have quick commercial use for its customers and end users, mainly in the highly challenging defense, utility and transportation markets. By improving its direct research and development investments and capabilities with access to many of the high-tech resources and know-how in the industry, the company plans to set a new benchmark for sophisticated battery performance, he added.
The project is also in line with the objectives of a report titled, ‘Ensuring American Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing,’ published by the President's Innovation and Technology Advisory Committee and the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.