Argonne has demonstrated achievement in meeting a spectrum of energy storage challenges. The laboratory has amassed a portfolio of more than 125 patented advanced cathode, anode, electrolyte, and additive components for lithium-ion, lithium-air, lithium-sulfur, sodium-ion, and flow batteries.
Licensing agreements—with leading companies including General Motors, BASF, LG Chem, General Electric, and Toda America—to mass produce Argonne’s patented materials for advanced batteries have led to construction of new plants and creation of jobs in the United States.
Silicon-Graphite
Deep Dive
The dream of a lithium-ion battery with much higher energy density has led to the pursuit of a new graphite composite anode containing silicon.
Battery Recycling and
Life-Cycle Analysis
Argonne has a long track record of R&D expertise with lithium-ion batteries, and now has added to its capabilities a powerful computer model that analyzes quantitatively every step within the battery life-cycle, from manufacturing to recycling.
Extreme
Fast Charge
Extremely fast battery charging is essential if electric vehicles are ever going to be competitive with internal combustion vehicles. This means the lithium-ion batteries propelling current vehicles must be rechargeable within 15 minutes or less instead of many hours, a major technological challenge.
Argonne’s
NMC Cathode
An Argonne-developed cathode material is enabling widspread rollout of lithium-ion batteries throughout the marketplace.
High Energy and
High Voltage Deep Dive
Although invented in the 1970s and widely available commercially, lithium-ion batteries are still limited to about 65% of their theoretical energy density in practical application. So there is considerable room for improvement.
