U.S. Department of Energy Battery Projects
Annually, the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE), the policy maker for energy in the U.S., releases the results of its funded projects and technological achievements of research institutes and companies. According to published information, the USDOE funds about 115 battery technology projects in 2022. Thirty-nine institutes and companies are involved in projects. Argonne National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are top institutes. Most of the projects (79 projects) are in lithium battery technologies. In comparison, about 12 % of projects are defined in other technologies, including Lithium-sulfur, Lithium-air, and sodium-ion batteries.
Novel cathode materials are the most active technology among lithium-ion battery chemistries, accounting for about one-fourth of all projects. Other considered technologies include silicon anodes, lithium metal anodes, and solid-state electrolytes. A focus of the cathode projects is the development of low-cobalt or cobalt-free cathode materials to overcome the lack of raw materials. New cathode materials such as lithium-iron and aluminum nickelate contain zero cobalt loading and only have nickel (up to 80-90%), and the balance (10-20%) is a combination of iron and aluminum. Cabot also introduces new manufacturing methods like the aerosol synthesis of cathodes, which produces carbon materials for battery applications.
Other subjects are silicon and its intermetallic compounds with low volumetric expansion. Silicon anodes are specially developed in Silicon Consortium Project by Argonne, NREL, and LBNL Laboratories. Enovix is improving its unique 3D silicon anode structure for application in electric vehicle batteries, and Sila Nanotechnologies is improving calendar life via controlling its silicon-carbon composite particle size. Solid Power uses a silicon anode with its solid electrolyte as a solid-state battery. Albemarle is developing lithium metal thin-film anodes using electrodeposition methods, while Arkema and Navitas are working on new electrode manufacturing methods.
Many of these projects are focused on low-cost and large-scale methods to produce battery components that help the U.S. to have its domestic battery technology from raw materials to final battery for E.V. applications.
