Powdermet Receives BMDO Grant for Lithium-Ion Battery Electrode Development

Powdermet, Inc., Sun Valley, Calif., has been awarded a grant from the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) to develop new fabrication methods for lithium-ion battery electrodes. Powdermet will team with Eagle-Picher Technologies, LLC to perform this work. The technology to be developed in this program could potentially replace existing silver oxide/zinc battery technology currently used in launch vehicle applications. Powdermet will coat carbon microballoons with silver and carbon layers. The microballoons will then be added to a polymer matrix slurry. Eagle-Picher will fabricate the material into anodes. Once anode fabrication is complete, small capacity cells will be assembled and tested at Eagle-Picher. An increased rate capability is anticipated in the anode, per the composite system's inherent conductivity. Possible applications for this lithium-ion battery technology include launch vehicles, satellite power, underwater lighting, electric and underwater vehicles and commercial satellite uses.