News

Newburyport, Massachusetts, USA (June 23, 2016) - The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Argonne National Laboratory has teamed up with Strem Chemicals, Inc. to provide industry and the battery research community with next-generation materials that could revolutionize energy storage.

Specifically, Strem, a manufacturer and distributor of specialty chemicals founded in 1964, has licensed 23 separate pieces of intellectual property from Argonne and will manufacture and distribute nine battery solvents and additives via its extensive marketing and global distribution networks.

The materials were all invented at Argonne’s Electrochemical Energy Storage Center and scaled at Argonne’s Materials Engineering Research Facility (MERF). Since its founding, MERF has scaled up and distributed over 30 kilograms of materials in the form of over 150 different samples.

“We continue to receive requests for samples of materials that we have scaled but have fully distributed,” said MERF Director Greg Krumdick. “Partnering with Strem makes sense to help make these materials available.” 

MERF was established because the DOE recognized the need for a facility that could help expedite the transfer of advanced battery materials from the bench to industry. Though current projects in the facility are focused on the development of advanced batteries for vehicle and grid storage applications, MERF can support scale-up projects for any type of material.

“Strem has a range of products for energy applications and is pleased to introduce these innovative products from MERF.” said Dr. Ephraim Honig, Chief Operating Officer of Strem Chemicals.

The agreement with Strem both funds and exemplifies successful technology transfer across the research spectrum: from invention at the bench, to scale-up, to use by industry.

Through this collaboration, Argonne has transferred some sample material and technology packages to Strem that detail how to successfully and economically scale the materials up from single grams to kilogram-sized batches. Strem has already successfully manufactured these technologies. These products are now available to purchase for R&D purposes through Strem.  MERF provided guidance on the synthesis and validation to ensure that the materials produced met the chemical purity and electrochemical performance required.

“This agreement helps us get these materials out the door and into the hands of industry and researchers,” said Krumdick. “It takes us one step closer to our final goal, implementation in commercial batteries. Strem will enable the research community to have greater access to these materials.”

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About Strem Chemicals, Inc.

Strem Chemicals, Inc., established in 1964, is a privately held manufacturer and marketer of specialty chemicals of high purity. Strem’s key products include catalysts, ligands, organometallics, metal carbonyls, CVD and ALD precursors and nanomaterials. Its products are used for research and development and commercial scale applications, especially in the pharmaceutical, microelectronics, chemicals and petrochemicals industries. Strem Chemicals also provides custom synthesis, process development and cGMP manufacturing services. For more information, visit www.strem.com.

Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them address their specific challenges, advance America's scientific leadership, and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. For more, visit www.anl.gov.