Panasonic Energy, a Panasonic Group Company, is working with Rhode Island’s Brown University School of Engineering on a joint development initiative to improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries by analyzing and addressing materials degradation mechanisms.
Associate Professor Feng Lin’s laboratory in Brown University’s School of Engineering leads pioneering studies using advanced materials and cell diagnostics analyses to systematically elucidate the degradation behavior of battery materials. (Image: Brown University)
This work is increasingly important for electric vehicles (EVs), where durability and fast-charging reliability depend directly on how materials break down inside the cell.
The partnership will advance analytical methods to pinpoint how materials degrade during battery charge and discharge cycles, and apply these insights to accelerate the development of advanced battery materials with higher durability and power output.
As rechargeable batteries become increasingly vital worldwide, supporting the electrification of mobility and data-driven and AI-powered infrastructure, expectations for their performance are rising, with demands becoming more varied.
Beyond the pursuit of higher energy density, industries are now demanding batteries that can deliver high power and extended durability for a broader range of applications, from electric vehicles to industrial energy storage systems.
Lithium-ion batteries gradually lose performance as their materials degrade during repeated charge and discharge cycles. Through this partnership, Brown University School of Engineering and Panasonic Energy will develop advanced analytical methods to identify how and why these degradations occur inside the cell over long-term use.
The findings will be incorporated into Panasonic Energy’s materials development processes to enhance battery durability and performance. Durability-boosting technology also ensures stable operation under demanding, high input and output conditions, making these technologies particularly valuable for applications such as fast-charging of electric vehicles (EVs) and backup power systems in data centers, where both power and reliability are critical.
Associate Professor Feng Lin’s laboratory in Brown University’s School of Engineering leads pioneering studies using advanced materials and cell diagnostics analyses to systematically elucidate the degradation behavior of battery materials.
Panasonic Energy is a global leader in lithium-ion battery manufacturing, operating one of the first gigawatt-hour-scale production facilities in the United States. For more than eight years, the company has supplied high-performance, safe, and reliable batteries to the US market.
By combining Brown University School of Engineering’s deep expertise in materials engineering with Panasonic Energy’s practical know-how in cylindrical cell technology, the two organizations aim to accelerate innovation and redefine the future of battery performance.
Filed Under: Batteries, Technology News