Zeta Energy Corp. was awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Vehicles Technology Office (VTO) for a $4 million project to advance and commercialize its high-capacity lithium-sulfur battery technology.
Zeta Energy’s 3D structured metallic anodes are made with lithiated vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes. These anodes have higher capacity than any current or advanced anode technology.
The VTO program was created to accelerate the development of innovative, equitable, and clean mobility solutions that extend the electric vehicle (EV) range while alleviating supply chain concerns for EV batteries. One of the program’s specific objectives is to further the development of long-cycle life, high-energy-density lithium-sulfur batteries.
Zeta Energy has developed a sulfurized carbon material that leverages the high energy density of sulfur while preventing the “polysulfide shuttle” effect.
Sulfur has long been of interest for batteries because its theoretical energy density is many times higher than that of traditional lithium-ion battery materials. It’s also inexpensive and widely abundant, unlike most other materials typically found in the battery supply chain.
Zeta Energy’s lithium-sulfur batteries use no cobalt, manganese, nickel, or graphite, and can be produced wholly with domestic materials. Lithium-sulfur batteries also have a significantly smaller CO2 footprint than other batteries and are less vulnerable to thermal runaway.
Despite these advantages of lithium-sulfur batteries, previous efforts to commercialize lithium-sulfur batteries were hindered by the “polysulfide shuttle effect” whereby sulfur leaches into the electrolyte, rapidly degrading the performance of the battery.
Zeta’s sulfurized carbon technology effectively binds the sulfur during battery operation, preventing the polysulfide shuttle effect and enabling sulfur-based batteries to achieve more than one thousand cycles. Although the company also has a proprietary 3D structured metallic lithium anode that increases the performance, longevity, and economy of its batteries, this project will demonstrate the use of its sulfurized carbon cathode with a range of anodes that are already commercially available.
“Lithium-sulfur is a technology whose time has come — it will bring a step change in the performance, weight, cost, and environmental sustainability of batteries and the products that use them,” said Tom Pilette, CEO of Zeta Energy. “This project will allow us to show how lithium-sulfur batteries can transform the EV industry and US manufacturing competitiveness.”
Filed Under: Batteries, R&D, Technology News