Welcome to the new SBIR.gov, to assist in getting you situated with the system, a preview of the new login and registration process is available here. Please reach out to the website support team with any questions via sba.sbir.support@reisystems.com
Company
Portfolio Data
Back to Company SearchCONOVATE INC
UEI: EYK5GEYYCVJ4
Number of Employees: 10
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: Yes
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
SBIR/STTR Involvement
Year of first award: 2018
3
Phase I Awards
2
Phase II Awards
66.67%
Conversion Rate
$561,324
Phase I Dollars
$2,049,810
Phase II Dollars
$2,611,134
Total Awarded
Awards
SBIR Phase II:Domestically produced, novel carbon-based active anode materials for rechargeable lithium ion batteries
Amount: $1,000,000 Topic: CT
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is both to provide novel, domestically produced raw materials to the US battery supply chain and to generate affordable, safer, fast-charging, long-lasting lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) for electronics. With these raw materials, the US can manufacture lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) using its own resources; US battery manufacturers need no longer depend on foreign suppliers. The manufacturing process will employ readily available US manufacturing capabilities to generate domestically produced, value-added materials and thus strengthen the high-tech US economy that critically needs new materials for more effective energy storage. Further, the proposed materials will improve battery performance and safety, such as in wireless, battery-powered medical devices (e.g., implants and sensors) that use phone apps to monitor people's health and welfare. These apps need improved LIBs made from novel, lighter, and safer anode materials that can charge faster and store more energy than current versions.This SBIR Phase II project proposes to introduce a value-added active anode material with high-quality performance to the battery supply chain. The anode material aims to reduce the quantity of expensive—but critical—cathode materials (Ni, Co, and others) required for successful battery designs. Funding will enable upgraded production methods to produce anode material at scale, thus demonstrating how to produce a lithiated version of the anode material which will increase its desirability for battery manufacturers. The main R and D activities will improve both key desirable performance value propositions through engineering optimization approaches to synthesis and scaleup, and improve upon the currently low initial coulombic efficiency for the first charging cycle through introducing pre-lithiation and full-lithiation methodologies. Research outcomes include: (1) a value-added active anode material—with higher capacity than graphite mid potential between lithium titanate and graphite, low irreversible lithium capacity loss, and potentially increased lithium availability—to reduce the size and cost of the overall battery system per kWh, (2) a third-party demonstration of minimum viable product 200mAh batteries with superior performance, and (3) a roadmap for battery manufacturers to effectively incorporate additive amounts of the novel, lithiated material (even to completely replacing graphite) in existing battery designs.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase II
2022
NSF
Domestic Bio-Renewable Products as New Supply Chain for Advance ECOphite Battery Anode Materials
Amount: $181,500 Topic: 8.8
Advanced batteries require novel low-cost safe materials to charge faster last longer and work atwide-ranging temperatures. Currently dominant lithium-ion batteries use imported criticalminerals leading to a national effort to improve supply chains. Proposed domestic green solutionsfor carbon-based anodes address this issue. The project objectives are to: 1.) develop and optimizemethods to synthesize a new patented material graphene monoxide (GmO) using high purity bio- sourced products; 2.) evaluate the properties of these ECOphiteTM materials; and 3.) prepareanodes and test batteries to compare performance with batteries made with anode materials derivedfrom inorganic carbon sources. The goals are to improve cost-performance and environmentalimpact of carbon-based anodes. The main effort in Phase I is to evaluate several bio-renewableproducts as feedstocks for ECOphite materials with special attention to micronutrient andcontaminant impact on formation of GmO and battery performance. Big-data analysis e.g.materials informatics and machine learning will be used to optimize the quality and quantity ofECOphite materials production and correlate material properties with battery performance.With successful demonstration of ECOphite production from forestry- and farm -products the costperformance and carbon balance of batteries will be improved. This will enable the commercialpromise of batteries for many applications including power tools drones electric motorcyclesconsumer electronics cars and stationary power.Replacing graphite with ECOphite material willaddress the critical minerals initiative increasing options for domestically- sourced anode solutions.The results will encourage battery manufacturers to adopt this novel material for manufacturingfuture anodes for batteries.
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase I
2022
USDA
High Energy Safe Anodes for Lithium Ion Batteries
Amount: $1,049,810 Topic: 13a
Electric vehicle manufacturers and the Department of Energy want safe and fast charging batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles with significant improvement in specific power. Of particular interest are new low-cost materials that can accept high-power recharging during regenerative braking and are compatible with existing manufacturing infrastructure. The applicant holds an exclusive license to patented materials with favorable properties for use in lithium-ion batteries. Moreover, these materials can improve batteries for portable tools and electronics, medical implants, military, and aerospace applications. The company’s founders discovered and patented Graphene Monoxide, a novel carbon-based nanomaterial that is a 2- dimensional solid crystalline form of carbon monoxide. This is the first and only known solid form of carbon monoxide that occurs at ambient conditions; it has exciting properties suitable for marketable lithium-ion anodes. Superior battery performance arises from improved lithium+ and electron transfer. The materials actively store lithium+ during fast charging at stations and during regenerative braking. The new materials are compatible with graphite and silicon-graphite, enabling development of novel, lighter, and safer anode materials that will charge faster and increase battery specific energy and power. We will use two approaches to constrain costs: (1) maintain compatibility with existing manufacturing infrastructure and (2) enter the market as an additive to improve silicon-graphite anode performance. As economies of scale reduce costs, the applicant’s materials will become a larger fraction of the anode. Phase I objectives (1) Prepare and test novel active anode compositions in half-cells; (2) Prepare and test coin and pouch batteries using anode materials from Objective 1; and (3) Plan for materials scale up. All Phase I Milestones were achieved as proposed, or with modifications guided by R&D, producing 200mAh pouch-cell batteries as a chief milestone. Half- and full-coin and pouch cell electrochemical cycling prove superior performance at fast charging (10C) and at low temperatures (-20°C), with improved specific energy and power. Phase II objectives (1) Improve and optimize novel active anode materials and composites to reduce cost and enhance desirability; (2) Achieve progressive, iterative scale-up of material manufacture to develop an industry-ready process for production of novel active anode materials; (3) Prepare & test 2Ah prototype batteries for demonstration to investors, technology transfer partners, or customers using optimized novel active anode materials. Improved anode materials will result in better batteries, consequently making electric vehicles more affordable and convenient. In addition to economic benefits (such as job creation) from the innovative electric vehicle industry, political and environmental benefits include decreased dependence on foreign oil and reduced air pollution.
Tagged as:
STTR
Phase II
2019
DOE
SBIR Phase I: SafeLi: Graphene monoxide anodes for extreme batteries
Amount: $225,000 Topic: CT
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project arises from bringing new materials to market for making improved rechargeable lithium ion batteries needed by the high-tech economy, medicine, and the military (batteries are the second largest military consumable). In today's world, everything, including medical devices (e.g., wireless implants and sensors), has an app; using apps requires batteries. This project will produce "Safer Energy for the Wireless World"; the resulting improved batteries will incorporate novel, lighter, and safer (no overheating) anode materials that will charge faster and store more energy than current versions. The new anode materials are estimated upon success to yield sales of $1B during the first 10 years from selling the materials to battery manufacturers to incorporate, initially, as composites in lithium ion battery anodes, and, later, as the entire active anode. Broader societal impacts include greater safety because the batteries do not overheat; lighter, more portable devices with longer battery life and faster recharging time; reduced need for backup batteries; and diverse STEM workforce development though applied research and entrepreneurship training. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop safer, more powerful ways to charge electronic devices by translating fundamental research from university to industry. The opportunity arises from an NSF-supported discovery of the first solid form of carbon monoxide known, a two-dimensional crystal structure: graphene monoxide (GmO). GmO and its first proposed application for anodes in lithium ion batteries are patented. Knowledge gaps to be addressed include identifying tailored materials for optimizing batteries for electronics, using theoretical and experimental approaches to identify the maximum energy storage capacity for lithium batteries, and determining the energy and power densities and safety properties under normal and extreme operating conditions. The technology must be demonstrated in 200-mAh pouch batteries, the first milestone needed for battery manufacturers to consider adopting the innovation through licensing or sales. The second milestone is to scale up materials to produce large quantities. The overall goal is to commercialize the GmO material into an active anode or additive material for extreme batteries. In sum, the project will yield prototype batteries made from the new materials, optimize properties for specific partner applications, simulate interactions between GmO and Li, and identify pathways for scaleup of materials production. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Tagged as:
SBIR
Phase I
2019
NSF
High-Energy Safe Anodes for Lithium Ion Batteries
Amount: $154,824 Topic: 13a
Electric vehicle manufacturers and the Department of Energy want safer, longer-lasting batteries that utilize new, low-cost materials that are compatible with current battery manufacturing infrastructure and industry standardization. Lithium-ion batteries dominate the current electric vehicle market. The applicant, LLC holds an exclusive license to patented materials that have favorable properties for use in these batteries. In addition, these materials can also improve batteries for portable tools and electronics, medical implants, military and aerospace applications. The applicant’s founders are developing recently patented multiphasic composite materials—composed of graphene monoxide, graphene, and transition metal oxides—into marketable products for novel lithium-ion anodes. With these anodes, battery performance will surpass current lithium-ion batteries because the composite materials facilitate both lithium+ and electron transfer and actively store and release lithium+ during charge/discharge cycles. The new materials are compatible with graphite and silicon-graphite, enabling development of novel, lighter, and safer anode materials that will charge faster and increase battery energy and power densities. We will use 2 approaches to constrain costs: (1) maintain compatibility with existing anode manufacturing infrastructure and (2) initially enter the market as an additive to improve silicon-graphite anode performance. As economies of scale reduce the cost, the applicant’s materials will become a larger-volume fraction of active anode materials. The applicant envisions itself as a materials company that operates in the Chemical and Materials market of lithium-ion batteries. The specific market is advanced Anode Materials with application in electric, plug- in, and hybrid vehicles. Market research projects that the lithium-ion battery market will reach ~$46 B worldwide by 2022, and that its anode segment will reach $1.2 B by 2020 and then will outpace the cathode segment. The applicant’s primary customers are companies that assemble active materials into battery cells and design high-voltage battery packs for automotive applications. Additives can be an entry point into the market while material production scales up and costs decrease. Similarly, establishing with a regional strategic partner that the anodes work well in power tools will enable the applicant to approach enterprise-scale companies that manufacture materials in-house to build on national relationships and explore licensing options. Improved anode materials will result in better batteries, which in turn will make electric vehicles more affordable and convenient to drive. In addition to the economic benefits (such as job creation) from the innovative electric vehicle industry, political and environmental benefits include decreased dependence on foreign oil and reduced air pollution.
Tagged as:
STTR
Phase I
2018
DOE