Researchers from North Carolina State University and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) recently used shear assisted processing and extrusion (ShAPE) to synthesize macro-scale copper-graphene composites with a simultaneously lower temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and improved electrical conductivity over copper-only samples. 

The team's new graphene-copper composite with an improved ability to conduct electricity could lead to more efficient electricity distribution to homes and businesses, as well as more efficient motors to power electric vehicles and industrial equipment. The team has applied for a patent for the work, which was supported by the Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office.

Lyten has announced it has secured a $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) to accelerate the manufacturing of its advanced lithium-sulfur battery technology. This grant (awarded by the DoE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy / Vehicle Technologies Office) specifically targets lithium-sulfur technologies that can alleviate offshore supply chain risk for EV batteries and increase EV driving range.

Lithium-sulfur is a chemistry known for decades to potentially hold 2 to 3 times the energy density of lithium-ion but was not envisioned to come into the market until the 2030s due to material science challenges. Lyten set out to accelerate this timeline by using its 3D Graphene material to develop a sulfur-graphene composite cathode. In June 2023, Lyten opened a semi-automated lithium-sulfur pilot line producing pouch and cylindrical cells on its 145,000-square-foot campus in Silicon Valley and will begin to deliver non-EV cells commercially in 2024.