Honeywell has secured a $27.3m grant from US Department of Energy (DOE) to produce components of lithium-ion batteries used in hybrid and electric vehicles.
The grant is intended to help Honeywell become the domestic supplier of lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6), a conductive salt that is one of four components used in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. LiPF6 facilitates the transport of lithium ions within the battery, which allows the batteries to store and discharge energy.
The grant was awarded as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and is designed to accelerate the market introduction and penetration of advanced electric drive vehicles, reducing fuel consumption and vehicle emissions of greenhouse gases.
Honeywell claims that it has developed an environmentally-sound process to manufacture LiPF6, which produces less waste and a more consistently pure product than alternate processes.
The company further claims that the lithium-ion batteries hold their charge well, and can handle the numerous charge and discharge cycles required by modern electronics and vehicles.
The LiPF6 production process was developed at Honeywell’s research and development facility in Buffalo, New York.
According to a market research by Avicenne, demand for lithium-ion batteries is expected to grow more than 40%, from $7.2bn in 2010 to $10.1bn in 2015, driven by demand for plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles.
Andreas Kramvis, president and CEO of Honeywell, said: “Honeywell is uniquely positioned to blend our technical know-how with our extensive manufacturing experience to become a premier supplier of this important battery material.”