At the end of September, the Cabot Corporation announced that it had been selected for a grant award negotiation of up to $50 million from the US Department of Energy’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains. The grant will support the development of a new manufacturing facility to produce battery-grade carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and conductive additive dispersions at commercial scale.

Driving Battery Innovation and Sustainability

The $50 million grant from the Department of Energy, awarded as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will support the Cabot Corporation’s development of a new manufacturing facility in Wayne County, Michigan. This facility, which will be built by restoring a former automotive site, will be the first commercial-scale production site in the U.S. for battery-grade CNTs and conductive additive dispersions. These are essential components of batteries and will be used in electric vehicles (EVs) and the electrical grid. 

This grant covers almost 30% of the projected $181 million required for the project, which aims to strengthen the US battery supply chain toward more efficient and sustainable battery production. 

CNTs: Powering the Future of Battery Technology

Batteries represent one of the most exciting applications of CNTs, and we are thrilled to see the market growing and demand increasing, as demonstrated by this grant and the development of commercial-scale manufacturing facilities. CNTs offer numerous advantages over traditional battery materials and hold great potential for use in EVs, portable electronics like phones and laptops, and energy storage systems. These benefits include: 

- Enhanced conductivity: CNTs are highly conductive, enabling faster charging rates, essential for quick charging in EVs and other devices. ‍

- High energy density: CNTs increase energy density, resulting in longer battery life. ‍

- Mechanical strength: CNTs are incredibly strong, strengthening battery electrodes and reducing degradation during charge cycles, expanding battery lifespan. 

- Thermal stability: CNTs dissipate heat effectively, preventing overheating and enhancing battery safety and performance. ‍

- Lightweight: CNTs are lightweight, improving efficiency in EVs and other portable devices. 

These properties make CNTs an excellent candidate material that can be tailored to the specific needs of next-gen battery-based applications, a potential that is gaining increased recognition from funders and decision-makers. We can’t wait to see where this leads! Click the link below to read the full article. 

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