In 2016, two UWM physics professors, Carol Hirschmugl and Marija Gajdardziska-Josifovska, identified a novel material called graphene monoxide, which they discovered in their labs with other UWM colleagues, significantly improves the fast charging ability of lithium-ion batteries. Together, the professors founded a start-up called SafeLi LLC to develop their material and bring it to market.
Today, their patented, trademarked product is known as eCOphite (TM) material. In recent developments, the eCOphite material has reduced its impact on the environment compared to the current methods used in the industry. The company is now called COnovate. Hirschmugl, now a professor emerita, is its CEO, and the company receives funding from the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The work is more important than ever.
“In the last couple of years, there’s been a huge growth in the battery industry away from Asia,” Hirschmugl said. “Along with that, we now need a local, domestic supply chain. (COnovate) meets a need that is really critical for the industry.”
Here are five things you need to know about COnovate.
1. The battery supply chain is a matter of national security.
Lithium-ion batteries are everywhere. They power everything from our electric vehicles to cell phones and television remotes.
“All of those everyday lithium-ion batteries use graphite. Every single one of them,” Hirschmugl said.
Graphite – yes, the same material used in pencils – is used in virtually all battery anodes (albeit a much more refined version than you’ll find in your pencil). An anode is the negative terminal of a battery. Graphite accounts for about 10-20% of a battery’s weight and helps keep the battery stable as it charges.
About 95% of graphite used in battery manufacturing is sourced from China, and that, said Hirschmugl, represents a security risk for the United States.
“If China were to decide that they would restrict exporting all of their graphite, or even some of their graphite, that means gigafactories around the world would close because they don’t have the materials to make their batteries,” she said. (An example of a gigafactory would be an electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant.)
That’s why COnovate’s product is so important. Its eCOphite material represents an alternative to using graphite.
“We want to be delivering materials to the battery industry that are domestically supplied and address the national security risk that’s currently presented by the graphite supply chain,” said Hirschmugl.
That’s a lofty goal, but it’s one supported by the U.S. government.
2. COnovate has received millions of dollars in federal grants to develop eCOphite material.
That money comes from agencies like the DOE, the NSF, and the USDA. In addition, COnovate formed partnerships with places like Argonne National Laboratory, a leading expert in lithium-ion batteries.
The company is also part of NetSuite Accelerator. Last year, COnovate advanced to the finals of the New Energy Challenge organized in part by Shell. It has also received funding from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation as well as other investors.
“We’re starting to have interactions with big players at COnovate,” Hirschmugl said with a smile.
She stressed the importance of the investment community for companies like COnovate. Historically, many startups have been sold to foreign owners instead of remaining U.S. entities because there was not enough interest from the federal, corporate and venture communities to domestically foster their growth.
“What’s really important to small companies like COnovate, who have interesting, innovative technology that’s been patented, is that there needs to be a pipeline to getting this to commercialization,” Hirschmugl said. “We need to invest more to keep (innovations) here.”
She said COnovate was announced for a DOE critical materials accelerator; however, federal funding for the update was recently paused. The accelerator will help Hirschmugl and COnovate scale up their production of eCOphite materials, which is important for attracting interest from potential clients.
3. It’s all a matter of scale.
When Hirschmugl and Gajdardziska-Josifovska were developing graphene monoxide, they were working with samples on a nanoscale. Nearly ten years later, COnovate has scaled up production by twelve orders of magnitude. That means the company produces 10,000 billion times the initial amount of eCOphite material. Even that’s not enough to be able to deliver the quantities of material that manufacturers need to produce their batteries.
“The (government) funding allows us to work with what we call contract manufacturing organizations who will make the material at a larger scale,” Hirschmugl said. “The people we’re working with have the capacity to go to as big as ten kilotons per year production. That’s a lot of material, but that’s the beginning size of a graphite company.”
With a 10 kiloton per year plant, COnovate could supply one gigafactory with the material it needs. There are currently 34 gigafactories either planned, under construction, or operating in the U.S., according to Tech Crunch. The majority of gigafactories in the world are in China.
4. COnovate’s product is effective and better for the environment.
There’s no denying that graphite is a valuable natural resource, but obtaining it and preparing it for manufacturing is a dirty process.
“Graphite is mined and treated with harsh chemicals,” Hirschmugl explained. “You’ve got mining dust creation and the chemicals for treating that material. Other materials are made from petroleum byproducts.”
Compare that with eCOphite materials, which are derived from sustainable bio feedstocks. COnovate’s technology has a much lower environmental impact. Plus, eCOphite materials in batteries have proven to reduce charging time and increase battery capacity.
Hirschmugl thinks that these advantages will make COnovate’s products an attractive option for battery manufacturers, but there’s still work to do before her company can shake up the market. Luckily, she’s got help.
5. UWM creates a pipeline of talent for COnovate, and COnovate provides industry training for UWM students.
“I have been fortunate to have somewhere between five and ten students from UWM who have spent time with COnovate. Everyone has gone on to do really great things working with us, learning and being on the journey with us, and then going on to their own passion,” said Hirschmugl.
She’s worked with graduate students but has also established a relationship with UWM’s Undergraduate Research Program to introduce younger students to the energy industry. They’re not all physics students, either. COnovate has drawn interns from economics, public health, engineering, and finance, among others.
That talent pool has been invaluable to COnovate. Of course, Hirschmugl is familiar with the caliber of students at UWM and knows she’s hiring quality workers.
She said, “They’re learning how to work in a team. I think that provides an experience that’s quite different (from academic learning). They’re learning what it is to be a business: You have to identify what the customer wants and meet what the customer wants.”
There are still challenges to face, but COnovate is on its way to becoming a driver of change in the energy industry. One day soon, the battery in your car, phone, or television remote could be made with technology developed right here at UWM.
By Sarah Vickery, College of Letters & Science