Integral Technologies and its subsidiary company ElectriPlast announced on September 22 the completion of the manufacture of 100 bi-polar plates for lead acid batteries which are being integrated into lead acid bi-polar batteries by Advanced Battery Concepts under a Joint Technology Assessment Program, run by the US government.
At the heart of the technology is the firm’s ElectriPlast highly conductive plastic materials, which form the foundation of the plates and have enabled the creation of highly conductive polymer compounds that are needed for applications where conductivity of the final product needs to be compatible with the conductivity of certain metals.
According to Bob Pavlovic, vice president of engineering and lead developer, the technology is ideal for lead acid, lead carbon and vanadium redox flow batteries for high energy or high power storage systems. It can also be developed for other chemistries.
“Our studies have shown that with ElectriPlast bi-polar plate technology, lead acid bi-polar batteries are meeting size, weight, performance and cost requirements set by USABC for 12V start stop vehicle applications and 48V hybrid-electric vehicles applications,” said Pavlovic.
“Without a feasible bi-polar plate and bi-polar battery construction, the lead aid battery industry will not be able to compete for the new energy storage market as laid out in the Advanced lead Acid Battery Consortium report and research program for 2016-18.”
The Indiana, US-based firm unveiled its technology at the 2016 Battery Show in Michigan, US this September.
In July, the firm signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ultimate Battery Company, based in Michigan, for the sales and licensing of the technology.
Doug Bathauer, Integral’s CEO, said: “In recent months we have seen greater interest from the automotive industry, as electrification of the automobile continues to bolster demand for better solutions for 12V and 48V battery applications.
“Non-automotive applications, in particular those that cater to personal transportation, such as electric scooters, bicycles, motorcycles, and wheel chairs, may present an even greater opportunity for us.”