Vorbeck Materials Awarded $1.5M ARPA-E Grant

JESSUP, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vorbeck Materials Corp. has been awarded a two-year, $1.5 million grant from the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) to develop a low-cost, fast-charging battery for hybrid vehicles. The battery cells are based on lithium-sulfur chemistries, which have a greater energy density compared to today’s lithium-ion batteries. If successful, the system has the potential to shorten recharge times by factor of three, maintain high battery capacity and increase the efficiency of hybrid vehicles by up to 20% while also reducing cost and emissions.

“We are excited to be working with the Department of Energy to accelerate the development of commercial lithium-sulfur battery technology enabled by Vor-x®”

ARPA-E funds transformational, breakthrough technologies that have the potential to produce game-changing breakthroughs in energy technology, form the foundation for entirely new industries, and have large commercial impacts. The projects announced by ARPA-E last week, which includes Vorbeck’s low-cost, fast-charging battery program, “represent the true mission of ARPA-E: swinging for the fences and trying to hit home runs to support development of the most innovative technologies and change what’s possible for America’s energy future” said Secretary of Energy Steven Chu.

Vorbeck’s battery technology uses patented graphene technology, known as Vor-x^®, to enable transformational innovations in the battery industry. In partnership with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Princeton University, high performance batteries with record breaking energy density capacities have already been demonstrated. In 2012, Vorbeck was selected as one of three winners in the Department of Energy’s Next Top Energy Innovator challenge recognizing the advancements in energy storage enabled by this novel graphene technology and the technology received a 2012 R&D100 Award.

“We are excited to be working with the Department of Energy to accelerate the development of commercial lithium-sulfur battery technology enabled by Vor-x^®,” stated John Lettow, President of Vorbeck Materials. “By simultaneously improving energy density, charge rate, and cycle life, this new battery technology will lead to faster adoption of clean, energy-efficient transportation innovations and the development of more versatile and powerful consumer electronics products.”

About Vorbeck Materials Corp.

Vorbeck Materials Corp. is a technology company established in 2006 to manufacture and develop applications using Vor-x^®, Vorbeck's patented graphene material developed at Princeton University. Vorbeck launched the world's first commercial graphene product with the introduction of Vor-ink™, a graphene-based conductive ink for electronics applications. Products using Vor-ink™ circuits are available in major retail chains today. Vorbeck Materials is the first and only company to receive EPA approval for the commercial production and sale of graphene-based products.

Further information is available at www.vorbeck.com or by emailing [e-mail].