The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has
signed a commercial licensing agreement with EnZinc to commercialize the 3D Zinc
sponge anode technology in a nickel-zinc battery for certain applications. The license
gives EnZinc the exclusive rights to all electric road vehicles (from two wheel to multiwheel),
hybrid vehicles, start-stop vehicles, and microgrids/distributed grids up to
60MW.
This technology was revealed in the peer-reviewed Science magazine article dated 28
April 2017. “There is significant interest in our plans to commercialize this technology for
two such important areas of the renewable marketplace: electric vehicles and
microgrids,” said Michael Burz, CEO and founder of EnZinc. “We look forward to
continue our association with the U.S. NRL, one of the nation’s preeminent research
laboratories.”
The 3D Zinc sponge anode technology is the first to enable common, safe and low-cost
zinc to be used in a high-performance rechargeable battery. Zinc-based batteries will be
as powerful as lithium–based batteries with none of the potential for fire, and will be
lighter and less toxic than lead-based batteries. Past attempts to make rechargeable
zinc batteries have involved pumped zinc slurries, substantially limiting applications and
adding complexity and maintenance issues.
