Nanomaterial firm Black Diamond Structures, has opened an advanced battery testing laboratory to develop its products and solutions for the lead-acid and lithium-ion battery market.
The laboratory will be located alongside the US-based company’s business headquarters, research facility, and manufacturing facility in Austin Texas.
The facility will boast a total of 129 Circuits in the full-scale battery testing laboratory, including 16ct 300A, 48ct 100A, 64ct 25A, 1ct 1500A
BDS has also added the 300A circuits specifically so it can support Start-Stop testing like the SBA-S0101 and other high current testing.
The expanded battery testing facility was officially opened in February 2017.
Since the formation of Black Diamond Structures, in December 2014, the firm has invested around $2illion in the research analytical and testing equipment.
Dru Kefalos, Chief Marketing Officer at BDS, told BBB the company was developing nanomaterial based solutions for a wide range of energy storage devices.
Kefalos said: “Our initial developments were focused on lead-acid batteries, but we now have advanced developments for lithium-ion technology.
“The primary purpose of the investment in this enhanced testing capability is to support our product development process for new nanomaterial based solutions and the rapidly growing application developments with our customers around the globe.
“We do not offer testing services to other third parties. Most of the circuits are used to test batteries produced with our Molecular Rebar technology, but we also test control batteries without our product so that we and our customers have a valid comparison of the performance benefits.
“Our facility is used to test a wide range of lead acid battery applications (e.g. advanced automotive, renewables, and deep cycle).”
The facility is a step in supporting the company’s ongoing work to provide comprehensive performance data on the effects of its proprietary technology, MOLECULAR REBAR®, when added to a battery’s active material.
Black Diamonds’ Chief Executive Officer, Dr. John Hacskaylo, said: “We are making great strides in battery development by partnering with some of the largest manufacturers around the world. Using our highly advanced testing capabilities, together with the manufacturers we are building a vast base of scientific knowledge of battery performance when MOLECULAR REBAR® is introduced into the active material.”
Last year, BDS was recognised by Battery Council International (BCI) for the inaugural Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz Innovation Awards (Lead Acid focused).
