William Mustain
University of South Carolina
Presenting in Track 9: Energy
Presentation Title: Industry Collaborations in the Carolina Institute for Battery Innovation – Fundamental Research to Pilot Scale Manufacturing
Abstract: Over the past few years, there has been a huge amount of global interest in the development and development of batteries for both EV and grid applications. This interest has resulted in unprecedented investment by government agencies around the world, particularly in Li-ion batteries. Many organizations have seen this investment as an opportunity to expand their areas of expertise and have reacted by hiring faculty, staff scientists, etc. The University of South Carolina has a historical strength (4 decades) in electrochemical and today boasts a robust team of nearly 100 people working in this area – 16 faculty, supported by dozens of postdocs, staff as well as graduate and undergraduate students. USC faculty work in several areas related to Li-based and non-Li batteries, focusing on: i) new materials, chemistries and cell designs (active materials; liquid and solid-state electrolytes, etc.); ii) battery assembly, performance and degradation; iii) commercially-viable systems for at-scale battery recycling; iv) battery safety testing, specifically abuse and mechanical impact; v) modular, compact power electronics; vi) computer simulations from material ® microstructure ® cell ® pack ® EV/grid; and vii) future batteries, such as structural and flexible for low weight and wearables. We have used this expertise to collaborate extensively with industrial partners and to help them to better understand and design materials and systems.
This talk will start by focusing on a few key collaborations with industry. These will focus on the creation of new battery materials, understanding key degradation pathways, development of new simulation tools, and battery recycling. The main idea here is not to provide a comprehensive report on each area of study, but to use these as case studies that show capability, expertise and our commitment to providing industry-relevant solutions. After the presentation of the case studies, the presentation will transition to the university-wide commitment to the success of the Carolina Institute for Battery Innovation (CIBI). CIBI was formed in 2024, building off of the extensive strengths in batteries at USC, to advance battery education, research, and manufacturing through training and innovating on the nanoscale, grid-scale, and everything in between. The first round of funding for CIBI came from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, with additional support from the U.S. Department of Energy, SC Department of Commerce and SC Nexus. CIBI was approved by the Commission for Higher Education, making it a state-recognized center of excellence in batteries. This talk will discuss the new construction being done on campus to fully house the CIBI. The construction and renovation is happening over 2 phases and will culminate in over 100,000 square feet of research, teaching and manufacturing space, all focused on batteries. CIBI will house multiple pilot manufacturing lines that will help to drive innovation forward for industry, defense and academic partners.
Biography: William Mustain is a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Director of the Carolina Institute for Battery Innovation (CIBI) at the University of South Carolina. He works in several areas related to electrochemical energy generation and storage, including: high capacity materials for Li-ion batteries, novel electrode structures for Li-S batteries, battery recycling, corrosion and passivation of materials, catalysts and supports for proton exchange membrane and anion exchange membrane fuel cells and electrolyzers, electrochemical reactor design and electrochemical synthesis of fuels. He has published over 150 peer reviewed articles (h-index 56) and has over 100 invited lectures. He has served as the chair of the Energy Technology Division of the Electrochemical Society and AIChE Area 1E: Electrochemical Fundamentals. He has been the recipient of several awards including the U.S. Department of Energy Early Career Award, Electrochemical Society Energy Technology Research Award, Connecticut Quality Improvement Platinum Award, Supramaniam Srinivasan Young Investigator Award (Awarded by the Energy Technology Division of the Electrochemical Society), UConn Chemical Engineering Faculty of the Year Award, USC Chemical Engineering Publication Award, USC CEC Research Achievement Award, Illinois Institute of Technology Young Alumnus Award, and Fulbright Scholar Fellowship.