Building better batteries to power sustainable technology

As the impacts of climate change continue to grow, sustainable energy sources have become a major focus. Instead of relying on fossil fuels, battery power has emerged as a viable option for consumer electronics, energy storage, and more. Electric vehicles are quickly becoming a choice for sustainability, but they require powerful lithium-ion batteries to operate effectively. Despite the increasing interest in battery power, the supply and quality of battery materials has not yet caught up with the growing demand.

In response to this gap between supply and demand, Tufts alumnus Vikram Handa, E01, established Epsilon Advanced Materials (EAM) to focus on materials processing for battery parts. He recently visited the Tufts campus and shared insights from his company at a School of Engineering Dean’s Lecture on November 5.

Each year, the Dean of the Tufts School of Engineering and Karol Family Professor, Kyongbum Lee, invites prominent guest speakers to deliver Dean's Lectures on the Tufts campus. Previous topics have centered on sustainability, including the contribution of buildings to the clean energy transition and reducing the impact of mining operations on the planet. Attendees to the Dean’s Lecture, including faculty, staff, students, and alumni, gathered in Robinson Hall to hear about Handa’s forward thinking approach to developing sustainable energy sources.

Handa founded EAM in 2018 with a vision to provide efficient and effective battery materials. His unique approach involves producing both anodes and cathodes, two of the three components that make up batteries. EAM strives to make these materials, “accessible, reliable, and sustainable for all,” said Handa. Their backwards integration ensures that they have control of the entire process from raw materials to finished product.

One major focus of the company is its global scale. Electric vehicles alone account for 92% of the global graphite market, but the production and market are largely concentrated in a few countries. With facilities in India, the US, and Europe, EAM aims to serve the global clean energy market and create a global supply chain that can support the increasing interest in using battery power.

Throughout his lecture, Handa emphasized the importance of taking a customer driven approach. While developing battery materials for electric vehicles, the company identified common frustrations — such as long charge times, or anxiety about having to go long distances between charging stations — and used those insights to inspire their product design and capabilities. As a result, their artificial graphite anode charges up to 80% within 8 minutes and provides up to 500 miles of range.

Handa also spoke about how he structured his business. While EAM is working to produce the best battery materials for today, Handa keeps an eye on the future, ensuring the company continues to innovate. EAM has several research and development facilities separate from their production and manufacturing where researchers strive to advance battery technology. One current project involves developing silicone graphite using waste from solar panels and fiber optic cables. “We spend a lot of time studying so that when we jump in, we jump in smart and we succeed,” said Handa.

Not only do they constantly improve the product, EAM also makes changes to their process and facilities to make them more efficient. For example, the graphite anode material needs to heat up to 3000 degrees and then return to room temperature. For facilities located in cold environments such as Finland, this creates excess heat. Instead of wasting it, EAM captures and redirects the heat to benefit the local community.

At Tufts, Handa earned his bachelor’s degree in computer engineering. Although his career path diverged from his original field of study, he recognized the value of his Tufts engineering education in his career. “I owe it back to the foundation of engineering and computer engineering. It all ties in,” said Handa. Speaking to his journey as an engineer and business owner, Handa shed light on how to take research and ideas from academic settings into the corporate world to create useful products that benefit society. “You have to be patient; it’s a very iterative process, but you have to go through the journey,” advised Handa. “Keep studying, keep exploring.”