The U.S. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) has awarded a $1.9 million grant to 6K Energy, a division of 6K Inc., under the Battery Network (BATTNET) Program III research and development initiative. The funding will accelerate domestic and sustainable production of next-generation single-crystal lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC721) cathode powders by leveraging 6K’s UniMelt® microwave plasma platform, a production-scale system designed for fast, efficient, and environmentally responsible manufacturing of advanced battery materials.
Over the 12-month program, 6K Energy will scale the synthesis of single-crystal NMC721, optimize post-processing methods, and validate performance through coin-cell and full-cell testing in collaboration with a U.S.-based lithium-ion cell manufacturer. Single-crystal NMC721 is engineered to operate within a 2.5–4.35-volt window, aligning with “All-U.S.” supply chain requirements and meeting rigorous performance targets for defense applications.
“We are excited about this program on many fronts,” said Dr. Saurabh Ullal, CEO of 6K Inc. and President of 6K Energy. “This award recognizes the capabilities of our UniMelt platform and validates our ability to produce NMC721 domestically and sustainably. We appreciate the confidence that the DLA and the BATTNET program have placed in 6K Energy, and we believe this effort will accelerate the delivery of high-performance NMC721 materials critical to our nation’s defense and energy security.”
The Battery Network Program is designated as a Defense Operational Energy initiative and is managed under the Defense Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) portfolio. Its objectives include strengthening the domestic supply chain, improving battery safety and shelf life, reducing premature disposal, and increasing overall availability of next-generation batteries for defense use.
“Our single-crystal NMC811 and other high-nickel NMC materials have been sampled widely by OEMs and cell manufacturers with outstanding results,” said Dr. Richard Holman, CTO of 6K Energy. “This BATTNET award gives us the opportunity to push the boundaries for NMC721 and again demonstrate that our UniMelt technology can deliver highly sought-after, high-quality battery materials at scale right here in the United States.”
Compared to polycrystalline alternatives, single-crystal NMC721 offers fewer grain boundaries—minimizing intergranular cracking and reducing electrolyte reactivity. Traditional co-precipitation methods require lengthy calcination, use of flux additives, and aggressive post-processing steps that generate significant waste, challenges the UniMelt platform is designed to overcome.
According to a life-cycle assessment conducted with Minviro, Ltd., the UniMelt process can reduce energy consumption and processing costs by up to 50% compared with conventional NMC production routes. This positions the technology as a pathway to low-cost, sustainable cathode active material manufacturing at industrial scale.
Source: PR Newswire
