PolyJoule, an MIT spin-out based in Boston, has introduced its third-generation conductive polymer battery chemistry, engineered to self-extinguish under extreme thermal conditions. This new large-format prismatic cell employs a proprietary conductive polymer cathode and a non-flammable liquid salt electrolyte, addressing safety, complexity, and supply-chain concerns commonly associated with lithium-ion systems.
The latest chemistry builds on PolyJoule’s earlier designs, delivering a tenfold increase in energy density over its first-generation cells while maintaining more than 10,000 charge-discharge cycles. Because the active charge storage resides along an organic polymer backbone rather than within a metal-based crystalline lattice, the cells exhibit no dendrite formation and eliminate thermal runaway risks.
In laboratory tests, a full-size cell was subjected to a continuous 3,600°F (1,982°C) propane flame. Once the external heat source was removed, the cell’s engineered materials rapidly self-extinguished, demonstrating inherent fire-resistant properties without any added fire suppression systems. PolyJoule previously achieved the industry’s first UL 9540A certification showing zero thermal runaway in conductive polymer cells.
“PolyJoule has always been at the forefront of energy storage safety,” says Eli Paster, PolyJoule’s co-founder and CEO. “We were the first company in the world to prove through UL 9540A testing that our conductive polymer cells do not go into thermal runaway. We approached this next-gen chemistry with a very simple thesis: Batteries shouldn’t start fires. Batteries shouldn’t spread fires. Batteries shouldn’t catch on fire.”
“Materials that have a propensity to catch fire often contain reactive metals that spontaneously react with air and volatile liquids,” says Timothy Swager, the John D. MacArthur Professor of Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a co-founder of PolyJoule who serves as a technical advisor to the company.
By removing the need for active thermal management and leveraging a fully domestic supply chain of non-metallic materials, PolyJoule aims to simplify system integration and procurement. Later this year, the company will begin accepting applications from qualified solar, battery, and generator installers in select markets, targeting commercial, industrial, and residential energy storage deployments.
Source: Business Wire
