Massachusetts-based startup replacing toxic solvents with sustainable, bio-derived solutions
by Katie Liu
The next generation’s batteries could be made not with toxic solvents or forever chemicals, but rather chemicals originating from agricultural stocks right in the U.S.
Massachusetts startup Amel Energy, founded by scientist Derrick Maxwell, is at the forefront of the effort to make battery manufacturing truly clean — this time, replacing traditional chemicals with sustainable bio-derived solvents so safe they are being used in cosmetics.
“It’s so benign that it’s in lotions and creams, and it’s good for skin contact. It doesn’t cause any irritation,” said CEO Maxwell. “It’s one of the cleanest solvents I could find.”
Amel Energy is one of seven startups participating this year in ChargeUp Accelerator, the nation’s premier accelerator program dedicated solely to supporting battery businesses. Housed under New Energy New York, ChargeUp uses a mix of in-person and virtual curriculum and workshops to push battery companies, at any stage, into investment-ready shape.
A better alternative
To manufacture lithium-ion batteries, the metal foil of electrodes is typically coated in a slurry consisting of a solvent called NMP, which is later evaporated while drying. This specific solvent, however, has been flagged by government agencies like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as toxic and represents unreasonable risk to human health.
“Back when I was just in the early stages of my career, everyone kind of thought, ‘This is not the nicest solvent to work with, but this is what’s worked for decades, and this is what we use, so why change it?’” Maxwell said. “My thought process was there has to be an alternative, and there has to be some real reason for companies to want to switch away from it.”
Maxwell hopes Amel’s technology can be that reason. The company has painstakingly combed through various possible replacement solvents, searching for the ideal chemistry that will accomplish what NMP can — just without the harmful consequences.
“I wanted to find something that had similar physical performance — properties that make it easy for an operator to just incorporate,” Maxwell said. “It doesn’t require any change to downstream equipment. It’s just on the mixing and coating side.”
Even more, by using a completely benign chemical during production, it’s possible for battery manufacturers to cut down on expensive protective equipment, emissions scrubbing, and waste disposal restrictions, all while preserving workers’ health. The solvent itself, Maxwell added, is up to 50% cheaper than NMP.
“The EPA has come out and is still adamant that it’s an unreasonable risk to use NMP. So why not change it? Why not get rid of it?” he said. “If there’s no alternative, why not go make that alternative, and for the betterment of human health?”
The pros of switching to Amel’s bio-derived solution, however, don’t just lie in a safer solvent. Serendipitously, by axing the need for NMP, battery manufacturers can also remove PVDF binders.
Though binders are crucial in the manufacturing process, PVDF utilizes harmful PFAs during their production. Known more commonly as “forever chemicals,” these substances have a way of sticking around in nature and in humans.
No PVDF also means fewer forever chemicals being put into bodies and the environment in the process, considering that PFAs can seep into the land and water near manufacturing or disposal sites and in turn expose people to harmful toxins. Having found a safe alternative for NMP, Amel is now focusing on searching for a similar, sustainable and just as effective binder to match.
“There are several [binder] options that we’re looking into right now, and they’re all readily scalable and available in the United States. They’re lower cost, and the greenhouse gas emissions are nearly 10 times less,” Maxwell said. “Across the board, they fit the same bill for the tenets of clean chemistry I’m trying to follow.”
Once it has settled on the best materials it can find, Amel will become a materials distributor, offering packaged solutions that other battery manufacturers can easily drop into their production line — with no learning curves, new equipment or hassle.
“I really think the differentiator is the simplicity of the fact that we’re not changing anything drastically. We’re changing the solvent, which you end up evaporating anyway, and the binder, which needs to be vetted more strictly,” Maxwell said. “But really, that’s the only component change we’re proposing in a battery.”
The cleanest possible chemistry
The principles and practices of clean chemistry were something Maxwell had always paid attention to, as a chemist by training. He spent his days working in hands-on labs, reading through safety data sheets and ensuring he understood everything he worked with, alongside any reactions, interactions and consequences they might have.
“I always liked the technical side of things and the idea that you could utilize materials and chemistry to really make a positive impact in the world,” Maxwell said.
But his introduction to the battery world, he said, was more of a happy accident. After graduating from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, he began looking around for jobs and internships, though without much of a concrete plan.
When he found himself working on R&D and engineering at an energy storage startup in south Boston, he found his passion for the field. From there, Maxwell turned his focus to lithium-ion batteries, seeing technology from bench to pilot to production.
“I grew to love the industry as it was growing,” he said. “I felt very lucky, like it was the right place and right time, but never thought I’d get into it.”
But that conviction to do things safely and properly always stuck with Maxwell, especially as he observed the conventional manufacturing methods being used in the industry. While batteries play a crucial role in transforming clean energy, he said, maintaining truly safe chemical practices even before those cells hit market shelves remains a challenge.
“There’s exposure to chemicals and stuff that I never thought of when I was really young,” he said. “As I got older, I started to think about if there are alternatives. Is there a better way to do things?”
In the few years since it was officially incorporated, Amel has won grants from both the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and the National Science Foundation Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York to further develop its technology. It is also participating as one of the companies, selected out of more than 100, to participate in New Energy New York’s ChargeUp Accelerator.
Participating in ChargeUp not only advances technology readiness, but also helps refine startups’ business models to prepare them for investment and fundraising. Moreover, programs like ChargeUp, Maxwell said, have been eye-opening in broadening his mindset and eye as an entrepreneur.
“Not being exposed to all the business background as an engineer can often be a weak point for an early entrepreneur,” he said. “I think this program has been helpful so far in exposing me generally to, ‘Well, did you think of this? Did you think of that? How about this? Consider those things before you get too much further down the road.’”
From the future Battery-NY prototyping facility being constructed in Johnson City to the connections and resources provided by ChargeUp, Maxwell sees room for continued collaboration in New York as Amel continues to grow.
“Maybe we’re not at a point where we’re scaling manufacturing processes yet, but knowing how to do that — and the jargon and networking with folks who can do that, especially in New York — is extremely valuable, and you don’t always get that,” he said. “If you have to try to go and get it on your own, it’s going to take time, and you don’t always meet the right people.”
As the program and Amel’s NSF Energy Storage Engine grant both begin to wrap up, Maxwell hopes his company can continue jumping in technology readiness levels. One goal is to move from coin cells to pouch cell batteries the size of a cell phone, demonstrating the technology’s compatibility with larger-scale manufacturing processes.
“I’m really excited about the fact that I could take my early passion and experience in smaller companies, and then translate that to how I want to make an impact on the world,” Maxwell said.
First, people
There’s a saying in entrepreneurship to “fail fast.” Maxwell, however, has a slightly different philosophy when it comes to nurturing his technology.
“What I took away from that was more, ‘If you’re going to fail, do it early and learn from it — so you can succeed fast,’” he said.
It’s with this mindset that he began looking into the possible replacement solvents for NMP, ensuring any potential alternatives passed his list of requirements first and foremost before doing anything else.
The primary focus for Maxwell isn’t necessarily on carefully designing experiments to wring out all possible performances by trial and error. Rather, it’s about finding creative, responsive ways to identify scalable solutions and any weak points to quickly address — all while being as socially responsible and safe as possible.
“The real backing behind that is caring about people, first,” Maxwell said. “You’re manufacturing something that people use every single day. They go into cell phones, cars and grid storage. You say that this product is so green, but what about the people making it, and their interests and worker safety?”
In the process of getting down to the root of the problem, rather than merely addressing the symptoms, Maxwell has found entrepreneurship to be a life-changing venture.
“I ask the question, ‘Why not? Why not change it?’ And I want to answer it,” he said. “You only get to answer that if you get to a certain level of success, through business and technology development.”
As for where this habit of demanding that question, and in turn imagining an even better world, came from, it’s not just because of Maxwell’s studies or passion for chemistry. Rather, it’s an instinct he credits his father for instilling within him, since childhood.
“Why do you do homework? To get better at something and to learn. Well, why would you do that? To be able to solve problems. Then, it’s like, ‘Well, why should I care about that?’” he said. “Because maybe someday those problems are going to be so important to you that you’re going to want to stop at nothing to figure that out.”