Sbir phase i: purification of electrochemical graphite for use as a critical material for U.S. Power infrastructure

The National Science Foundation awarded Homeostasis Systems Corp $303,518 on August 15, 2026, under the SBIR Phase I program to develop electrochemical purification of graphite for use as anode material in lithium-ion batteries. The project addresses domestic graphite anode material production to enable a domestic lithium-ion battery supply chain critical for electric vehicles, grid energy storage, data center infrastructure supporting U.S. AI development, and defense power systems. The innovation uses industrial emissions as feedstock and targets production timelines of weeks rather than months while reducing energy input and eliminating harsh purification techniques currently required. The Phase I work will determine whether graphite synthesized through the electrochemical process can achieve specific surface area properties that make it a drop-in replacement for commercial-grade anode materials. Performance takes place in Tacoma, Washington, with a period of performance through July 31, 2027. The award is classified as a Project Grant under NSF's Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program (CFDA 47.084), which supports science and engineering research and innovation addressing national, societal, and geostrategic challenges.

Abstract

The broader/commercial impact of this small business innovation research (sbir) phase i project is the advancement of domestic graphite anode material production, enabling a domestic lithium-ION battery supply chain. Lithium-ION batteries are the most widely used energy storage technology in our economy, critical for electric vehicles, grid energy storage, data center infrastructure for U.S. AI development, and the field power systems used throughout U.S. Defense. Today, graphite is mined or synthesized from a byproduct of fossil fuel refinement. Both approaches are limited by feedstock, require high energy input, take months to produce, and require harsh purification techniques. The innovation utilizes industrial emissions as feedstock, enables production of anode material on the order of weeks, and can scale in a modular fashion with repeatable reactor design reducing deployment risk for customers and capital partners. The proposed development is to close a material property GAP such that the final graphite anode material is a drop-in replacement for existing commercial grade anode materials. This small business innovation research (sbir) phase i project will address whether the final graphite anode material, synthesized electrochemically through the innovation, can be made to have a specific surface area of