K. M. Abraham has over thirty years of experience in primary and secondary lithium battery technologies.  He was research scientist, group leader and vice president of battery research and development at EIC Laboratories, Inc., Norwood, MA, a pioneering organization in the development of rechargeable Lithium batteries.  He has advised battery materials producers, battery manufacturers and startup companies.

Dr. Abraham has authored or co-authored more than one hundred and fifty articles and book chapters and sixteen U.S. patents.  He has delivered numerous invited presentations at technical meetings worldwide.  He is the recipient of honors and awards including the Battery Division Research Award of the Electrochemical Society, 1995; and the NASA Group Achievement Award for Rechargeable Lithium Battery Team, 1995. He has been elected a Fellow of the Electrochemical Society, Class of 2000.

Dr. Abraham has made pioneering scientific contributions in: Primary and Secondary Lithium Batteries, Lithium-Ion Batteries, Liquid and Polymer Electrolytes, Electrode Materials, Lithium Polymer Batteries, Rechargeable Na Batteries, Materials Synthesis and Characterization, and Battery Engineering.   His work in the 1980s  on organic liquid electrolytes and the secondary lithium electrode, and the 1990s on polymer electrolytes has contributed significantly to the development of rechargeable lithium and lithium-ion polymer batteries.  The work he and his colleagues carried out between 1993 and 1995 on gel polymer electrolytes supported on micro porous polymer membranes is one of the first published works on these materials and forms the basis of commercial Li-ion batteries.  He is the inventor of novel Li battery system including the Lithium-Air battery.

Business management experience and market understanding complement Dr. Abraham’s in-depth knowledge in primary and secondary batteries.  He has the experience and knowledge to communicate equally with the battery scientist, engineer and corporate manager.

Pioneering Contributions

Dr. K.M. Abraham has been involved with the research and development of rechargeable Lithium battery technologies from its infancy and has made many pioneering contributions. The following is a list of his key contributions to the growth of rechargeable lithium and lithium ion batteries. He also made important contributions to the improved understanding of the chemistry, performance and safety of several Li primary batteries.

First practical rechargeable lithium battery with long cycle life

“Secondary Lithium Cells”, Proceedings of the Symposium on Power Sources for Biomedical Implantable Applications and Ambient Temperature Lithium Batteries”, B. B. Owens and N. Margalit, eds. The Electrochamical Society, 80-4, 384 (1980).

“Rechargeable Li/Vanadium-Oxide Cells Utilizing 2Me-THF/LiAsF₆“,J. Electrochem. Soc., 128, 2493 (1981); and many subsequent papers on rechargeable Li Cells, including the first performance data for 3-7 ampere hour capacity batteries, published in the Journal of the Electrochemical Society and the Journal of Power Sources.

“Rechargeability of the Ambient Temperature Cells, Li/2Me-THF, LiAsF₆/Cr0.5V0.5S₂“,  J. Electrochem. Soc.,   130, 2309 (1983). “Recent Advances in Secondary Lithium Battery Technology”, plenary lecture delivered at the Second International Meeting on Lithium Batteries, Paris, France, April 1984, J. Power Sources, 14, 179 (1985).

First Rechargeable Lithium-Sulfur Battery

“A Lithium/Dissolved Sulfur Battery with an Organic Electrolyte”, J. Electrochem. Soc., 126, 523 (1979).

Mixed solvents based on non-aqueous electrolytes for improved low temperature performance of lithium batteries.

“Mixed Ether Electrolytes for Secondary Lithium Batteries with Improved Low Temperature Performance”,  J. Electrochem. Soc.,, 133, 643 (1986).

Moderate temperature rechargeable sodium batteries

“A Low Temperature Na-S Battery Incorporating a Soluble S Cathode” Electrochim Acta 23, 501 (1978).

Moderate Temperature Na Cells,  I. Transition Metal Disulfide Cathodes”, J.  Electrochem. Soc, 127, 2545 (1980)

Moderate Temperature Sodium Cells,  V. Discharge Reactions and Rechargeability of NiS and NiS₂ Positive Electrodes in Molten NaAlCl₄“, J. Electrochem.  Soc., 131, 2211 (1984).

Pioneering studies leading to the development of highly conductive polymer electrolytes.

“Li-Conductive Solid Plymer Elecctrolytes with Liquid-like Conductivity”, J Electrochem. Soc., 137,1657(1990). This paper has been identified as an Electrochemical Society classic with more than 300 citations.

Preparation and Li-ion battery performance studies of polymer separator membranes supported polymer electrolytes, which form the basis of commercial Li-ion batteries

“Polymer Electrolytes Reinforced by Celgard^(RM) Membranes”,  J. Electrochem. Soc., 142, 683 (1995).

Chemical shuttle reagents for overcharge protection of Li-ion batteries

“n-Butyflerrocene for Overchage Protection of Secondary Lithium Batteries”, J. Electrochem. Soc., 137, 1856 (1990).

Pioneering studies of the key role played by micro porous polymer separators on the performance and safety of Li batteries

“Directions in Secondary Lithium Battery Research and Development”, Electrochim Acta, 38,1233 (1993).

Rechargeable Lithium-Air battery, which is being pursued worldwide

“A Polymer Electrolyte-based Rechareable Lithium/Oxygen Battery”‘ J. Electrochem. Soc., 143,  1 (1996).

Experimental demonstration of the liquid to polymer electrolyte continuum behavior of Li-ion conducting non- aqueous electrolytes

“Conductivity-Temperature Behavior of Organic Electrolytes”, Electrochem. and Solid-State Lett., 2, 486 (1999).

Development of large format Li-ion batteries for telecom and cable-TV power backup applications leading to commercial business

“LowCost Lithium-Ion Batteries for Cable TV/Telecom Power Backup”, in Proceedings of the 2004 Intelec Meeting, Chicago, September 2004.

Lithium Primary Batter Contributions

“Some Chemistry in the Li/SOCl₂ Cell”,  J. Electrochem. Soc., 127, 2091 (1980)

“Characterization of Reactions and Products of the Discharge and Forced Overdischarge of Li/SO₂ Cells”,  J. Electrochem. Soc., 129, 1857 (1982)

“The Lithium Surface Film in the Li/SO₂ Cell”,  J. Electrochem. Soc., 133, 1307 (1986)

“Characterization of Li/SO₂Cl₂ and Li/’SO₂Cl₂+Cl₂‘ Cells”,  J. Electrochem. Soc., 135, 2917 (1988)