Development agreement advances ultracapacitor technologies

Creating a compelling collaboration in the energy storage industry, Maxwell’s expertise in ultracapacitor cell design, manufacturing processes and market-leading capacitive energy storage product designs will be combined with Corning’s expertise in high-performance materials, analytical capabilities and technology innovations. This will enable the company's to ultimately achieve superior product value for customers and end users. Corning’s history in serving the transportation industry will complement Maxwell’s growing presence in providing energy storage solutions for these applications.

Batteries produce and store energy by means of a chemical reaction, while ultracapacitors utilise an electrostatic energy storage mechanism (energy is stored in an electric field). This enables the devices to charge and discharge in a fraction of a second, operate reliably through a million or more charge/discharge cycles, resist shock and vibration and perform normally over a broad temperature range from -40 to +65°C.

Maxwell provides ultracapacitor cells with capacitances ranging from 1 to 3,400F and multi-cell modules from 12 to 160V.

Dr. Franz Fink, President and CEO, Maxwell, comments: “Joining forces with a company of Corning’s quality and strength promises to be a game-changing event for Maxwell. We believe that this alliance will create tremendous value for customers and will move the competitive bar much higher in the years ahead.”

"Corning has invested significant time and resources to establish this new business initiative because we see great potential in capacitive energy storage," said Harshbarger, Business Director, Emerging Automotive Innovations, Corning. "We are excited to work with a company like Maxwell who has such a long history of innovation in the field and strong market presence. Our agreement brings us together to accelerate the pace of innovation.”