Latest news with #Agrawal

The Wire
4 hours ago
- Business
- The Wire
Macsen Labs Achieves Breakthrough in Sodium-Ion Battery Chemistry, Files Provisional Patent, and Advances Toward Pilot-Scale Manufacturing
Video Link: UDAIPUR, India, July 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Macsen Labs, a manufacturer of APIs, dyes, and specialty chemicals since 1952, has announced a major breakthrough in Sodium-Ion battery technology through the successful R&D-scale synthesis of its high-performance Prussian White, a next-generation cathode material for Sodium-Ion batteries. The company has filed a provisional patent for its proprietary synthesis process. The material has already undergone optimization for battery use at the company's electrochemistry and battery R&D facility and has shown promising results, driving the next phase toward pilot-scale manufacturing. "It's an interesting story, how a pharmaceutical company like ours entered the energy storage space," said Mr. Achal Agrawal, CEO of Macsen Labs and the lead researcher behind the project. "While working on Prussian Blue as a drug for radioactive poisoning, we discovered its derivative — Prussian White, which was emerging as a leading candidate for Sodium-Ion battery cathodes. That moment of curiosity led us down this path." Exactly one year ago, with zero experience in electrochemistry, Macsen's team fabricated a basic pouch cell inside a regular chemistry R&D lab, without specialized equipment. "We had no glovebox, no coater, no calendering machine, just our lab experience and synthesized material," recalled Agrawal. "When that small cell lit up an LED bulb, we knew we had something worth pursuing. That spark led us to establish a full-fledged electrochemistry lab." Today, Macsen's battery R&D facility includes an argon-filled glovebox for inert atmosphere handling, coin and pouch cell fabrication stations, electrode coaters, crimpers, vacuum dryers, and electrochemical testing systems, such as cyclers and potentiostats. With this setup, Macsen can rapidly prototype and test battery cells using its own synthesized materials, significantly reducing development time. The company already operates a pilot-scale chemical synthesis facility, which is now being used to produce Prussian White at a kilogram scale. Through numerous experiments conducted over the last year, the team has gained proficiency in Prussian White chemistry and has achieved what is likely to be one of the finest quality variants produced to date. Through its proprietary process, Macsen has achieved an energy density exceeding 150 mAh/g with Prussian White, which is comparable to Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP). The material also shows excellent stability, fast sodium-ion mobility due to its open crystalline structure, and compatibility with existing Li-ion cell manufacturing infrastructure. "Performance-wise, it's at par with LFP, but made from abundant, low-cost materials like sodium and iron," said Agrawal. "And these elements are easily available, affordable, and free from geopolitical constraints." This project, originally incubated within Macsen Labs, is now being advanced under a dedicated entity currently under formation — 'Macsen Energy', which will focus exclusively on energy storage innovation and scale-up. "The real potential of sodium-ion batteries lies not just in electric vehicles," said Agrawal. "It lies in stationary energy storage systems that store and manage renewable energy from solar and wind. This is where India's energy transition will happen at scale." Macsen's current Sodium-Ion battery technology, using its Prussian White as cathode paired with a hard carbon anode, is well suited for applications such as battery energy storage systems (BESS) for grid and solar, household backup and inverter systems, short-range EVs, auto-rickshaws, two-wheelers, city buses, rural microgrids, and energy access solutions. The company is now focusing not only on improving cycle life, energy density, charge-discharge rates, and optimizing electrolyte-additive systems, but also on reducing the cost contribution of other components of the battery cell. Macsen aims to develop economical form factors by innovatively combining low-cost battery materials, components, and manufacturing processes, especially for large-scale stationary energy storage. One inherent cost advantage of sodium-ion technology is its use of aluminium in place of copper as the cathode current collector, which would further reduce raw material costs. To demonstrate the performance of Prussian White in commercial large-format cells, Macsen is setting up a pilot-scale cell fabrication line. The company is already sourcing equipment for this and aims to have the pilot-scale production facility operational by early 2026. "We are trying to make a new energy future for India," concluded Agrawal. "Sodium-ion batteries are India's opportunity to build a truly indigenous, scalable, and affordable energy storage ecosystem." Contact corporate@ Video: Logo: (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.).

Korea Herald
5 hours ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
Macsen Labs Achieves Breakthrough in Sodium-Ion Battery Chemistry, Files Provisional Patent, and Advances Toward Pilot-Scale Manufacturing
Video Link: UDAIPUR, India, July 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Macsen Labs, a manufacturer of APIs, dyes, and specialty chemicals since 1952, has announced a major breakthrough in Sodium-Ion battery technology through the successful R&D-scale synthesis of its high-performance Prussian White, a next-generation cathode material for Sodium-Ion batteries. The company has filed a provisional patent for its proprietary synthesis process. The material has already undergone optimization for battery use at the company's electrochemistry and battery R&D facility and has shown promising results, driving the next phase toward pilot-scale manufacturing. "It's an interesting story, how a pharmaceutical company like ours entered the energy storage space," said Mr. Achal Agrawal, CEO of Macsen Labs and the lead researcher behind the project. "While working on Prussian Blue as a drug for radioactive poisoning, we discovered its derivative — Prussian White, which was emerging as a leading candidate for Sodium-Ion battery cathodes. That moment of curiosity led us down this path." Exactly one year ago, with zero experience in electrochemistry, Macsen's team fabricated a basic pouch cell inside a regular chemistry R&D lab, without specialized equipment. "We had no glovebox, no coater, no calendering machine, just our lab experience and synthesized material," recalled Agrawal. "When that small cell lit up an LED bulb, we knew we had something worth pursuing. That spark led us to establish a full-fledged electrochemistry lab." Today, Macsen's battery R&D facility includes an argon-filled glovebox for inert atmosphere handling, coin and pouch cell fabrication stations, electrode coaters, crimpers, vacuum dryers, and electrochemical testing systems, such as cyclers and potentiostats. With this setup, Macsen can rapidly prototype and test battery cells using its own synthesized materials, significantly reducing development time. The company already operates a pilot-scale chemical synthesis facility, which is now being used to produce Prussian White at a kilogram scale. Through numerous experiments conducted over the last year, the team has gained proficiency in Prussian White chemistry and has achieved what is likely to be one of the finest quality variants produced to date. Through its proprietary process, Macsen has achieved an energy density exceeding 150 mAh/g with Prussian White, which is comparable to Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP). The material also shows excellent stability, fast sodium-ion mobility due to its open crystalline structure, and compatibility with existing Li-ion cell manufacturing infrastructure. "Performance-wise, it's at par with LFP, but made from abundant, low-cost materials like sodium and iron," said Agrawal. "And these elements are easily available, affordable, and free from geopolitical constraints." This project, originally incubated within Macsen Labs, is now being advanced under a dedicated entity currently under formation — 'Macsen Energy', which will focus exclusively on energy storage innovation and scale-up. "The real potential of sodium-ion batteries lies not just in electric vehicles," said Agrawal. "It lies in stationary energy storage systems that store and manage renewable energy from solar and wind. This is where India's energy transition will happen at scale." Macsen's current Sodium-Ion battery technology, using its Prussian White as cathode paired with a hard carbon anode, is well suited for applications such as battery energy storage systems (BESS) for grid and solar, household backup and inverter systems, short-range EVs, auto-rickshaws, two-wheelers, city buses, rural microgrids, and energy access solutions. The company is now focusing not only on improving cycle life, energy density, charge-discharge rates, and optimizing electrolyte-additive systems, but also on reducing the cost contribution of other components of the battery cell. Macsen aims to develop economical form factors by innovatively combining low-cost battery materials, components, and manufacturing processes, especially for large-scale stationary energy storage. One inherent cost advantage of sodium-ion technology is its use of aluminium in place of copper as the cathode current collector, which would further reduce raw material costs. To demonstrate the performance of Prussian White in commercial large-format cells, Macsen is setting up a pilot-scale cell fabrication line. The company is already sourcing equipment for this and aims to have the pilot-scale production facility operational by early 2026. "We are trying to make a new energy future for India," concluded Agrawal. "Sodium-ion batteries are India's opportunity to build a truly indigenous, scalable, and affordable energy storage ecosystem."


Cision Canada
7 hours ago
- Business
- Cision Canada
Macsen Labs Achieves Breakthrough in Sodium-Ion Battery Chemistry, Files Provisional Patent, and Advances Toward Pilot-Scale Manufacturing
UDAIPUR, India, July 21, 2025 /CNW/ -- Macsen Labs, a manufacturer of APIs, dyes, and specialty chemicals since 1952, has announced a major breakthrough in Sodium-Ion battery technology through the successful R&D-scale synthesis of its high-performance Prussian White, a next-generation cathode material for Sodium-Ion batteries. The company has filed a provisional patent for its proprietary synthesis process. The material has already undergone optimization for battery use at the company's electrochemistry and battery R&D facility and has shown promising results, driving the next phase toward pilot-scale manufacturing. "It's an interesting story, how a pharmaceutical company like ours entered the energy storage space," said Mr. Achal Agrawal, CEO of Macsen Labs and the lead researcher behind the project. "While working on Prussian Blue as a drug for radioactive poisoning, we discovered its derivative — Prussian White, which was emerging as a leading candidate for Sodium-Ion battery cathodes. That moment of curiosity led us down this path." Exactly one year ago, with zero experience in electrochemistry, Macsen's team fabricated a basic pouch cell inside a regular chemistry R&D lab, without specialized equipment. "We had no glovebox, no coater, no calendering machine, just our lab experience and synthesized material," recalled Agrawal. "When that small cell lit up an LED bulb, we knew we had something worth pursuing. That spark led us to establish a full-fledged electrochemistry lab." Today, Macsen's battery R&D facility includes an argon-filled glovebox for inert atmosphere handling, coin and pouch cell fabrication stations, electrode coaters, crimpers, vacuum dryers, and electrochemical testing systems, such as cyclers and potentiostats. With this setup, Macsen can rapidly prototype and test battery cells using its own synthesized materials, significantly reducing development time. The company already operates a pilot-scale chemical synthesis facility, which is now being used to produce Prussian White at a kilogram scale. Through numerous experiments conducted over the last year, the team has gained proficiency in Prussian White chemistry and has achieved what is likely to be one of the finest quality variants produced to date. Through its proprietary process, Macsen has achieved an energy density exceeding 150 mAh/g with Prussian White, which is comparable to Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP). The material also shows excellent stability, fast sodium-ion mobility due to its open crystalline structure, and compatibility with existing Li-ion cell manufacturing infrastructure. "Performance-wise, it's at par with LFP, but made from abundant, low-cost materials like sodium and iron," said Agrawal. "And these elements are easily available, affordable, and free from geopolitical constraints." This project, originally incubated within Macsen Labs, is now being advanced under a dedicated entity currently under formation — 'Macsen Energy', which will focus exclusively on energy storage innovation and scale-up. "The real potential of sodium-ion batteries lies not just in electric vehicles," said Agrawal. "It lies in stationary energy storage systems that store and manage renewable energy from solar and wind. This is where India's energy transition will happen at scale." Macsen's current Sodium-Ion battery technology, using its Prussian White as cathode paired with a hard carbon anode, is well suited for applications such as battery energy storage systems (BESS) for grid and solar, household backup and inverter systems, short-range EVs, auto-rickshaws, two-wheelers, city buses, rural microgrids, and energy access solutions. The company is now focusing not only on improving cycle life, energy density, charge-discharge rates, and optimizing electrolyte-additive systems, but also on reducing the cost contribution of other components of the battery cell. Macsen aims to develop economical form factors by innovatively combining low-cost battery materials, components, and manufacturing processes, especially for large-scale stationary energy storage. One inherent cost advantage of sodium-ion technology is its use of aluminium in place of copper as the cathode current collector, which would further reduce raw material costs. To demonstrate the performance of Prussian White in commercial large-format cells, Macsen is setting up a pilot-scale cell fabrication line. The company is already sourcing equipment for this and aims to have the pilot-scale production facility operational by early 2026. "We are trying to make a new energy future for India," concluded Agrawal. "Sodium-ion batteries are India's opportunity to build a truly indigenous, scalable, and affordable energy storage ecosystem."


Time of India
19 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
NHAI's ramp construction further chokes traffic at busy Agrasen Square
Nagpur: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), currently executing the Rs998 crore Indora to Dighori flyover project, has undertaken a technically challenging ramp construction at Agrasen Square — one of Nagpur's busiest and most congested junctions. While the work has aggravated daily traffic congestion in the area, authorities have assured that the construction will be completed within a month. The flyover project, a key infrastructure upgrade, involves construction of two major elevated corridors — one from Kamal Chowk to Reshimbagh and the other from Bhande Plot Square to Dighori. These corridors are expected to significantly reduce travel time for thousands of commuters traversing North to South Nagpur. The Kamal Chowk to Reshimbagh flyover, in particular, passes through several high-traffic and congested squares, including Golibar Square, Lal Imli Square, Agrasen Square, Gandhi Gate, and Ashok Square. Among these, the Agrasen Square segment has emerged as a challenge due to its intersection with the elevated Metro line and dense local activity. "At Agrasen Square, we had to modify our construction approach. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Own a Limited-Edition Villa at ATS Dolce ATS Infrastructure Ltd Learn More Undo Earlier, spans were erected using an auto-launcher. However, due to height constraints created by the overhead Metro viaduct, the auto-launcher couldn't proceed beyond this point," a senior NHAI official told TOI. "So we dismantled the launcher and switched to a ground-based support system for erecting the next segments," the official added. Adding to the complexity was the presence of a prominent landmark statue of Maharaja Agrasen, a legendary king considered founder of the Agrawal community. "We coordinated with the locals and moved the statue temporarily to Agrasen Bhavan after performing religious rituals. Collector Vipin Itankar was present during the relocation," the official said. "After the ramp work is complete, the statue will be reinstalled, and the square will be beautified. " Interestingly, this is the first flyover being built perpendicularly beneath the Metro line in the city. NHAI engineers are maintaining a 5.5-metre clearance between the ground and the flyover deck, and another 5.5-metre gap between the flyover and the Metro viaduct, meeting IRC (Indian Roads Congress) safety and design standards. However, due to the deployment of ground support equipment and a temporary pillar, a significant portion of the square has been occupied, leaving little room for vehicle movement. This has resulted in daily traffic snarls, frustrating commuters during peak hours. Despite the inconvenience, NHAI has assured that all efforts are being made to expedite the work and restore normal traffic conditions by mid-August 2025.


Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Education dept releases grants for salary, pension to universities' staff
Patna: State education department on Saturday released grants to all the universities for payment of salaries to the teaching and non-teaching employees, and pension to the retired staff for the months of June and July. In its official order issued by higher education director N K Agrawal, the department has released a sum of Rs 407.83 crore for payment of salaries to the employees of 13 universities and another sum of Rs 375.97crore for the payment of pension to the retired staff of 11 conventional universities. The state govt had on Thursday sanctioned a sum of Rs 3026.21 crore to the state universities for payment of salaries and pension with effect from June 2025 to February 2026. Payments from March to May 2025 had already been made to the universities. Agrawal said that now onward, the universities will get sanctioned grants timely to ensure regular payments of salaries and pension to the university staff. The salaries for the month of July will be paid on July 31 itself, he said.