In his first review cycle, Energy Secretary Rick Perry has named Mesa, Arizona-based Urbix Resources as one of five companies selected to receive a technology development voucher for preliminary work oriented towards the advancements of ultra-high purity isotropic graphite.
The Department of Energy says it has made a commitment to supporting U.S. industry through “private-public technical partnerships for nuclear energy innovation,” according to an announcement made last Friday when the DOE also revealed the technical voucher awards to U.S. companies selected under the Department’s Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative.
“The purpose of this voucher grant is to begin preliminary vetting and characterization of new refined carbon feedstocks for isotropic graphite,” says Urbix CMO Adam Small. “The voucher will provide Urbix with much needed technical and capital assistance to our first step in creating breakthroughs in nuclear grade isotropic graphite.”
By decreasing feedstock cost, production time, and environmental impact, Urbix Resources expects to achieve competitive nuclear graphite grades at a viable cost. By lowering the costs of these crucial consumables, nuclear power projects can propose stronger project economics, and therefore increase the likelihood of new project implementation throughout the United States.
Urbix Resources creates radical change in the way natural graphite is refined and commercialized, specializing in all aspects of the graphite value chain. It is a premier provider of refined graphite powders, pristine graphene, and specialty graphite products. Urbix’s advanced technology includes environmentally and cost conscious purification methods and significant intellectual property developments in a wide range of applications including proprietary li-ion battery cells, electrolyte, graphene products, cements, and other composites and energy storage technologies. Urbix’s state-of-the-art laboratory is located in Mesa, Arizona with commercial milling operations outside Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.
