Battery Grant for Penn State DuBois and Metaltech

Metaltech, Inc. Tony and Bethany Zaffuto with Professor Rajagopalan at Penn State DuBois.

Penn State DuBois has partnered with powder metallurgy part producer Metaltech, Inc., both in DuBois, Pennsylvania, to launch a new research initiative focused on next-generation energy storage. Funded by a $70,000 grant from the 2025 Manufacturing PA Innovation Program, the project aims to create sponge iron electrodes for iron-air batteries by repurposing mill scale, a byproduct of steelmaking.

Iron-air batteries are becoming a cost-effective and eco-friendly solution for large-scale energy storage. They utilize iron as the negative electrode paired with an air-based positive electrode in an alkaline electrolyte. This design enables a reversible reaction with oxygen during charging and discharging, delivering enhanced energy while minimizing issues like dendrite formation, which can lead to battery failures.

Penn State DuBois Professor Ramakrishnan “Ram” Rajagopalan emphasized the dual benefits of this approach: “Recycling mill scale not only addresses environmental challenges but also adds value to a waste product.” This initiative provides students with hands-on experience in advanced manufacturing and energy storage solutions.

Metaltech, Inc. employs a hydrogen-based reduction process to produce sponge iron, enhancing energy efficiency and product quality. The resulting sponge iron will be analyzed using advanced techniques to ensure performance consistency.

The project, which began in June, includes periodic evaluations to monitor progress and refine the development of iron-air battery technology for grid-scale energy storage.