Dr. K.M. Abraham NUCRET and Laboratory for Electrochemical Advanced Power Northeastern University, Boston, MA kmabraham@comcast.net

Dr. K. M. Abraham is Research Professor at Northeastern University Center for Renewable Energy Technologies, Northeastern University, Boston, MA. He is also the principal of E-KEM Sciences, a battery consulting company in Needham, MA. He was previously President of Covalent Associates, Inc, Woburn, MA, and, Senior Scientist, Group Leader, Vice President and Director of Battery Research and Development at EIC Laboratories, Inc., Norwood, MA.

KM has over 30 years of experience in lithium battery research and development with major emphasis on rechargeable Lithium and Li-ion batteries. His work in the 1980s on organic liquid electrolytes and the secondary lithium electrode, and in the 1990s on gel polymer electrolytes has contributed significantly to the development of rechargeable lithium and lithium-ion batteries. In early nineteen eighties he and his colleagues at EIC Laboratories, Inc. were among the first to demonstrate practical rechargeable lithium batteries. The work he and his colleagues carried out between 1990 and 1995 on gel polymer electrolytes and those supported on micro-porous polymer membranes form the basis of commercial lithium-ion polymer batteries. Dr. Abraham is the inventor of many new lithium and sodium battery chemical couples including the ultrahigh energy density non-aqueous lithium-air battery. His unique background includes both an in-depth understanding of battery materials science and battery engineering. He has designed and developed a variety of Li-ion batteries including high power batteries for applications such as HEV, PHEV, portable electronics and power tools. His industrial experience includes hands-on laboratory research, supervision of R&D groups, planning and administration of laboratory projects and contracts, management of multi-million dollar research programs, and strategic planning of corporate business.

In his consulting activities KM advises clients on lithium primary and secondary battery technology development and applications, advanced electrode, electrolyte and separator materials for Li-ion batteries, battery design and optimization, battery safety and performance, and industrial applications of Li-ion batteries such as portable power for consumer products, backup power for cable TV and telecom, and batteries for HEV and PHEV. He provides battery technology assessment and due diligence studies, and battery industry analysis to investors, corporate management and government agencies.

Modular Energy Devices, Inc, the company, he co-founded to manufacture large format Li-ion battery packs from small Li-ion cells with the use of a novel electronic architecture has received investment from EnerSys Inc., the largest lead-acid battery company in the world, and became an EnerSys company through stock acquisition.

Dr. Abraham has authored or co-authored more than 150 publications, of which about two-thirds in peer-reviewed journals, and sixteen US patents, on materials and processes for primary and secondary lithium batteries. His 1990 paper, “Li+-conductive solid polymer electrolytes with liquid-like conductivity”, Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 137 (5) 1657 (1990), has been identified by the Electrochemical Society as one of the one hundred most-cited articles in its flagship journal. He presented many invited lectures at national and international meetings. He organized or co-organized many symposia on Lithium batteries for the Electrochemical Society. He served on the scientific advisory boards of international meetings on lithium batteries, and as lithium battery technology advisor to several lithium-ion battery materials and manufacturing companies.

K.M received the Battery Research Award from the Electrochemical Society in 1995 for outstanding research on primary and secondary lithium batteries. In 2000 he was elected a Fellow of the Electrochemical Society. He was Chair of the Battery Division of the Electrochemical Society and serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Power Sources.
Dr. Abraham received his undergraduate education in chemistry, physics and mathematics from St Berchmans’ College of Kerala University, India, where he was a gold medallist and a National Merit Scholarship winner. He received his Ph.D. degree in Chemistry from Tufts University, Medford, MA and conducted post-doctoral research at Vanderbilt University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Additional information and publications can be obtained from the website, www.e-kemsciences.com