TreadStone says DOE-backed flow battery coating cuts component costs up to 53%

TreadStone Technologies has moved into Phase 3 of a DOE-funded program to commercialize DuraC, a carbon coating the company says can cut flow battery electrode and bipolar plate costs by as much as 53%. The company is testing the coating at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory as it pushes toward deployment in long-duration grid storage.

Why it matters: - Flow batteries are a key option for long-duration grid storage, and component cost has been one of the main barriers to wider adoption. - TreadStone says DuraC targets the two most expensive flow battery components: electrodes and bipolar plates. - The company says the coating can reduce those costs by up to 53% while maintaining performance. - A DOE-funded program reaching commercialization signals federal confidence in the underlying technology.

What happened: - TreadStone Technologies announced that its DOE-funded program has advanced into Phase 3, the commercialization stage. - The program focuses on DuraC, TreadStone’s proprietary carbon coating for flow battery components. - The coating is applied to metal substrates through roll-to-roll or spray manufacturing processes. - TreadStone is building a flow battery system for independent testing and validation at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, or PNNL.

The details: - DuraC is designed to replace carbon-graphite bipolar plates and electrode substrates used in flow batteries today. - The coating is intended to deliver equal or better performance than current materials. - TreadStone says DuraC is engineered for harsh electrochemical environments, including bromine-based chemistries. - The coating is built to maintain low contact resistance and high energy efficiency over a full service life. - TreadStone is validating DuraC across zinc-bromine, all-iron and aqueous organic chemistries. - The company describes DuraC as electrolyte-agnostic by design. - The DOE support comes through the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office, known as AMMTO. - Since 2010, TreadStone has received more than $12 million in competitively bid U.S. government grants. - TreadStone’s research partnerships include Sandia National Laboratories, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and PNNL.

Between the lines: - The move to Phase 3 suggests the program has progressed beyond concept work and into a stage focused on commercialization readiness. - Coatings are one of the most direct ways to attack flow battery cost because they sit on the parts that drive stack expense and durability. - TreadStone is leaning on a broader coatings track record from fuel cells and electrolyzers to support the flow battery push. - The company’s messaging centers on durability as the real test, not just lower material cost. - The $12 million-plus grant history and national lab ties may help de-risk the technology for potential buyers and partners.

What’s next: - PNNL testing will serve as an external validation step ahead of commercial deployment. - TreadStone will continue performance validation across multiple flow battery chemistries. - The company’s next goal is to move DuraC from program milestone to market adoption in flow battery stacks. - TreadStone will likely continue positioning DuraC across other electrochemical applications, including fuel cells and electrolyzers.

The bottom line: - TreadStone is trying to turn a materials coating into a cost breakthrough for flow batteries, with DOE backing and lab validation now pushing the program toward commercialization.