250th ECS Meeting

UL Research Institutes’ Electrochemical Safety Research Institute will contribute to scientific discussions at the 250th ECS Meeting, taking place Oct. 25-29, 2026, in Calgary, Canada.

Throughout the meeting, members of the Electrochemical Safety Research team will share research insights and findings that address fundamental questions surrounding battery safety, reliability, performance, and sustainability, while also engaging attendees at the institute’s exhibit booth No. 403.

As an invited speaker, Chao-Yang Wang, Ph.D., vice president & executive director of the Electrochemical Safety Research Institute, will deliver a featured presentation on, “Safety of Energy-Dense Lithium Batteries, ” on Monday, Oct. 26, at 10:20 a.m. MDT, exploring one of the most significant challenges facing global electrification.

Additional team members presenting technical talks spanning battery failure prevention, sodium-ion battery safety, fast-charging materials, diagnostics, and recycling throughout the meeting include:

• Vinay Premnath, director of safety research:
  • Talk on, “Characterization of Particulate and Gaseous Emissions from Thermal Runaway of Sodium-Ion Cells” on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 9:10 a.m. MDT.   
  • Session co-chair “A02 – Safe Design and Test of Advanced Battery Designs 2” on Thursday, Oct. 29, at 10:00 a.m. MDT. 
• Vallabha Rao Rikka, Ph.D., lead research scientist:
  • Talk on “Rapid SEI Formation Enabled by Flame‑Retardant Ionic Salts for Fast‑Charging Ni‑Rich NMC Lithium‑Ion Cells” on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 5:20 p.m. MDT.
• Avijit Karmakar, Ph.D., research scientist:
  • Session co-chair “A02 – Advanced Cell Cathode Materials 1” on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 3:50 p.m. MDT.
  • Talk on “State-of-Charge Implications on Thermal Runaway of Sodium-Ion Cells and Modules” on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 8:50 a.m. MDT.
• Devashish Salpekar, Ph.D., research scientist:
  • Talk on “Multi-Use of Salt Solutions in the Recycling of Lithium-Ion Cylindrical and Pouch Cells” on Thursday, Oct. 29, at 9:30 a.m. MDT.
• Frederick Gray, research scientist:
  • Session co-chair “A02 – Advanced Test and Diagnostics” on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 9:50 a.m. MDT.
  • Talk on “Impact of Electrode Washing Protocols on Post-Mortem Diagnostics for Lithium-Ion Battery Failure Analysis” on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 11:20 a.m. MDT.
  • Poster on “Electrochemical and Structural Consequences of Carbon Redistribution by Dry Mixing in Carbon-Lean NMC811 Cathodes” on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 6 p.m. MDT.

Attendees are encouraged to stop by the institute’s exhibit booth No. 403 throughout the meeting to engage with the team.

Judy Jeevarajan, Ph.D., vice president & distinguished scientific advisor with ULRI, will also participate in the ECS meeting. Her talks will be on:

• “Materials and Designs Studied to Prevent Propagation of Thermal Runaway in Small Lithium-Ion Modules” on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 9:40 a.m. MDT.
• “Safety of Commercial and Custom-Made Sodium-Ion Cells and Small Modules” on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 8:10 a.m. MDT.

In recognition of its five-year institutional partnership, ECS will present ULRI with the Leadership Circle Award on Monday, Oct. 26, at 4:30 p.m., honoring its shared commitment to advancing electrochemical science, fostering scientific collaboration, and supporting the development of the next generation of researchers and innovators.

The ECS provides a platform for researchers, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate students to exchange ideas, challenge assumptions, and advance technologies critical to the future of energy storage.