Suresh Mani, Ph.D.
2751 Georgetown Boulevard
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
sureshaamani@gmail.com
(734)-834-9106 (cell)
EXPERIENCE:
06/12 onwards Founder and President, Saras, LLC, developing technologies in energy
storage and coatings.
07/15/11 to 06/12 Associate Director, Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center,
Grand Valley State University
provided technical leadership at MAREC. Facilitated the data gathering and
analysis of the offshore wind project. Developed proposals (Department of
Commerce, MEDC) to obtain funding for a battery test lab.
Provided
consultation to incubator clients. Collaborated with GVSU faculty to develop
battery related courses.
06/04 to 06/10
Technical Director, A123 Systems
Battery material development and evaluation, scale-up. Proposal writer and
Principal Investigator of several battery projects including:
1. Principal Investigator and chief proposal writer of “Advanced Batteries for
Space” proposal, which resulted in a mult-million dollar award. Developed a
strong team that included two NASA centers, a battery manufacturer and two
Universities along with TJ as the materials developer.
2. Principal Investigator of NSF SBIR Phase II: “Synthesis of High Capacity
Nano Composite Anode Materials for Lithium Rechargeable Batteries”,
Award No: DMI-0321628
3. Principal Investigator of “Advanced Anodes for Hybrid Electric Vehicles”,
sponsored by a global Japanese automotive manufacturer, Award $250,000
for year I and $400,000 for year II.
02/03 to 05/04
Research Specialist, Composite Materials and Structure Center,
Michigan State University.
o Wrote SBIR proposals with TJ technologies and was awarded:
1. NASA SBIR Phase I: "Composite Advanced Polymers for Low Moisture
and Oxygen Permeability", Award Amount: $70,000, Award No.:
NNJ04JC17C, Award Date: 01-16-04 thru 07/15/04
2. DOE STTR Phase I: "Polymer Composite Barrier System for
Encapsulating OLEDs", Award Amount: $99,349, Award No.: DEFG02-04ER86196, Award Date: 07/13/04-04/12/05
o Provided hand-on expertise in dispersions, film casting, and adhesion
o Developed a non-destructive technique based on electrochemical impedance
spectroscopy to examine bonds between polymer composites and metals ( in
collaboration with Guy Davis and Prof. L. T. Drzal).
07/00 to 10/02
Technical Director, Fluid Ink Research, Flint Ink Corporation
Managed a team of 10 scientists that developed fluid ink products and
processes. Products/Processes developed by the team include:
o Inks with reduced odor and improved block resistance for poly-coated
substrates (milk cartons).
o Alternate method to manufacture pigment dispersions with 20% improved
color strength and gloss.
o High-performance lamination ink for a wide variety of films and adhesives,
with specific requirements (e.g., meat and cheese packaging).
07/93 to 06/00
Technical Manager, Physical Sciences, Flint Ink Corporation
Hired, trained and worked alongside a team of 6 scientists that applied
advanced physical characterization techniques to aid product and process
development. Key techniques included rheology, particle size, surface
tension and energy, microscopy, and image analysis. Achievements include:
 Pioneered the implementation of automated rheometers as improved QC
tools for paste ink and varnish manufacture at over 30 company facilities
and numerous vendor facilities. This was possible by:
 Demonstrating the superiority of linear viscoelastic measurements
over conventional high shear measurements (Laray and Inkometer)
to predict the influence of gel varnishes on ink properties.
 Developing correlations between G’, G” values for inks and press
problems such as slinging and misting.
 Received the Lawter award at the NPIRI Annual meeting (1998) for
describing Image analyses routines to measure print quality.
03/92 to 06/93
Staff Scientist, Flint Ink Corporation
TRAINING:
“Technology Managers Development Program”, an intensive executive
training program conducted by the Industrial Research Institute and the J.L.
Kellogg’s School of Management, Northwestern University, June 4-16, 2000.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, May,
1992.
Dissertation: "Effects of Shear on a Miscible Polymer
Blend:In-situ Fluorescence and Rheometry".
Directed by: Professors H. H. Winter and M. F. Malone.
Master of Science, Chemical Engineering, University of
Massachusetts, Amherst, February 1989.
Thesis: "Rheology of an Interpenetrating Polymer Network".
Bachelor of Technology, Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of
Technology, Bombay, May 1986.
CITIZENSHIP:
US citizen
List of Publications
• Mani, S, Winter, H,H, Silverstein, M, and Narkis, M, “Power Law Relaxation in an
interpenetrating polymer network”, Colloid Polym Sci 267, pp1002-1006 (1989)
• Mani, S, Malone, M.F., Winter, H.H., Halary J.L., Monnerie, L., “Effects of Shear on Miscible
Polymer Blends: In Situ Fluorescence Studies”, Macromolecules, 24, pp5451-5458 (1991).
• Mani, S, Malone, M.F., Winter, H. H., Mani, S, Malone, M.F., Winter,”Shear- Induced
Demixing in a Polystyrene/ Poly(vinyl methyl ether) Blend: In-situ Fluorescence and
Rheometry”, Macromolecules, 25, pp 5671- 76 (1992).
• Mani, S, Grover. G.S., Bike, S. G., “Linear Viscoelastic behavior of copper phthalocyanine
dispersions used in printing inks”, Rheol Acta 35, pp329-336 (1996).
• Suresh Mani, Robert J. Jurek,, Michael J. Rich, Lawrence T. Drzal, and G. Davis, “Evaluation
Of Composite Adhesive Bonds with an Electrochemical Impedance Sensor”, Proceedings
Annual Adhesion Society Conference, Blacksburg, VA February, 2004.
• S. Mani, G. Davis , M. J. Rich, L. T. Drzal, “Evaluation Of Composite Adhesive Bonds With
An Electrochemical Impedance Sensor”, Annual Technical Conference of the Society of Plastics
Engineers, May, 2004
• S. Mani, M.J. Rich, R.J. Jurek, L.T. Drzal, and G.D. Davis, “Detecting Defects and the Onset
of Failure Of Adhesive Bonds Using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy,” Proc. ANTEC,
(Society of Plastics Engineers, Brookfield, CT, 2004
• G.D. Davis, S. Mani, M.J. Rich, and L.T. Drzal, “Using Electrochemical Impedance
Spectroscopy For Health Monitoring Of Composite-Composite And Aluminum composite
Bonds”, Proceedings of the Adhesion Society Conference, 2005
• G.D. Davis, S. Mani, M.J. Rich, and L.T. Drzal, “Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy
Inspection of Composite Adhesive Bonds”, J. Adhesion Sci. and Technol., 19(6), 467 (2005)
• M. C. Smart, B.V. Ratnakumar, A. S. Gozdz, and S. Mani, “Improved Low Temperature
Performance of High Rate Nano-Lithium Iron Phosphate- Based Li-Ion Cells with Advanced
Electrolytes”, 214th Meeting of the Electrochemical Society, Honolulu, HI, Oct. 12-17, 2008.
• M. C. Smart, B. V. Ratnakumar, A. S. Gozdz, and S. Mani, “The Effect of Electrolyte
Additives upon the Lithium Kinetics of Li-Ion Cells Containing MCMB and LiNixCo1-xO2
Electrodes and Exposed to High Temperatures”, 216th Meeting of the Electrochemical Society,
Vienna, Austria, Oct. 5, 2009.
• M. C. Smart, B. V. Ratnakumar, A. S. Gozdz, and S. Mani, “The Effect of Electrolyte
Additives upon the Lithium Kinetics of Li-Ion Cells Containing MCMB and LiNixCo1-xO2
Electrodes and Exposed to High Temperatures”, ECS Trans. 25 (36), 37 (2010).
• M. C. Smart, B. V. Ratnakumar, A.S. Gozdz, and S. Mani, “Improved low temperature
performance of Li-ion cells using new electrolytes, NASA Tech Briefs, Materials category, Ref:
NPO – 46180, Feb 1, 2010.
Issued Patents

Zhang, Ma, Mani, et al., “High Performance anode material for Lithium ion battery”,
Patent # 7,722, 991 issued on May 25, 2010

Zhang, Mani, and Wixom “ Alkali metal Titanates and methods for their synthesis”,
Patent #7879493 issued on February 1, 2011. Richard, Stamm, Wang, Yin, Zhang, Mani,
Ma, Glomski, “Tin in an active support matrix”, Patent # 8,039152 issued on October 18,
2011
Patent Applications
• Wang, Heath, Miller, Wixom, Mani: “Composite material having improved microstructure and
method for its fabrication”, US 20060019115
• Zhang, Ma, Mani, Richard, Yokoishi, Glomski, Wang, Yin, Stamm, Silkowski, Miller, Li:
“High Performance anode material for lithium ion battery, US 20080038638.
• Huang, Mani, Chin: “High Capacity electrode and methods for its fabrication and use, US
20070099084.
• Huang, Mani, and Chin: “High performance composite electrode materials, US 20070057228.
• Zhang, Ma, Mani, Richard, Yokoishi, Glomski , Wang, Yin, Stamm, Silkowski, Miller, Li, “
Tin in a porous matrix”. US 7722991