Innovation in battery design emphasizes the tactile quality of metal for performance enhancement
In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers at the University of Chicago PME Laboratory for Energy Storage and Conversion, in collaboration with industry partner Thermo Fisher Scientific, have found that refining the texture of soft metals significantly enhances the performance of rechargeable batteries. The findings, published in the journal Joule, could revolutionise the battery industry, particularly in the realm of electric vehicles, mobile devices, and renewable energy storage.
The ideal texture for a battery anode allows atoms to move quickly along the surface plane, facilitating faster charging and discharging. Prof. Minghao Zhang, a Research Associate at the University of Chicago, discovered that adding a thin layer of silicon between lithium metal and the current collector helps create this desired texture for improved battery performance.
Improving the texture of soft metals like lithium and sodium has several key impacts. Firstly, it leads to the formation of a stable solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer on the metal surface. This layer critically controls lithium-ion transport and suppresses unwanted side reactions, prolonging battery life and enhancing safety.
Secondly, a carefully controlled texture promotes dense, columnar lithium deposits that cycle reversibly over many cycles, significantly increasing the cycle life and reliability of the batteries. This reduction in dendrite formation results in safer operation.
Thirdly, optimised metal surface textures improve the electrode-electrolyte interface, facilitating better ionic conductivity and reducing impedance. This enhancement leads to higher efficiency and faster charging rates.
Lastly, textured soft metals can better tolerate mechanical stresses during battery operation and, with controlled stack pressures, further reduce dendrite formation and enhance energy density.
These texture improvements in lithium and sodium metal anodes collectively enable longer cycle life, improved safety, higher efficiency, faster charging, and greater energy density in batteries.
The team, led by Prof. Zhang, used a combination of milling within a plasma-focused ion beam-scanning electron microscope (PFIB-SEM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) mapping to study the texture of materials. This approach overcomes the challenges of collecting texture information on soft metals like lithium and sodium, due to difficulties in accessing the area of interest and the metals' reactivity.
LG Energy Solution, a leading player in the battery industry, recognises the importance of combining manufacturing expertise with innovative research from universities to develop next-generation battery technologies. The research team has partnered with LG Energy Solution's Frontier Research Laboratory to commercialize the technology.
Looking ahead, the researchers plan to lower the pressure used during testing from 5 megapascals (MPa) to 1 MPa, the current industry standard for commercially available batteries. This reduction in pressure could make the technology more accessible and scalable for widespread adoption.
Meng, a member of the research team, predicts that sodium metal, an inexpensive, readily available alternative to lithium, may prefer a specific texture for fast atomic diffusion, potentially leading to a significant breakthrough in future energy storage. This development could make energy storage solutions more affordable and accessible to a broader audience.
In conclusion, refining the microstructure and surface texture of lithium and sodium metals is a critical strategy to advance the safety, longevity, and efficiency of next-generation rechargeable batteries. This research represents a significant step forward in the quest for cleaner, more efficient, and longer-lasting energy storage solutions.
In the quest for advancements in energy storage solutions, textured soft metals like lithium and sodium have shown significant potential. For instance, a textured lithium anode can better tolerate mechanical stresses, reduce dendrite formation, and enhance energy density in batteries.
Moreover, improving the texture of these metals can optimize the electrode-electrolyte interface, facilitating better ionic conductivity, reducing impedance, and ultimately leading to higher efficiency and faster charging rates.
