Low Flash Point Research Articles

Qualitative and energy recovery potential analysis: plastic-derived fuel oil versus conventional diesel oil

Due to depleting fossil fuel sources, plastic-derived fuel oil (PDFO) has received much attention over the past decade as an alternative to conventional diesel oil. Although several researchers have reported the properties of PDFO and recommended its usage in diesel engines, no study has thoroughly compared it with conventional diesel oil. This study aims at comparing PDFO produced from pyrolysis of waste plastic (LDPE, HDPE, PS, and PP) with conventional diesel oil based on a number of quality parameters and energy recovery potential. The quality parameters of color and appearance, water content, density, viscosity, volatility, copper strip corrosion, flash point, pour point, and energy content, as well as the cetane index of the fuels, were assessed following ASTM standards. The obtained results indicated no significant difference between the water contents and densities of the fuel oils. Pensky–Martens Closed Cup (PMCC) flash point for PDFO was significantly lower than that of conventional diesel oil. Although the pour points and viscosities of PDFO were significantly different from conventional diesel oil, the values were within the recommended range. All the PDFO types had higher volatilities than conventional diesel oil in the lighter section of the distillation curve, whereas no significant difference was detected in the heavier section. On the ASTM corrosion chart, conventional diesel oil belongs to class 1a, whereas all the PDFO types belong to class 2a. Energy recovery calculations revealed that PDFO has the potential to produce energy equivalent to 203,000 barrels of oil. It can be concluded that although PDFO has undesirable high volatility in the lighter section of the distillation curve and relatively low flash point, it compares relatively well with conventional diesel oil and thus is a potential substitute.

A high-safety and multifunctional MOFs modified aramid nanofiber separator for lithium-sulfur batteries

High-level safety is the essential precondition for the future large-scale applications of the high-energy storage systems. In terms of the lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, the low flash point and poor mechanical strength of the conventional polyolefin separator are the potential safety hazards to cause the fire and explosion in extreme environment. Herein, a thermotolerant and nonflammable hierarchical functional separator (Z-PMIA separator) is designed based on the poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide) (PMIA) membrane and the in-situ formed Co-containing zeolitic imidazolate framework ZIF-L(Co) secondary nanostructures. Benefiting from the feature of “Aramid” fibers and the special secondary ZIF-L(Co) nanostructures, the Z-PMIA separator not only guarantees high mechanical strength (suffering from a tensile strength of 15 MPa and a puncture force of 0.95 N) and remarkable thermal stability (no dimensional shrinkage even at 200 °C) but also effectively suppresses the polysulfide shuttle and lithium dendrite growth. As a result, the Z-PMIA separator delivers a high initial discharge capacity of 1391.2 mAh g−1 and a discharge capacity of 961.1 mAh g−1 after 350 cycles at 0.2C, with a slow capacity attenuation of 0.033% per cycle. Even under the conditions of high sulfur loading (9.23 mg cm−2) and low electrolyte/sulfur (E/S) ratio (8 mL g−1) or when running at a high temperature (80 °C), the Z-PMIA separator still enables a high charging/discharging performance, highlighting its promising commercial prospect for future high-safety and high-performance energy storage systems.

Why North Korea Chooses Self-Sufficiency: Changes in the North Korean Economy in the First Quarter of 2021

Aiming to discuss the changes in North Korea's economic strategies and policies, and the reasons why North Korea suddenly resumed trade with China in March 2021, this article is largely composed of two parts. The second section introduces the debate between South Ko-rean economists about North Korea's economic strategy and policy changes. The last section attempts to analyze the reasons why North Korea has suddenly resumed imports.The COVID-19 pandemic and recent sanctions against North Korea are causing rapid chang-es in the North Korean economy. In the academic community studying the North Korean economy in South Korea, various topics are being discussed about these changes in the North Korean economy. The first topic is how the North Korean economy is seeing rapid changes in its economic strategy. The second topic is why North Korea's economic management system is showing horizontal centralization. The last topic is why North Korea does not resume imports to China despite increasing eco-nomic difficulties.Why North Korea suddenly resumed trade with China in March 2021. North Korea resumed trade with China on a small scale in March 2021. Trade has reportedly been resumed, but exports have been negligible and only a small amount of goods have been imported. Imports were completely suspended for six months from mid-September 2020 to mid-March 2021, and then imports were abruptly resumed in March 2021. Imports from Chi-na totaled $12.98 million, and exports to China totaled $4.55 million from January to March. The imports conducted in March were non-commercial in nature and led by the authorities. Most of the imports came from the necessities required for industrial production, especially in the agricultural sector. Agricultural materials, that is, fertilizer raw materials (urea, ammonium phosphate, organic sulfur compounds ‒ 71.0%), agricultural vinyl (8.2%), pesticides (insecti-cides, herbicides ‒ 5.4%), etc. were mainly imported. Other imported goods included news-papers and printing paper (8.3%), detergent raw materials (sodium hydroxide ‒ 2.7%), and low flash point fuel for steel production.

Повышение эффективности теплогенерирующих устройств тепловых аппаратов пищевых производств

Heat devices of food production for cooking hot food and baking bread in the field have been investigated. A modification of the heat block and heat-generating device is proposed, as a result of which an increase in the intensity of evaporation of liquid fuel, its mixing with air, a high rate of the combustion reaction, an increase in the flame temperature, afterburning of the unburned part of the liquid fuel, as well as automatic transition of the heat apparatus from fuel with low flash point to a higher one. Constructive changes in heating devices for food production are based on an increase in the use of the used types of fuel due to the reflection of combustion products and a decrease in heat loss.

Development of decahydronaphthalene reference material for low flash point measurements

Certified reference materials are an essential tool for calibration of testing equipment, validation of analytical methods and ensuring quality of test results. Due to lack of national low temperature reference materials, Decahydronaphthalene reference material for flash point measurements according to ISO 13736has been developed by the National Metrology Institute of Egypt (NIS). This article describes production steps of the reference material. Certification of the material was carried out by interlaboratory comparisons, where between bottles homogeneity and stability studies were conducted in explosion protection department at PTB, Germany. The interlaboratory results were statistically analyzed, and robust mean was calculated as assigned value. The certified value and expanded measurement uncertainty (k = 2) was found 55.7 °C ± 1.2 °C, respectively.

Successful utilization of waste cooking oil in Neem oil based fungicide formulation as an economic and eco-friendly green solvent for sustainable waste management

Abstract Globally, about 34.22 million liters of waste cooking oil (WCO) is produced with 2% increments per year. This increase may leads to environmental risks if disposed of untreated. Beneath this backdrop, this study was designed to develop Neem emulsifiable concentrate (EC) formulation (up-to 70% Neem oil content) by utilizing WCO as solvent system. This study opens new gate way to manage the over-rising increments of WCO and give safer and green agriculture product for pest management. The goal was also to explore the economic and industrial feasibility of WCO as alternate source to persistent toxic, non-renewable petroleum solvents. So, processed (transesterified) WCO and aromatic hydrocarbon solvent (C9) based EC formulations were developed and different physico-chemical properties including physical appearance, acidity/alkalinity, flashpoint, emulsion stability, shelf–life, droplet size, interfacial tension etc were comparatively assessed as per CIPAC (Collaborative International Pesticides Analytical Council) protocols using Abel Flashpoint Apparatus, Particle Size Analyzer, High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Spinning Drop Tensiometer (SDT). Assessment results proved that WCO based formulation is more stable with brown color, low odor, high flashpoint (282.16 K) compared to solvent (C9) based with less stable (crystallization/sedimentation), light colored, high smell, low flashpoint (268.46 K). Aqueous oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions of WCO and C9 based formulations were measured with droplet size (2.6 and 3.5 μm) and emulsion stability (79.6 and 98.8%). Interfacial tension reading (0.8 Nmm−1) in WCO based EC indicated good dispersion with no creaming or sedimentation. Furthermore, stability and compatibility study of active constituents recorded of 1.28 and 50% degradation in WCO and solvent based formulations respectively. WCO based EC inhibited 90% where as C9 based formulations reduced only 68% growth of Rhizoctonia solani. WCO based EC is also free from dermal toxicity, inhalation hazards and phyototoxicity. Finally, average cost effectiveness and economic advantages were calculated and found significantly (60.32%, 1787.5 €t−1) superior to C9 based EC. Waste cooking oil can be ecologically, economically and commercially explored as an alternate green solvent and resourceful waste management.

Impact of low flash point compounds (hydrocarbons containing eight carbon atoms) on the flash point of jet fuel and n-dodecane

Fuel flash point is important for safe fuel handling. The presence of smaller, low flash point hydrocarbons (8 carbons atoms) found in fuel lowers its flashpoint. This work involved measuring the flash points of mixtures containing small hydrocarbons from different classes of chemicals (linear, cyclic, and iso-alkanes, and aromatic compounds) mixed with either JP-5 or n-dodecane as a fuel surrogate. Flash points varied by chemical class and by specific isomer within the class. The flash points of n-dodecane mixtures containing compounds whose flash points were measured (linear and cyclic alkanes and aromatics) were successfully modeled using Liaw’s model. Applying this model to mixtures for which the pure compounds flash points were not measured allowed for the selection of a flash point for each compound from the varied reported values. A set of pure component flash points was used with blending index models to determine the model coefficients for dodecane mixtures and JP-5 mixtures. The coefficients based on the dodecane mixtures predicted the JP-5 mixtures fairly well with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.2 K and a mean absolute error (MAE) of 1.2 K. The coefficients based on the JP-5 mixtures gave a slight improvement in prediction with an RMSE of 1 K and an MAE of 1 K. This work emphasized the sensitivity of fuel flash point to specific isomers and shows that dodecane is a good model compound for the JP-5 in this system.

Solid Acid Electrochemical Cell for the Production of Hydrogen from Ammonia

Summary Production of high-purity hydrogen by thermal-electrochemical decomposition of ammonia at an intermediate temperature of 250°C is demonstrated. The process is enabled by use of a solid-acid-based electrochemical cell (SAEC) in combination with a bilayered anode, comprising a thermal-cracking catalyst layer and a hydrogen electrooxidation catalyst layer. Cs-promoted Ru on carbon nanotubes (Ru/CNT) serves as the thermal decomposition catalyst, and Pt on carbon black mixed with CsH2PO4 is used to catalyze hydrogen electrooxidation. Cells were operated at 250°C with humidified dilute ammonia supplied to the anode and humidified hydrogen supplied to the counter electrode. A current density of 435 mA/cm2 was achieved at a potential of 0.4 V and ammonia flow rate of 30 sccm. With a demonstrated faradic efficiency for hydrogen production of 100%, the process yields hydrogen at a rate of 1.48 m o l H 2 / g c a t h .

Specification and Evaluation of Diesel Fuel used in Electricity Generation in Erbil

    Two sets of diesel samples, which include fifty samples in both winter and summer seasons, from electricity generators in different locations in Erbil city (Kurdistan reign-Iraq) were investigated. Another additional diesel sample, which was obtained from the directly fractional distillation of Khurmala oilfield near Erbil city was also investigated. The samples were evaluated and compared their sulfur content, flash point, density (API), pour point, aniline point, cetane number and distillation curves with worldwide guidelines. It was observed from the evaluation of these samples that most of the diesel samples have higher sulfur content, lower flash point, higher pour point, lower cetane number, naphthenic character and have low IBP, low 10% distillation temperature, normal 50% distillation temperature and Final Boiling point (FBP). While the diesel fuel obtained from the fractional distillation of Khurmala crude oil gave acceptable values in all specification tests according to Iraqi guideline.

Study of low load performance on a two-stroke direct injection spark ignition aero-piston engine fuelled with diesel

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate power performance, economy and hydrocarbons (HC)/carbon monoxide (CO) emissions of diesel fuel on a two-stoke direct injection (DI) spark ignition (SI) engine. Design/methodology/approach Experimental study was carried out on a two-stroke SI diesel-fuelled engine with air-assisted direct injection, whose power performance and HC/CO emissions characteristics under low-load conditions were analysed according to the effects of ignition energy, ignition advance angle (IAA), injection timing angle and excess-air-ratio. Findings The results indicate that, for the throttle position of 10%, a large IAA with adequate ignition energy effectively increases the power and decrease the HC emission. The optimal injection timing angle for power and fuel consumption is 60° crank angle (CA) before top dead centre (BTDC). Lean mixture improves the power performance with the HC/CO emissions greatly reduced. At the throttle position of 20%, the optimal IAA is 30°CA BTDC. The adequate ignition energy slightly improves the power output and greatly decreases HC/CO emissions. Advancing the injection timing improves the power and fuel consumption but should not exceed the exhaust port closing timing in case of scavenging losses. Burning stoichiometric mixture achieves maximum power, whereas burning lean mixture obviously reduces the fuel consumption and the HC/CO emissions. Practical implications Gasoline has a low flash point, a high-saturated vapour pressure and relatively high volatility, and it is a potential hazard near a naked flame at room temperature, which can create significant security risks for its storage, transport and use. The authors adopt a low volatility diesel fuel for all vehicles and equipment to minimise the number of different devices using various fuels and improve the potential military application safety. Originality/value Under low-load conditions, the two stroke port-injected SI engine performance of burning heavy fuels including diesel or kerosene was shown to be worse than those of gasoline. The authors have tried to use the DI method to improve the performance of the diesel-fuelled engine in starting and low-load conditions.

Increasing cuticular wax concentrations in a drier climate promote litter flammability

Several plant chemical traits (cellulose, tannins and terpenes) have been related to plant flammability. Contrastingly, no study has focused on the relationship between plant flammability and physico-chemical leaf litter traits with a focus on cuticular wax concentration. This study focuses on alkane cuticular waxes because of their relatively low flash point and storage in the cuticle of all vascular plant species. The sclerophyllous species Quercus coccifera is the model species since it is the main shrub species in the Mediterranean basin and all previously investigated sclerophyllous species feature a high cuticular wax content. Litter was collected in a Mediterranean garrigue where Q. coccifera grows under natural drought and recurrent aggravated drought (consisting of 5.5 years of rain restriction). These different drought conditions were expected to imply different alkane wax concentrations since one of the major roles of cuticular waxes is evapotranspiration limitation during drought. Litter flammability was assessed through ignition delay, flame residence time and flame height (assessed using an epiradiator) and gross heat of combustion (using an adiabatic bomb calorimeter). Results showed that the higher cuticular alkane concentrations reached under aggravated drought were associated with an increased leaf litter flammability as expected. These results confirm that all potentially flammable organic metabolites (terpenes as previously reported in other studies, and cuticular alkane waxes) are drivers of vegetation flammability. It is suggested that Q. coccifera flammability (considered as low to moderate), could increase under a drier scenario in the Mediterranean area. We hypothesize that fire severity would accordingly be intensified in shrubs dominated by this sclerophyllous species without necessarily increasing vulnerability of Q. coccifera to fire since this is a resprouter species after fire and is one of the main pioneer species during post-fire vegetation succession.

Evaluation of Waste Plastic Oil-Biodiesel Blends as Alternative Fuels for Diesel Engines

This study examined the use of waste plastic oil (WPO) combined with biodiesel as an alternative fuel for diesel engines, also commonly known as compression ignition engines, and focused on comparison of the basic physical and chemical properties of fuels, engine performance, combustion characteristics, and exhaust emissions. A preliminary study was conducted to determine the suitable ratio for the fuel blends in consideration of fuel lubricity and viscosity, and these results indicated that 10% biodiesel—derived from either palm oil or castor oil—in waste plastic oil was optimal. In addition, characterization of the basic properties of these fuel blends revealed that they had higher density and specific gravity and a lower flash point than diesel fuel, while the fuel heating value, viscosity, and cetane index were similar. The fuel blends, comprised of waste plastic oil with either 10% palm oil biodiesel (WPOP10) or 10% castor oil biodiesel (WPOC10), were selected for further investigation in engine tests in which diesel fuel and waste plastic oil were also included as baseline fuels. The experimental results of the performance of the engine showed that the combustion of WPO was similar to diesel fuel for all the tested engine loads and the addition of castor oil as compared to palm oil biodiesel caused a delay in the start of the combustion. Both biodiesel blends slightly improved brake thermal efficiency and smoke emissions with respect to diesel fuel. The addition of biodiesel to WPO tended to reduce the levels of hydrocarbon- and oxide-containing nitrogen emissions. One drawback of adding biodiesel to WPO was increased carbon monoxide and smoke. Comparing the two biodiesels used in the study, the presence of castor oil in waste plastic oil showed lower carbon monoxide and smoke emissions without penalty in terms of increased levels of hydrocarbon- and oxide-containing nitrogen emissions when the engine was operated at high load.

Energy Recovery from Waste Tires Using Pyrolysis: Palestine as Case of Study

The first industrial-scale pyrolysis plant for solid tire wastes has been installed in Jenin, northern of the West Bank in Palestine, to dispose of the enormous solid tire wastes in the north of West Bank. The disposable process is an environmentally friendly process and it converts tires into useful products, which could reduce the fuel crisis in Palestine. The gravimetric analysis of tire waste pyrolysis products from the pyrolysis plant working at the optimum conditions is: tire pyrolysis oil (TPO): 45%, pyrolysis carbon black (PCB): 35%, pyrolysis gas (Pyro-Gas): 10% and steel wire: 10%. These results are depending on the tire type and size. It has been found that the produced pyrolysis oil has a High Heating Value (HHV), with a range of 42 − 43 ( MJ / kg ) , which could make it useful as a replacement for conventional liquid fuels. The main disadvantage of using the TPO as fuel is its strong acrid smell and its low flash point, as compared with the other conventional liquid fuels. The produced pyrolysis carbon black also has a High Heating Value (HHV) of about 29 (MJ/kg), which could also encourage its usage as a solid fuel. Carbon black could also be used as activated carbon, printers’ ink, etc. The pyrolysis gas (Pyro-Gas) obtained from waste tires mainly consist of light hydrocarbons. The concentration of H2 has a range of 30% to 40% in volume and it has a high calorific value (approximately 31 MJ / m 3 ), which can meet the process requirement of energy. On the other hand, it is necessary to clean gas before the burning process to remove H2S from Pyro-Gas, and hence, reduce the acid rain problem. However, for the current plant, some recommendations should be followed for more comfortable operation and safer environment work conditions.

554 Severity of Gasoline Burns: A Retrospective Review

Abstract Introduction Gasoline burns represent a significant source of preventable morbidity each year. Often used inappropriately as an accelerant, gasoline is substantially more volatile than other commonly used accelerants due to its low flash point and vapor pressure. We sought to review the clinical outcomes for patients presenting with burns caused by gasoline accelerated flame. Methods An IRB exempt retrospective study of consecutive patients presenting from 2010–2017 to a single ABA verified institution was performed. Exclusion criteria included ultraviolet burns, allergic reactions and Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. Collected patient demographics included age and gender. The primary clinical endpoint was percent total body surface area (%TBSA) burned, delineated into second or third degree burn. Secondary endpoints included length of stay (LOS), days admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), and mortality. Kruskal-Wallis Test and Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test were used for statistical comparison between the etiologies of burns. Fisher’s Exact test was used for comparison of mortality rates using a Bonferroni correction accounting for nine pairwise comparisons. Results A total of 5,994 patients were included; 256 with burns from gasoline fueled flame and 5,738 from other etiologies including flame with other accelerants, flame, scald, contact, electrical, chemical, friction, radiation, and frostbite. Gasoline burns resulted in a higher %TBSA of second degree burns (x̅=4.37%: 95% CI 3.62–5.12; p < 0.001; Table 1) and higher overall %TBSA (x̅=4.94%: 95% CI 3.99–5.88; p < 0.001; Table 2) than burns of all other etiologies except radiation burns where no statistically significant difference was found. Gasoline burns had a lower percent mortality (0.39%) than flame burns (4.98%; p< 0.05) and showed no statistically significant difference in mortality rate compared to other etiologies of burns. Comparison of second degree measures of LOS and number of ICU days yielded mixed results and lacked statistical significance. Conclusions Patients with burns caused by gasoline accelerated flame sustain a higher %TBSA of second degree burns and overall %TBSA than all other etiologies of burns except radiation burns. Applicability of Research to Practice Our results highlight the extent of burns caused by gasoline accelerated flame and underscore the importance of public education to reduce the inappropriate use of gasoline as an accelerant with the ultimate goal of reducing the significant morbidity associated with these burns.

Leaching Chalcopyrite with an Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquid and Bromide

The unique properties of ionic liquids (ILs) drive the growing number of novel applications in different industries. The main features of ILs are high thermal stability, recyclability, low flash point, and low vapor pressure. This study investigated pure chalcopyrite dissolution in the presence of the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate, [BMIm]HSO4, and a bromide-like complexing agent. The proposed system was compared with acid leaching in sulfate media with the addition of chloride and bromide ions. The results demonstrated that the use of ionic liquid and bromide ions improved the chalcopyrite leaching performance. The best operational conditions were at a temperature of 90 °C, with an ionic liquid concentration of 20% and 100 g/L of bromide.

Thermo- and physicochemical properties of native and exotic forest species of Valparaíso, Chile, as essential information for fire risk management

Wildfires in the Valparaíso region (Chile) account for one of the main threats to local biodiversity, ecosystem services and infrastructure. This study focused on producing an initial record of thermo- and physicochemical properties of local forest species. For this purpose, leaf samples of species found in the Peñuelas Lake National Reserve, namely Pinus radiata, Eucalyptus globulus, Acacia dealbata, Quillaja saponaria and Cryptocarya alba, were collected and analysed. Higher and lower heating value, flash point, density and moisture content tests were performed for each sample. Overall results showed that lower heating values measured for both native and exotic species could indicate a high energy release source in wildfires. However, differences in the flash point between species indicated that C. alba and E. globulus had a lower ignition resistance than other species tested, possibly due to a lower flash point. In contrast, Q. saponaria and A. dealbata had the highest flash point for native and exotic species respectively. Finally, all presented data and procedures were aimed at establishing a foundation for a national database of critical forest species properties to be used in wildfire simulation tools. This database will enhance forest fire management effectiveness in Chile.

Knock combustion investigation on a two-stroke spark ignition UAV engine burning RP-3 kerosene fuel

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the knock combustion characteristics, including the combustion pressure, heat release rate (HRR) and knock intensity of aviation kerosene fuel, that is, Rocket Propellant 3 (RP-3), on a port-injected two-stoke spark ignition (SI) engine. Design/methodology/approach Experimental investigation using a bench test and the statistical analysis of data to reflect the knock combustion characteristics of the two-stroke SI unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) engine on RP-3 kerosene fuel. Findings Under the full load condition of 4,000 rpm, at the ignition timing of 25 degree of crank angle (°CA) before top dead centre (BTDC), the knock combustion is sensitive to the thinner mixture; therefore, the knock begins to occur when the excess air ratio is larger than 1.0. When the excess air ratio is set as 1.2, the knock obviously appears with the highest knock intensity. At the excess air ratio of 1.2, better engine performance is obtained at the ignition timing range of 20-30 °CA BTDC. However, the ignition timing at 30° CA BTDC significantly increases the peak combustion pressure and knock intensity with the advancing heat release process. Practical implications Gasoline has a low flash point, a high-saturated vapour pressure and relatively high volatility, and it is a potential hazard near a naked flame at room temperature, which can create significant security risks for its storage, transport and use. The authors adopt a low-volatility single RP-3 kerosene fuel for all vehicles and equipment to minimise the number of different devices using various fuels and improve the military application safety. Originality/value Most two-stroke SI UAV engines for military applications burn gasoline. A kerosene-based fuel for stable engine operation can be achieved because the knock combustion can be effectively suppressed through the combined adjustment of the fuel amount and spark timing.

Electrothermal Explosion of a titanium-soot Mixture under Quasistatic Compression. III. The Effect of Quasistatic Compression Pressure

The results of diagnostics of thermal conditions of an electric thermal explosion (ETE) of a mixture of titanium and soot powders under quasistatic compression are presented. The effect of quasistatic compression pressure on the thermal and electrical parameters of an ETE is studied. It is shown that nonuniform heating occurs at low pressure, while uniform heating occurs at high pressure. A criterion is proposed for determining the thermal regime of the ETE of a heterogeneous mixture, based on the ratio of the exothermic interaction times and the electric current variation during a thermal explosion. It is established that the dependence of the electric current variation rate on time has one peak when the sample is heated nonuniformly and two peaks when it is heated uniformly. An abnormally low effective flash point of the heterogeneous titanium-soot mixture is explained.

Full Dissolution of the Whole Lithium Sulfide Family (Li2 S8 to Li2 S) in a Safe Eutectic Solvent for Rechargeable Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

The lithium-sulfur battery is an attractive option for next-generation energy storage owing to its much higher theoretical energy density than state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries. However, the massive volume changes of the sulfur cathode and the uncontrollable deposition of Li2 S2 /Li2 S significantly deteriorate cycling life and increase voltage polarization. To address these challenges, we develop an ϵ-caprolactam/acetamide based eutectic-solvent electrolyte, which can dissolve all lithium polysulfides and lithium sulfide (Li2 S8 -Li2 S). With this new electrolyte, high specific capacity (1360 mAh g-1 ) and reasonable cycling stability are achieved. Moreover, in contrast to conventional ether electrolyte with a low flash point (ca. 2 °C), such low-cost eutectic-solvent-based electrolyte is difficult to ignite, and thus can dramatically enhance battery safety. This research provides a new approach to improving lithium-sulfur batteries in aspects of both safety and performance.

Full Dissolution of the Whole Lithium Sulfide Family (Li2S8 to Li2S) in a Safe Eutectic Solvent for Rechargeable Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

AbstractThe lithium–sulfur battery is an attractive option for next‐generation energy storage owing to its much higher theoretical energy density than state‐of‐the‐art lithium‐ion batteries. However, the massive volume changes of the sulfur cathode and the uncontrollable deposition of Li2S2/Li2S significantly deteriorate cycling life and increase voltage polarization. To address these challenges, we develop an ϵ‐caprolactam/acetamide based eutectic‐solvent electrolyte, which can dissolve all lithium polysulfides and lithium sulfide (Li2S8–Li2S). With this new electrolyte, high specific capacity (1360 mAh g−1) and reasonable cycling stability are achieved. Moreover, in contrast to conventional ether electrolyte with a low flash point (ca. 2 °C), such low‐cost eutectic‐solvent‐based electrolyte is difficult to ignite, and thus can dramatically enhance battery safety. This research provides a new approach to improving lithium–sulfur batteries in aspects of both safety and performance.