Particle Size Of Material Research Articles

Hot-air drying vs. lyophilization of sugar beet flakes for efficient pectin recovery and influence of extraction conditions on pectin physicochemical properties

This study assessed the influence of drying pretreatment and extraction conditions (type of acid and particle size of plant material) on the yield and physicochemical properties of pectin from sugar beet flakes resulted as by-product of sugar beet processing in the sugar industry. The results indicated that the drying conditions (hot-air drying and lyophilization) affected the extraction yield, the chemical composition of pectin, its color, degree of methylation and acetylation, molecular weight, and its rheological and emulsifying properties. The best results for pectin yield (16.20%), galacturonic acid content (91.19 g/100 g), degree of methylation and acetylation (66.93 and 23.87%), and molecular weight (3.89 × 105 g/mol) were obtained when sugar beet flakes were pretreated by hot-air drying, and the extraction was made with citric acid using plant material with particle sizes of 125–200 μm. This pectin also had high emulsion activity (51.42%) and emulsion stability (88.03%). The FT-IR spectra were similar, while pectin thermal behavior was affected by the drying pretreatment and extraction conditions. The results of this study showed that from this by-product of the sugar industry it can be extracted high quality pectin with rheological and emulsifying properties that are superior to commercial citrus and apple pectin.

Low temperature dielectric study and photoconductive analysis of ZnO/NiO composite material

The sol-gel process was used to synthesize a ZnO–NiO composite material in this study. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to analyze the material, which confirmed the existence of both ZnO nanoparticles and NiO sheets in the composite. The composite material contained two distinct crystalline phases, the face-centered cubic phase of NiO and the hexagonal phase of ZnO. The composite's average crystallite size was determined to be 19.0 nm. The particle size of the composite material was calculated to be ∼121 nm. The band edge emission at 393 nm (3.15 eV) was measured using photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The PL spectrum revealed other emissions as well. The dielectric properties of the material were studied at low temperatures in the frequency range of 20 Hz to 1 MHz, and it was found to have a low dielectric dissipation at high frequencies, making it suitable for use in high frequency microwave devices. Impedance data was fitted using Z-View software with a fitting error of <5%. Impedance spectroscopy revealed that the composite material had two dielectric relaxation processes related to the bulk and the grain boundary. Analysis of frequency dependent ac conductivity revealed Overlapping large-polaron hopping (OLPH) is responsible conduction mechanism in our case indicated by variation of temperature (200–280 K) dependent parameter “s” with temperature. Photoconductivity studies showed that the composite material had enhanced electrical conductivity and photoconductivity compared to pure ZnO and NiO. This makes it a promising candidate for use in optoelectronic applications such as solar cells, optical switches, and photodetectors. The responsivity of composite (0.86 mA/Watt) is found to be 10 times greater than that of the responsivity of NiO (0.085 mA/Watt).

A state of the art of review on factors affecting the enhanced weathering in agricultural soil: strategies for carbon sequestration and climate mitigation.

As the urgency to address climate change intensifies, the exploration of sustainable negative emission technologies becomes imperative. Enhanced weathering (EW) represents an approach by leveraging the natural process of rock weathering to sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) in agricultural lands. This review synthesizes current research on EW, focusing on its mechanisms, influencing factors, and pathways for successful integration into agricultural practices. It evaluates key factors such as material suitability, particle size, application rates, soil properties, and climate, which are crucial for optimizing EW's efficacy. The study highlights the multifaceted benefits of EW, including soil fertility improvement, pH regulation, and enhanced water retention, which collectively contribute to increased agricultural productivity and climate change mitigation. Furthermore, the review introduces Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) and Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) verification frameworks as essential components for assessing and enhancing EW's effectiveness and credibility. By examining the current state of research and proposing avenues for future investigation, this review aims to deepen the understanding of EW's role in sustainable agriculture and climate change mitigation strategies.

Bidimensional Dynamic Magnetic Levitation: Sequential Separation of Microplastics by Density and Size.

There is a current gap in sample preparation techniques integrating the separation of microplastics according to their different material types and particle sizes. We describe herein the Bidimensional Dynamic Magnetic Levitation (2D-MagLev) technique, enabling the resolution of mixtures of microplastics sorting them by plastic type and particle size. Separations are carried out in a bespoke flow cell sandwiched between two ring magnets and connected to programmable pumps for flow control. The first separation dimension is based on sequential increases in the concentration of a paramagnetic salt (MnCl2), enabling magnetic levitation of microplastics with determined densities. The second dimension is based on increasing flow rate gradients and maintaining constant MnCl2 concentrations. This fractionates the magnetically levitating microplastics according to their different particle sizes. Microplastics are therefore collected by their increasing density, and the particles corresponding to each density are fractionated from smaller to larger size. Using polyethylene microspheres with defined density (1.03-1.13 g cm-3) and size (98-390 μm) as microplastic mimicking materials, we investigated their optimum threshold velocities for their size fractionation, potential effects of medium viscosity and sample loading, and types of flow rate gradients (linear, step). Performing a separation using a combination of step gradients in both MnCl2 concentration and flow rate, mixtures comprising microplastics of two different densities and three different particle sizes were separated. 2D-MagLev is simple, fast, versatile, and robust, opening new avenues to facilitate the study of the environmental presence and impact of microplastics.

The Effect of Leaching Duration and Solid/Liquid Ratio on Lithium Extraction from Mica Schist Used Hydrochloric Acid Process

Lithium demand has increased rapidly in the last few years because lithium is a metal that is important in technology, like electronic equipment and electric vehicles. One of the primary lithium resources is lithium ore, which contains minerals such as spodumene and lepidolite. Mica schist is one of the lithium ore sources that is indicated to contain lithium. The mica schist used in this research was from Kebumen, Central Java, Indonesia. This raw material indicates a lithium mineral called lepidolite. The aims of this research were to find out the potential of local Indonesian minerals as raw materials for lithium extraction processes in lithium-ion battery (LiB) applications, with the effect of leaching time and solid/liquid ratio. The leaching agent used in this research was 2 M chloride acid (HCl). Variables of this research were-100 mesh for particle size of raw material, 1:5, 1:10, 1:15, and 1:20 (g/ml) for solid/liquid ratio, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes for leaching time, and 70 °C for leaching temperature. Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP-OES) analysis was done on this research to determine the mica-schist composition. The optimum lithium percentage that was obtained in this research was 40.65% on a solid/liquid ratio of 1:5 (g/ml) and a leaching time of 120 minutes.

Kinetics of extracting valuable components from Ti-bearing blast furnace slag by acidolysis with sulphuric acid.

Ti-bearing blast furnace slag is a kind of solid waste produced by Pangang Group Company through the blast furnace smelting method. A variety of valuable components can be extracted from the Ti-bearing blast furnace slag after acidolysis with concentrated sulphuric acid. In order to study the kinetics of acidolysis, this paper investigated the effects of the acidolysis temperature, acid-slag ratio and raw material particle size on the overall extraction rate of Ti4+, Mg2+ and Al3+ components at different reaction times, and simulated the acidolysis process by using the unreacted shrinking core model. The results showed that the acidolysis process was controlled by internal diffusion with an apparent activation energy of 19.05kJmol-1 and the semi-empirical kinetic equation of the acidolysis process was obtained.

Study on the actual particle size, activity concentration, and migration process adsorption behavior of radioactive substances in liquid effluents from nuclear power plants

Radionuclides emitted by nuclear power plants may have effects on the environment and public health. At present, research on radioactive material effluent in the industry mainly focuses on the treatment of radioactive effluent and the particle size distribution of the primary circuit. There is little research on the particle size of radioactive material during the migration process outside the primary circuit system, as well as the flocculation precipitation and other enrichment phenomena during the collection process of effluent. Therefore, this study relies on the sampling of effluent from an in-service nuclear power plant to measure its radioactivity level by particle size range. At the same time, the mixing process of effluent is simulated in the laboratory to simulate the adsorption behavior of effluent during the migration process. It was found that in the activity concentration of detectable radioactive nuclides in the effluent samples, more than 95% of radioactive nuclides exist in the liquid with particle sizes less than 0.1μm, while particle sizes greater than 0.45 μm account for less than 5%. After the sample was filtered by the demineralizer, the radioactive activity decreased. The flocculation precipitation in the waste liquid of the waste water recovery system has a certain contribution to the enrichment of nuclides. With the extension of time, the enrichment of transition elements such as cobalt and manganese is particularly obvious, so that it is distributed in the liquid again with a large particle size. In addition, large particle size substances such as colloids in seawater have a certain adsorption effect on radionuclides, which will lead to its aggregation effect again.

Visible-Light-Driven Mentha spicata L.-Mediated Ag-Doped Bi2Zr2O7 Nanocomposite for Enhanced Degradation of Organic Pollutants, Electrochemical Sensing, and Antibacterial Applications.

Novel visible-light-driven Ag (X)-doped Bi2Zr2O7 (BZO) nanocomposites in pudina (P) extract (Mentha spicata L.), X-1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 mol %, were synthesized by the one-pot greener solution combustion method. The as-synthesized nanocomposite materials were characterized by using various spectral [X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared, UV-visible, UV- diffuse reflectance spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy], electrochemical (cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy), and analytical (scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) techniques. The average particle size of the nanocomposite material was found to be between 14.8 and 39.2 nm by XRD. The well-characterized Ag-doped BZOP nanocomposite materials exhibited enhanced photocatalytic degradation activity toward hazardous dyes such as methylene blue (MB) and rose bengal (RB) under visible light irradiation ranges between 400 and 800 nm due to their low energy band gap. As a result, 7 mol % of Ag-doped BZOP nanocomposite material exhibited excellent photodegradation activity against MB (D.E. = 98.7%) and RB (D.E. = 99.3%) as compared to other Ag-doped BZOP nanocomposite materials and pure BZOP nanocomposite, respectively, due to enhanced semiconducting and optical behaviors, high binding energy, and mechanical and thermal stabilities. The Ag-doped BZOP nanocomposite material-based electrochemical sensor showed good sensing ability toward the determination of lead nitrate and dextrose with the lowest limit of detection (LOD) of 18 μM and 12 μM, respectively. Furthermore, as a result of the initial antibacterial screening study, the Ag-doped BZOP nanocomposite material was found to be more effective against Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) as compared to Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria. The scavenger study reveals that radicals such as O2•- and •OH are responsible for MB and RB mineralization. TOC removal percentages were found to be 96.8 and 98.5% for MB and RB dyes, and experimental data reveal that the Ag-doped BZOP enhances the radical (O2•- and •OH) formation and MB and RB degradation under visible-light irradiation.

Quality of High-Fibre Pasta Supplemented with Watermelon Rind Powder with Different Particle Sizes.

Watermelon rind, a by-product of watermelon juice processing, contains large amounts of dietary fibre and phenols with antioxidant capacity. The use of agro-industrial by-products would both improve economic benefits and reduce environmental emissions. The aim of this research is to examine the effect of the particle size of watermelon rind powder on the quality of high-fibre pasta. The nutritional, physical and physicochemical quality of three samples of watermelon rind powder, sieved through three sieves with aperture size of 400, 210 and 149 μm, were analysed. Durum wheat semolina with watermelon rind powder mass fraction of 10 % were mixed and used to make pasta. Nutritional, textural and cooking quality, sensory acceptability, in vitro glycaemic index and antioxidant bioaccessibility of high-fibre pasta with added watermelon rind powder of different particle sizes were evaluated and compared. When the sieve aperture size was reduced from 400 to 149 µm, the soluble dietary fibre and total phenolic contents of watermelon rind powder were increased by 35 and 15 %, respectively, while its insoluble dietary fibre content was decreased by 21 %. Decrease in sieve aperture size from 410 to 149 µm reduced phenolic bioaccessibility of the fortified pasta from 63 to 57 %, but enhanced its predicted glycaemic index from 50 to 69. It also decreased the pasta hardness by 13 %, but improved its elongation rate and tensile strength by 13 and 40 %, respectively. The finer the particles of the watermelon rind powder, the longer the optimal cooking time, the higher the water absorption index, and the lower the cooking loss of the supplemented pasta. Consumers did not notice any significant differences in the overall acceptability among all pasta samples. The particle size of the watermelon rind powder had a major effect on nutritional value, texture and cooking quality of the fortified pasta. In particular, the predicted glycaemic index and antioxidant bioaccessibility of high-fibre pasta were significantly affected by the particle size of the dietary fibre material used in the recipe.

Effect of Non-Plastic Raw Materials Particle Size on Technological Properties of the Single-Fired Wall Tile Bodies

This study has investigated the effect of particle size of non-plastic components of quartz and pegmatite on some technological properties of wall tile bodies. For this, quartz-pegmatite mixtures were further milled up to 90 min. before adding into the body composition unlike the standard body composition, where quartz and pegmatite were used as-received. The physical and mechanical properties of the bodies were investigated and compared with the standard values. Thermal expansion coefficient and moisture expansion values were determined by a dilatometer. Phase analyses were carried out by X-ray diffraction and microstructural characteristics were studied using a scanning electron microscope. Changes in various technological properties with reducing particle size of the non-plastic components were reported, particularly the increased green and fired strength. It was discussed that using finer particle size non-plastic raw materials of quartz and pegmatite would enable not only increased industrial productivity but also increased producibility of thinner large format wall tiles.

CREATION AND PROPERTIES OF BIOCOMPOSITE NANOPARTICLES BASED ON FUCOIDAN AS CARRIERS OF FIBRINOLYTIC ENZYME

Magnetically guided biodegradable nanocomposites are a new class of functional materials that expand the possibilities of clinical therapy. The paper describes the chemistry of the formation of a nanobiocomposite material based on a natural polymer synthesized by electrostatic interaction of a polysaccharide and magnetite in an aqueous medium. The possibility of electrostatic immobilization of a model fibrinolytic enzyme was studied. An increase in the electrochemical potential of particles during immobilization of a fibrinolytic enzyme was established by the method of dynamic light scattering. The degree of enzyme inclusion was 9.95±0.05 mass%. The average particle size of the nanobiocomposite material after immobilization of the enzyme was 264.3 nm. The study of the magnetic properties showed the absence of residual magnetization, which makes it possible to exclude the possibility of magnetic aggregation when using the biocomposite in a biological application. The saturation magnetization of the formed material was 57.1 ± 2.3 kA/m, which is lower than that of pure magnetite sol (MS ∼ 73.8 ± 3.4 kA/m), but sufficient for manipulation under conditions of resistance to blood flow. The kinetics of the release of an enzyme preparation in a phosphate buffer from a nanocomposite carrier based on fucoidan was studied. To study the kinetics of enzyme release by mathematical modeling, zero and first order models, the Korsmeier-Peppas model, the Higuchi model, and the Baker-Lonsdale model were used. It has been established that the kinetics of fibrinolytic enzyme release is described with high accuracy (r2 = 0.98) by the Korsmeier–Peppas equation, where the process of release of the enzyme preparation is influenced by diffusion obeying Fick's law. It has been established that zero and first order models are applicable only to the initial (0-40 min, where r2 = 0.96) and final (80-320 min, r2 = 0.93) stage of release.

Interband electronic transitions and optical phonon modes in size-dependent multiferroic BiFeO3 nanoparticles.

Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) multiferroic nanoparticles are synthesized using a low-temperature sol-gel auto-combustion technique. The phase purity is confirmed from X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements and microstructural, electronic, and optical studies are correlated with the particle size of the bismuth ferrite nanostructured material. We demonstrated bandgap tunability from 2.22 to 1.93 eV with an average crystallite size from 42 to 24.42 nm following the inverse quantum confinement effect dominated by the lattice strain. The degenerate d-d electronic transitions 6A1g → 4T1g and 6A1g → 4T2g from iron dominate in these nanoparticles. The decrease in the energy band gap and the corresponding red shift in the d-d charge transfer transition energies with reduced average crystallite size are attributed to the increased lattice strain and reduced unit cell volume.

Bismuth selenide nanosheet layer materials with peroxidase activity for antimicrobial applications

A new type of bismuth selenide nanosheet layer material was synthesized by solvent thermal method, which is harmless to human body and can be used in combination with hydrogen peroxide solution as a new type of modern insecticide. The particle size of the bismuth selenide nanosheet material is about 80 nm, and it has good dispersion in water. In this experiment, the antibacterial ability of the material was investigated using Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus as bacterial models and plant pathogens such as strawberry gray mold and tomato gray mold as fungal models. In addition, the in vivo bioassay indicated that Bi2Se3+H2O2 possessed effective control against Pepper Anthrax Disease. The biocompatibility of this material was also investigated using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) as a model, and the results showed that the bismuth selenide nanosheet material has good antibacterial ability and biocompatibility.

Effect of brackish water inundation on temperate coastal acid sulfate soils under different vegetation types

AbstractCoastal wetland soils are frequently underlain by sulfidic materials. Sea level fluctuations can lead to oxidation of sulfidic materials in acid sulfate soils (ASS) and increased acidity which mobilises trace metals when water levels are low, and inundation of coastal wetland soils and reformation of sulfidic materials when water levels are high. We measured the effect of surface water level fluctuations in soils from coastal wetland sites under four different vegetation types: Apium gravedens (AG), Leptospermum lanigerum (LL), Phragmites australis (PA) and Paspalum distichum (PD) on an estuarine floodplain in southern Australia. We assessed effects of fluctuating water levels on reduced inorganic sulfur (RIS) in terms of acid volatile sulfide (AVS), chromium reducible sulfur (CRS) and trace metals (Fe, Al, Mn, Zn, Ni). Intact soil cores were incubated under dry, flooded and wet–dry cycle treatments of 14 days for a total of 56 days. The flooded treatment increased RIS concentrations in most depths in the AG, PA and PD sites. Lower CRS concentrations occurred in all sites in the dry treatment due to oxidation of sulfidic materials when the surface layer was exposed to lower water levels. CRS was positively correlated with SOC in all treatments. The highest net acidity occurred in the dry treatment and lowest occurred in the flooded treatment in most sites. Inundation with seawater caused SO42− reduction and decreased soluble Fe in the PA and PD sites. General decreases in Al, Zn and Ni concentrations in flooded treatments may have been due to adsorption onto colloids or co‐precipitation with slight increases in pH. SO42− concentrations decreased in the LL, PA and PD sites in the flooded treatment due to reformation of pyrite. In general, accumulation of RIS in soils under different vegetation types following brackish water inundation varied according to vegetation type, which may be linked to differences in organic material input and particle size distribution. Geochemical characteristics reflected whether oxidation or reduction processes dominated at each site in the wet–dry cycle treatments, with oxidation dominating in the LL and PA sites and reduction dominating in the AG and PD sites. This is likely due to more readily decomposable organic matter forming sulfidic materials during short periods of inundation.

Orthogonal experimental study on the influence of machining parameters on flat lapping of sapphire substrate

Sapphire is extensively utilized in the optical, aerospace, and civil electronic industries due to its favorable optical, physical, and chemical characteristics. To enhance the efficiency and quality of sapphire lapping, an orthogonal experiment was conducted on a single-side sapphire substrate using a ceramic lapping plate. The study examined the impact of lapping plate material, lapping pressure, lapping speed, and abrasive particle size on the surface roughness, profile, and removal rate. By analyzing the signal-to-noise ratio and variance of machining parameters, the influence rule and influence of the weight of machining parameters on machining results were obtained. The results of the experiment demonstrate that the material removal rate of sapphire was positively affected by an increase in lapping pressure, speed, and abrasive particle size. Moreover, the removal rate of the SiC lapping plate was the highest among the experimental materials. The roughness of the sapphire surface decreased with increasing lapping pressure, speed, and abrasive particle size, while the SiC plate had the lowest surface roughness. The profile tolerance of sapphire diminished as the lapping pressure, lapping speed, and the abrasive particle size increased. Additionally, the ZrO2 lapping plate exhibited the most minor profile tolerance. The size of the abrasive particle significantly impacted the material removal rate, with a specific gravity exceeding 70%. Similarly, the lapping pressure had a significant effect on both the surface roughness and the profile tolerance. The ideal machining parameter combination comprised an abrasive particle size of 10 µm, a lapping pressure of 22 785.0 Pa, a lapping speed of 60 rpm, and a lapping plate of SiC. Under optimal machining conditions, sapphire exhibited a material removal rate of 0.65 µm/h, a surface roughness of 0.0920 µm, and a profile tolerance of 2.0915 µm after 20 min of lapping. This demonstrated that the lapping process enables highly efficient and high-quality machining of sapphire substrates.

Comparison of the effectiveness of micromaterials and nanomaterials of lime as a stabilizing agent for expansive soils on the value of the plasticity index

Expansive soils are soils that have high shrinkage expansion. This condition is detrimental to buildings on it. Losses due to swelling and shrinkage in expansive soils require stabilization with quicklime with varying particle sizes of materials needed to reduce soil swelling and shrinkage. Stabilization with nano has been widely used. However, the procurement of nanomaterials is very expensive. Therefore, this paper will explain the effectiveness of micromaterials when compared to nanomaterials. The main focus that will be discussed in this paper is how the comparison of plasticity index (PI) values between micromaterials and quicklime nanomaterials on expansive soils. The research was conducted at the Bandung State Polytechnic Laboratory. This research uses a stabilization method by adding 2% lime per particle size. The procurement price of nanomaterial was Rp. 2,500,000 and micromaterial was Rp. 1,500,000. The plasticity index (PI) test results obtained are the original soil is 35.68%; mixed soil 2% micromaterial lime is 11.51%; and mixed soil 2% nanomaterial lime is 7.62%. The results of PI values &lt; 12 both include low expansive, so the more effective result is the PI condition of adding 2% micromaterial lime with the procurement of cheaper prices.

Classification of River Sediment Fractions in a River Segment including Shallow Water Areas Based on Aerial Images from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles with Convolution Neural Networks

Riverbed materials serve multiple environmental functions as a habitat for aquatic invertebrates and fish. At the same time, the particle size of the bed material reflects the tractive force of the flow regime in a flood and provides useful information for flood control. The traditional riverbed particle size surveys, such as sieving, require time and labor to investigate riverbed materials. The authors of this study have proposed a method to classify aerial images taken by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) using convolutional neural networks (CNNs). Our previous study showed that terrestrial riverbed materials could be classified with high accuracy. In this study, we attempted to classify riverbed materials of terrestrial and underwater samples including that which is distributed in shallow waters where the bottom can be seen using UAVs over the river segment. It was considered that the surface flow types taken overlapping the riverbed material on images disturb the accuracy of classification. By including photographs of various surface flow conditions in the training data, the classification focusing on the patterns of riverbed materials could be achieved. The total accuracy reached 90.3%. Moreover, the proposed method was applied to the river segments to determine the distribution of the particle size. In parallel, the microtopography was surveyed using a LiDAR UAV, and the relationship between the microtopography and particle size distribution was discussed. In the steep section, coarse particles were distributed and formed riffles. Fine particles were deposited on the upstream side of those riffles, where the slope had become gentler due to the dammed part. The good concordance between the microtopographical trends and the grain size distribution supports the validity of this method.

The Particle Size Distribution of Ni-Rich NMC Particles Determines Their Electrochemical Performance at Cylindrical Li-Ion Battery Cells

Developing lithium-ion batteries with high stability and increased energy density is crucial. In this study, we examined two potential cathode materials, LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 (NMC80) and LiNi0.9Mn0.05Co0.05O2 (NMC90), for use in commercial lithium-ion batteries. We utilized the 18650-cylindrical cell configuration to investigate their performance. While higher Ni mole ratios typically result in high energy, they also lead to poor stability. Our findings revealed that the uniformity of NMC particles is more critical than the Ni content. As a result, NMC90 outperformed NMC80 in terms of energy density, stability, and rate capability. These results suggest that controlling the particle size of Ni-rich layered oxide material will be crucial for further developing high-performance Li-ion batteries.

(Invited) Potentiometric Entropy Measurements and Isothermal Operando Calorimetry to Identify the Charging Mechanisms of Battery Materials

This talk presents recent development in potentiometric entropy measurements and isothermal operando calorimetry to gain insight into the charging mechanisms of lithium ion batteries. First, the concept, design, and operation of two unique experimental apparatuses will be presented. Then, the effects of material composition, crystallographic structure, and particle size on the cell’s thermodynamic behavior, polarization, and lithium ion transport will be discussed for different Wadsley-Roth materials (e.g., TiNb2O7, PNb9O25, (W0.2V0.8)3O7) under quasi-equilibrium conditions. Particular attention will be paid to phase transition, lithium ion intercalation and ion ordering in solid solution, and/or two-phase coexistence occurring during charging/discharging. Finally, instantaneous heat generation rates measured by isothermal operando calorimetry at each electrode will be used to identify the causes of energy dissipation and to provide insight into the transport and interfacial phenomena taking place in the electrodes at different states of charge and charging rates. Here, special emphasis will be placed on the contributions of Joule heating associated with resistive losses, heat of mixing due to ion concentration gradient, and reversible entropic changes.

Theoretical and Experimental Performance Characterization of Battery Anodes Comprised of Coal Derived Graphite

As demand for energy storage expands, securing reliable supply-chains for raw battery materials is critical in mitigating the threats of delayed manufacturing and inflated manufacturing costs. These issues have pushed researchers and industry to consider alternative sources for traditional lithium-ion battery materials, such as graphite. Commonly available sources of graphite for Li-ion anodes include natural graphite and petroleum coke derived synthetic graphite. While many carbon sources have been studied, most require complicated processing and result in sub-par graphite anode materials. This talk highlights raw coal and coal derived materials as promising graphite sources thanks to their abundance of sp2 hybridized carbon, resulting in simpler processing, and low material costs.We show that coal derived graphite can be implemented as a lithium-ion anode, however, many chemical, microstructural, and morphological considerations are necessary to compare with commercial graphite performance. We will experimentally compare the morphology at the microstructure for graphite from various carbon sources, and then apply the virtual microstructure analysis method as detailed by Lopata et al to quantify potential differences between the anode microstructures with respect to effective active material particle size (diffusion length calculation), the electrochemical surface area, and the tortuosity of the liquid phase domain. These calculations from representative 3D microstructures can then be extended to a porous electrode model as detailed in Garrick et al to probe the impact in ionic, kinetic, and ohmic losses in the system.References Joseph S. Lopata et al 2023 J. Electrochem. Soc. 170 020530Taylor R. Garrick et al 2021 J. Electrochem. Soc. 168 010530