Rechargeable Lithium Batteries Research Articles

E-cigarette explosions: patient profiles, injury patterns, clinical management, and outcome

BackgroundE-cigarette abuse, also known as vaping, is a widespread habit. Recently, there have been increasing reports of explosions of these devices resulting in serious burn injuries, especially to the groin, hand, and face. Overheating rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are supposed to be the responsible mechanism, especially in low quality fabrications. MethodsIn this single-center retrospective study, data of 46 patients are presented and analyzed. In addition to information on demographics, injury patterns, and treatment options, this is the first study investigating outcome after an average of 13 months via a standardized telephone interview of 31 patients (67%). Patients were specifically asked regarding their outcome, vaping habits, technical modifications to their devices and supply source. ResultsPatients were mainly male (98.2%) with a median age of 36 years. Typical injury patterns included the groin region (n = 32; 69%), hands (n = 12; 25%) and face (n = 3; 7%). All patients underwent debridement, in nine cases hydrotherapeutically. 61% (n = 28) underwent consecutive tangential necrectomy and subsequent split thickness skin graft transplantation. Wound infection was observed in 18 patients (39%), with burn depth as a significant risk factor (p < 0.001). 91% of the followed-up patients were satisfied. Surprisingly, 38% were still using e-cigarettes. 42% (n = 13) reported manual modifications of their devices to prolong battery life or increasing smoke production. ConclusionsInjuries from exploding e-cigarettes can be serious and should be treated in a specialized burn center. E-cigarette explosions lead to characteristic injury patterns and often need surgical treatment. This should be made more public to reduce their use and keep people from modifying the devices. The counterintuitive and irrational observation of a high rate of abuse even after the injury underlines their addiction potential.

A multifunctional network binder enables stable and high performance of silicon-based anode in lithium-ion battery

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries with high energy density have attracted attention as a means of solving environmental problems. Silicon (Si) has been considered as one of the most promising anode materials due to its high theoretical capacity of 3579 mAh g−1 (Li15Si4). However, the enormous volume change of Si occurs during lithiation/delithiation process, which seriously deteriorates the mechanical/electrochemical stability of Si anodes. To address these inherent problems, it is of importance to develop a functional binder capable of reducing the volume variation of Si anodes. In this work, we first design a new binder system by employing a Multifunctional Network Binder (MNB) to synergistically improve the electrochemical stability and performances of Si-based electrodes. The introduction of MNB into the Li-PAA-based electrode system constructs a strong binding matrix through abundant functional bridges. In addition, the MNB with high dispersion stability improves the ionic conductivity of Si-based electrodes. Owing to these synergistic effects of Li-PAA/MNB binder system, the volume expansion of Si-based electrodes was significantly suppressed, contributing to the excellent Coulombic efficiency (99.9%) and capacity retention (87% after 100 cycles).

Computational study on hybrid air-PCM cooling inside lithium-ion battery packs with varying number of cells

Rising global pollution index, together with transportation vehicles as one of the major contributors, has prompted researchers to focus on clean and renewable sources of energy. Electric vehicles (EVs) with rechargeable lithium-ion battery offer a promising option to develop clean energy vehicles. However, in order to bring off an optimal performance, a specified temperature range must be chosen for the operation of these batteries. Here, we numerically investigated a battery thermal management system (BTMS) utilizing encapsulated phase change material (PCM) combined with forced convective air cooling using the coupled electrochemical-thermal modelling. Commercial SONY 18650 type lithium-ion cells were taken in two arrangements, namely, inline and staggered. PCM encapsulation of thickness 0–3 mm over the cells was used. Broadly, the influence of increasing cell number (N) on the cooling performance and thermal uniformity has been delineated at discharging rates of 1C, 2C and 5C. A scrupulous analysis of temperature and velocity distribution, cell temperature (average and maximum), and thermal uniformity plots have been reported. Typically, for N = 8, a significant reduction of ~33 K in average temperature was seen at 5C discharge rate and air inlet velocity of Uin = 0.2 m/s when only a thin layer (1 mm) of PCM is applied on the cells. Moreover, a simple predictive correlation is established for a priori estimation of the average and maximum cell temperature in the gamut of pertinent parameters. Lastly, for an optimization viewpoint, a comparative analysis of results is presented based on different location of PCM encapsulation.

Solid electrolyte interphase on anodes in rechargeable lithium batteries

Solid electrolyte interphase on anodes in rechargeable lithium batteries

Smart Insoles for Gait Analysis Based on Meshless Conductive Rubber Sensors and Neural Networks

In recent years, advances in wearable medical devices have been driven by the development of flexible sensors and wireless IoT technologies, with research and applications in this field rapidly increasing. Plantar pressure analysis is a gait method that can be used to analyze foot pressure during human movement to identify potential health problems, but most of the devices based on this method are currently single-functional, poorly portable, and expensive. This work proposes a smart insole using meshless conductive rubber sensors, as well as a multi-channel data acquisition and transmission system based on these sensors, deep learning networks, and Bluetooth technology. The smart insole sensing unit and circuit board were made of flexible materials and powered by rechargeable lithium batteries. The system can be used to collect plantar pressure data from the sensors in real time, analyze the pressure in different regions of the foot through a neural network, and infer the gait cycle and abnormal gait of the user. The effective communication range can be up to 70 meters under barrier-free conditions. This smart insole has a bright future thanks to the pressure detection range, fast response time, and good durability.

Correction: Novel composite materials H2V3O8/PEDOT:PSS as a promising cathode material for rechargeable lithium–ion batteries

Correction: Novel composite materials H2V3O8/PEDOT:PSS as a promising cathode material for rechargeable lithium–ion batteries

Comments: Pricing Index Launched for “Black Mass”

As an indicator of the evolving global energy marketplace, recycled battery metals just earned their own spot pricing assessments for China and Europe. S&amp;P Global Commodity Insights launched nine new daily “black mass” evaluations last month “to bring greater transparency to pricing of the battery raw materials market.” These complement its existing suite of daily battery metals assessments. The hunt is ongoing, and escalating, for virgin sources of metals such as lithium, manganese, cobalt, and nickel for use in lithium-ion batteries ranging from those in watches and devices to utility-scale storage, electric vehicles (EVs), and oil- and gas-related applications. In this issue of JPT, the use of oilfield technologies in deep-sea mining for these metals is highlighted. An ExxonMobil researcher, M. Stanley Whittingham, created the first examples of the rechargeable lithium-ion battery in the 1970s. He and two other researchers were awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the development of these batteries. For decades, lithium-ion batteries have been used in oil- and gas-related applications such as downhole tools related to drilling, measurement, testing, wireline, and well intervention. They can operate under extreme conditions and temperatures (from 220°C to –50°C, in the deep subsea) and are safe in potentially inflammable and explosive environments. Their long operation life and reliability are vital because of the high costs associated with downhole battery failures. More familiar to many is the use of lithium-ion batteries in EVs. The annual demand for EV batteries (in kilotonnes) is forecast to more than double from 2019 to 2030, according to the International Energy Agency’s Global EV Outlook 2020. The increased demand is due largely to their high energy density. They hold more energy in a smaller area than other types of batteries. New technologies enable the recovery and reuse of core components when these batteries reach the end of their useful lives. The battery pack can be collected, dismantled, and shredded. The shredded material is then processed to produce so-called “black mass” from which these high-value critical metals can be extracted and reused in new battery production. Although the demand is expected to mushroom, the global supply of these metals is finite. Their mining is energy- and labor-intensive. Mining the ore creates environmental effects such as land disruption and emissions; refining brine yields lower-grade lithium and recovers less of the metal present than is recovered from ore. Mining in Chile, a major lithium exporter, consumes 65% of the country’s water. In September 2022, the American Chemical Society estimated only 5% of the world’s lithium-ion batteries were recycled from the projected 8 million tons of waste. S&amp;P Global expects recycled battery materials to make up an increasing share of the supply chain well beyond 2030. The potential availability of recycled materials would account for 30% of nickel, 27% of lithium, and 40% of cobalt demand between 2020 and 2050. Recycled metals have the potential to be cheaper than their virgin equivalents and provide supply in regions that do not have the natural resources available. In addition to reducing the need for virgin materials, recycling/reuse reduces the carbon emissions associated with new mining activities. But recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries, as a relatively nascent process, has its problems. Both physical and chemical processes are involved. Physical processes include pretreatment and recovery of electrode materials which include disassembly, crushing, screening, magnetic separation, washing, and heating treatment. Chemical processes involve leaching, separation, extraction, and chemical/electrochemical precipitation. Challenges remain to achieve the required “perfect” recovery in terms of safety, low cost, low energy consumption, and no pollution. Another challenge is to convince carmakers to use recycled materials. In an IEEE Spectrum article, Yan Wang, a professor of mechanical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, said, “Battery companies still hesitate to use recycled material in their batteries.” A study by Wang and researchers from the US Advanced Battery Consortium and A123 Systems, a battery company, concluded, “it becomes clear that recycled materials can be as good as or even better than the high-quality control materials.” As with most rapidly advancing technologies and processes, the concept must be proven, and the economics must make sense to increase widespread adoption. In the circular economy, the recycling and reuse of these high-value, limited-resource metals have the potential to be a shining star.

Cloud-Based Deep Learning for Co-Estimation of Battery State of Charge and State of Health

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are currently the most viable option for energy storage systems in electric vehicle (EV) applications due to their high specific energy, falling costs, and acceptable cycle life. However, accurately predicting the parameters of complex, nonlinear battery systems remains challenging, given diverse aging mechanisms, cell-to-cell variations, and dynamic operating conditions. The states and parameters of batteries are becoming increasingly important in ubiquitous application scenarios, yet our ability to predict cell performance under realistic conditions remains limited. To address the challenge of modelling and predicting the evolution of multiphysics and multiscale battery systems, this study proposes a cloud-based AI-enhanced framework. The framework aims to achieve practical success in the co-estimation of the state of charge (SOC) and state of health (SOH) during the system’s operational lifetime. Self-supervised transformer neural networks offer new opportunities to learn representations of observational data with multiple levels of abstraction and attention mechanisms. Coupling the cloud-edge computing framework with the versatility of deep learning can leverage the predictive ability of exploiting long-range spatio-temporal dependencies across multiple scales.

Synthesizing copper-doped silicon/carbon composite anode as cost-effective active materials for Li-ion batteries

Potentially useful anodic material with prospects for use within rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are fabricated from silicon (Si)-based compounds. The active Si/electrolyte contact and weak conductivity, however, constantly produce side reactions, which dramatically reduce cycling stability. The only metallic current collector that demonstrates to facilitate lithium-ion transfer and electron conduction without alloying reactions is copper (Cu). In this study, we created Si-based multicomponent anode materials made of Si/Cu/Cu3Si alloy nanoparticles (Si/Cu/Cu3Si@C) coated in amorphous carbon. This is accomplished utilizing a straightforward, low-cost approach that combines hydrothermal technology and high-intensity ball milling. To further increase conductivity, Si/Cu/Cu3Si alloy is used as the active component. Through the use of a micro-sized amorphous carbon-coated structure, the volume problem of the active material can be successfully resolved. Additionally, the micro-sized amorphous carbon may inhibit nanoparticle agglomeration and alloy interfacial side reactions. As a result, it is anticipated that the Si/Cu/Cu3Si@C composite will display favorable electrochemical performances and possess a remarkable reversible specific capacity of 984 mAh g−1 at 0.5 C. The GITT test is used to determine the DLi+ of the Si/Cu/Cu3Si@C electrode, which ranges from 10−11 to 10−8 cm−2 s−1. Additionally, the full-cell is constructed by coupling a Li(Ni1/3Co1/3 Mn1/3)O2(NCM111) cathode with a solution-based chemically Si/Cu/Cu3Si@C anode that exhibits an enhanced initial coulombic efficiency (84.9%) and outstanding cycle performance.

Size- and temperature-dependent mechanical properties of metallic lithium

Lithium (Li) metal anodes are under active investigation to boost the energy density of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). In developing such anodes, uncontrolled Li plating/stripping remains a critical issue, which calls for a deep understanding of the deformation characteristics of Li. Here we report an experimental study on the elastic, plastic, and creep behavior of metallic Li over a wide range of temperatures and length scales that are relevant to battery applications. We characterized these mechanical properties via environmentally controlled, variable-temperature nanoindentation. A strong size effect on the indentation hardness of Li was observed and rationalized by a modified Nix–Gao model incorporating the effect of surface energy. Size- and temperature-dependent creep behavior of Li was also analyzed and attributed to self-diffusion-controlled dislocation climb as the dominant creep mechanism.

Imaging the Surface/Interface Morphologies Evolution of Silicon Anodes Using in Situ/Operando Electron Microscopy

Si-based rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have generated interest as silicon has remarkably high theoretical specific capacity. It is projected that LIBs will meet the increasing need for extensive energy storage systems, electric vehicles, and portable electronics with high energy densities. However, the Si-based LIB has a substantial problem due to the volume cycle variations brought on by Si, which result in severe capacity loss. Making Si-based anodes-enabled high-performance LIBs that are easy to utilize requires an understanding of the fading mechanism. Due to its distinct advantage in morphological changes from microscale to nanoscale, even approaching atomic resolution, electron microscopy is one of the most popular methods. Based on operando electron microscopy characterization, the general comprehension of the fading mechanism and the morphology evolution of Si-based LIBs are debated in this review. The current advancements in compositional and structural interpretation for Si-based LIBs using advanced electron microscopy characterization methods are outlined. The future development trends in pertinent silicon materials characterization methods are also highlighted, along with numerous potential research avenues for Si-based LIBs design and characterization.

A Novel Graphene Based Bi-Function Humidity Tolerant Binder for Lithium-Ion Battery.

Binders play a critical role in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) by holding granular electrode materials, conductive carbons, and current collectors firmly together to form and maintain a continuous electron conduction phase with sufficient mechanical strength. In the commercial LIBs, the dominant binder is polyvinylidene fluoride for the cathode (LiCoO2 , LiFePO4 , LiNix Coty Mnz O2 , etc.) and carboxyl methylcellulose/styrene-butadiene rubber for the anode (graphite and Li4 Ti5 O12 ). However, these polymer binders have several drawbacks, particularly, a lack of electronic and lithium-ion conductivities. Here, a novel organic/inorganic hybrid conductive binder (LAP-rGO) for both the anode and cathode of LIBs is reported. The binder consists of 2D reduced graphene oxide sheets with anchored long alkane chains. Electrodes prepared using this binder exhibit sufficient high bond strength, fast electrolyte diffusion, high rate charge/discharge performance, and excellent cycling stability. Around 130 mAh g-1 capacity enhancement at 5C is demonstrated for LiFePO4 and Li4 Ti5 O12 electrodes owing to the combined improvement in electron and lithium ion transportation. LAP-rGO bond graphite anode shows specific capacity beyond its theoretical value. Electrode slurries prepared using this new binder have superior processing and coating properties that can be prepared under a high humidity and dried using less energy.

Tuning Electrochemical Properties of Nitroaromatic Cathodes by Function‐Oriented Design for Rechargeable Lithium‐Ion Batteries

AbstractRechargeable lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) based on organic cathodes are an attractive alternative energy storage technology owing to the low cost and sustainability. Recently, nitro functionality in dinitrobenzenes is successfully demonstrated as an electrochemically reversible high‐capacity redox group. In this study, a function‐oriented design is employed to further disclose the effects of substituting functional groups and molecular conjugate structures on electrochemical properties of a range of nitroaromatic derivatives as organic cathodes for rechargeable LIBs. In specific, it is revealed that the redox potential of nitroaromatic cathodes can be effectively adjusted by introducing distinct electronically inducible functional groups, while the cyclic life can be significantly prolonged with the introduction of the hydrophilic groups. When constructed with extended π‐conjugated structures, the electronic conductivity and electrochemical kinetics of nitroaromatics are increased significantly owing to their various long‐range π–π stacking. Moreover, density‐functional theory calculations further provide theoretical insights into the distinct electrochemical behaviors of the various nitroaromatics in the molecular level. This is the first study that reveals the influences of substituting groups and conjugated structures on the electrochemical performance of nitroaromatic cathode materials, which enables a function‐oriented molecular design of such organic materials and sheds light on their future development.

The Impact of Nanotechnology on Lithium-Ion Battery Used in Electric Vehicles

The global environment has already been polluted by the traditional fuel vehicles and become more and more serious. In this situation, the electric vehicles (EVs) came to the attention of the worldwide people. In recent years, the electric vehicles have developed rapidly. As a result, the components of the electric vehicles were logically achieved great success, particularly the rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Fortunately, the nanotechnology, at the same time, made a great deal of huge achievements and appeared in numerous fields. Nanotechnology obviously plays a critical role in the field of lithium-ion battery and nearly all elements of lithium-ion battery are changed to varying degrees. The performances of lithium-ion are becoming more suitable for commercial production, such as higher power and energy density, lower price, better stability and increased capacity. The recent and advanced developments of different kinds of welcomed anode materials, graphite, nanostructural silicon, lithium titanate and titanium dioxide, and cathode materials, lithium cobalt oxide, LiFePO4, lithium manganese oxide, nickel-rich cathode, and solid electrolyte nanomaterials, are discussed and emphasized with the advantages and disadvantages, limitations, methods for improving and future development. The modification caused by nanotechnology truly can improve the performance of the lithium-ion battery. Lots of further researches that is changing the traditional materials into nanoscale or adding nanomaterials will be processed in the purpose of finding the most practical lithium-ion battery used in electric vehicles.

Silicic acid electrolyte additive reduces charge transfer impedance at sub-ambient temperature for lithium-ion rechargeable batteries

Vehicle electrification is a critical application of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), and it is essential to develop LIBs that can operate at sub-ambient temperatures with satisfying performance. Conventional LIBs have performance deficits at low temperatures which hinder their use in extreme environments. One approach to address this problem is to rationally engineer the electrode/electrolyte interface with electrolyte additives to improve the electrochemical kinetics at sub-ambient temperatures. In this work, silicic acid (SiAc) is incorporated into standard LIB electrolyte as an additive to enhance the capacity and energy density of LIBs at temperatures down to −20 °C. Full-cell impedance analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of cycled electrodes point towards an additive-induced change in surface chemistry which alters the charge transfer process. It is proposed that the SiAc additive participated in the formation of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and lowered the activation energy of the interface impedance, assisting lithium ion transport across the interface at lower temperatures.

Enhanced electrochemistry of AlPO4 nano-layer-wrapped LiMn2O4 cathode material for an aqueous rechargeable lithium-ion battery

Enhanced electrochemistry of AlPO4 nano-layer-wrapped LiMn2O4 cathode material for an aqueous rechargeable lithium-ion battery

Thermoelectric energy harvesting for wireless onboard rail condition monitoring

ABSTRACT A thermoelectric energy harvesting device is evaluated to power a bearing health monitoring system. Unlike wayside equipment, the new system is an onboard wireless solution utilizing accelerometer and temperature sensors to assess the bearing condition continuously. The harvesting system consists of two thermoelectric generator modules with aluminium heat sinks, a switching boost converter, a battery management circuit, and a lithium rechargeable battery. The performance of the harvester is validated on an AAR class bearing mounted on a laboratory tester, with load and speed simulating common freight routes of up to 896 miles. The energy harvested varies with operating conditions, and data is presented showing the effect of load and speed. Over a realistic route, the net energy harvested is more than double that needed to indefinitely power a Bluetooth Low Energy sensor. The critical design parameters are the ratio of open-circuit voltage to the temperature difference for the thermoelectric module, and the cold start voltage of the boost converter.

Dynamic phase evolution of MoS3 accompanied by organodiselenide mediation enables enhanced performance rechargeable lithium battery

Considerable efforts have been devoted to Li-S batteries, typically the soluble polysulfides shuttling effect. As a typical transition metal sulfide, MoS2 is a magic bullet for addressing the issues of Li-S batteries, drawing increasing attention. In this study, we introduce amorphous MoS3 as analogous sulfur cathode material and elucidate the dynamic phase evolution in the electrochemical reaction. The metallic 1T phase incorporated 2H phase MoS2 with sulfur vacancies (SVs-1T/2H-MoS2) decomposed from amorphous MoS3 achieves refined mixing with the "newborn" sulfur at the molecular level and supplies continuous conduction pathways and controllable physical confinement. Meanwhile, the insitu-generated SVs-1T/2H-MoS2 allows lithium intercalation in advance at high discharge voltage (≥1.8 V) and enables fast electron transfer. Moreover, aiming at the unbonded sulfur, diphenyl diselenide (PDSe), as a model redox mediator is applied, which can covalently bond sulfur atoms to form conversion-type organoselenosulfides, changing the original redox pathway of "newborn" sulfur in MoS3, and suppressing the polysulfides shuttling effect. It also significantly lowers the activation energy and thus accelerates the sulfur reduction kinetics. Thus, the insitu-formed intercalation-conversion hybrid electrode of SVs-1T/2H-MoS2 and organoselenosulfides realizes enhanced rate capability and superior cycling stability. This work provides a novel concept for designing high-energy-density electrode materials.

PEO/Li2ZrO3 composite electrolyte for solid-state rechargeable lithium battery

The organic/inorganic composite solid electrolytes (CSEs) for solid-state lithium batteries (LIBs) have attracted much attention for the possible advantages such as good interfacial compatibility, low cost, high efficiency and safety, etc. In this work, Li2ZrO3 inorganic Li-ion conductor is first time used as electrolyte filler for fabricating organic/inorganic CSE films. The CSE with 20 % (weight percentage) of Li2ZrO3 powder in polyethyleneoxide (PEO) exhibits high comprehensive performance with room-temperature conductivity of 6.76 × 10−6 S cm−1, electrochemical window of 4.2 V and ionic transference number of 0.20. The introduction of Li2ZrO3 obviously reduces the interfacial resistance between PEO and Li metal, and enhances the CSE stability by reducing the decomposition of LITFSI in CSE film. The assembled flexible Li/CSE/NCM811 solid-state LIBs deliver high rate capability and cycling stability. Li2ZrO3/PEO CSE is a promising electrolyte for flexible solid-state LIBs.

Recent Development in Topological Polymer Electrolytes for Rechargeable Lithium Batteries

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are still being considered as a candidate to replace liquid electrolytes for high-safety and flexible lithium batteries due to their superiorities including light-weight, good flexibility, and shape versatility. However, inefficient ion transportation of linear polymer electrolytes is still the biggest challenge. To improve ion transport capacity, developing novel polymer electrolytes are supposed to be an effective strategy. Nonlinear topological structures such as hyperbranched, star-shaped, comb-like, and brush-like types have highly branched features. Compared with linear polymer electrolytes, topological polymer electrolytes possess more functional groups, lower crystallization, glass transition temperature, and better solubility. Especially, a large number of functional groups are beneficial to dissociation of lithium salt for improving the ion conductivity. Furthermore, topological polymers have strong design ability to meet the requirements of comprehensive performances of SPEs. In this review, the recent development in topological polymer electrolytes is summarized and their design thought is analyzed. Outlooks are also provided for the development of future SPEs. It is expected that this review can raise a strong interest in the structural design of advanced polymer electrolyte, which can give inspirations for future research on novel SPEs and promote the development of next-generation high-safety flexible energy storage devices.