Blog

Synthesizing Solid Electrolyte for Lithium-Ion Batteries

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing to browse this site you agree to our use of cookies. More info.

Lithium ceramic has the potential to serve as a solid electrolyte in the development of more potent and cost-effective rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The key challenge lies in discovering a production technique that does not require sintering at elevated temperatures. Pully And Roller

Synthesizing Solid Electrolyte for Lithium-Ion Batteries

In the journal Angewandte Chemie, a research team has recently introduced a sinter-free method for the efficient, low-temperature synthesis of these ceramics in a conductive crystalline state.

The advancement of batteries for electric vehicles is primarily influenced by two key factors: power, which directly impacts the vehicle's range, and cost, a critical factor in competing with internal combustion engines.

The US Department of Energy is committed to expediting the shift from gasoline-powered vehicles to electric vehicles. It has established ambitious objectives to decrease production costs and enhance the energy density of batteries by 2030. It is important to note that conventional lithium-ion batteries cannot meet these targets.

A highly promising strategy for creating smaller, lighter, considerably more powerful, and safer batteries involves using solid-state cells with metallic lithium anodes instead of graphite.

In contrast to traditional lithium-ion batteries, which employ liquid organic electrolytes and a polymer film to divide the anodic and cathodic sections, solid-state batteries consist entirely of solid components. A slim ceramic layer serves the dual purpose of a solid electrolyte and separator.

This design is highly effective at preventing dangerous short circuits resulting from the formation of lithium dendrites and curbing thermal runaway. Furthermore, solid-state batteries do not contain easily flammable liquids.

The garnet-type lithium oxide Li7La3Zr2O12−d (LLZO) is an example of a suitable ceramic electrolyte/separator for cells with high energy density. To transform the LLZO (lithium lanthanum zirconium oxide) material into the high lithium-conducting cubic crystalline phase, ensuring adequate density and a strong bond with the electrode, it currently requires sintering at temperatures exceeding 1050 °C.

However, temperatures surpassing 600 °C destabilize sustainable, low-cobalt, or cobalt-free cathode materials, simultaneously leading to increased production costs and energy consumption. New, cost-effective, and sustainable production methods are imperative.

A team led by Jennifer L. M. Rupp at MIT in Cambridge, USA, and TU Munich in Germany, has successfully devised a novel synthetic method. This innovative approach does not rely on a ceramic precursor compound but rather employs a liquid precursor that undergoes direct densification to create LLZO through a sequential decomposition synthesis.

To fine-tune the conditions for this synthetic process, Rupp and her research team scrutinized the multi-step phase transformation of LLZO, evolving from its amorphous state to the essential crystalline form (cLLZO). They employed several methods, including Raman spectroscopy and dynamic differential scanning calorimetry, and constructed a time-temperature-transformation diagram.

Leveraging the insights they acquired into the crystallization process, they devised a pathway in which dense, solid cLLZO is achieved through a 10-hour annealing process at a relatively low temperature of 500 °C, all without the need for sintering.

In future battery designs, this method will enable the integration of the solid LLZO electrolyte with sustainable cathodes, potentially eliminating the reliance on economically critical elements like cobalt.

Zhu, Y., et al. (2023). Time–Temperature–Transformation (TTT) Diagram of Battery‐Grade Li‐Garnet Electrolytes for Low‐Temperature Sustainable Synthesis. Angewandte Chemie International Edition. doi.org/10.1002/anie.202304581.

Source: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Do you have a review, update or anything you would like to add to this news story?

In this interview, AZoM speaks to Bruker Optics about the different ways IR light can be used in semiconductors.

At The Greener Manufacturing Show 2023, we spoke with KUORI CEO and Founder Sarah Harbarth about the growth and ambitions of the company as it develops its novel materials.

In this interview, AZoM talks to Geoff Downing and Mark Mattison from Thermo Fisher Scientific and Entegris, respectively, about semiconductors and their importance, manufacture and how gas analysis factors into these processes.

Allectra's latest bimetallic CF component series, featuring innovative Titanium CF Flanges linked with Aluminum Tubes, promises to revolutionize the design of Aluminum chambers.

When it comes to powder permeability and powder processing, understanding the permeability of powders is important for pharmaceuticals, food production, and additive manufacturing.

Analytik Jena’s compEAct provides reliable determination of sulfur and nitrogen in liquid, gases, and LPG samples.

The global semiconductor market has entered an exciting period. Demand for chip technology is both driving the industry as well as hindering it, with current chip shortages predicted to last for some time. Current trends will likely shape the future of the industry, which is set to continue to show

The primary distinction between graphene-based batteries and solid-state batteries lies in the composition of either electrode. Although the cathode is commonly changed, carbon allotropes can also be employed in fabricating anodes.

In recent years, the IoT is rapidly being introduced into almost all sectors, but it has particular importance in the EV industry.

AZoM.com - An AZoNetwork Site

Synthesizing Solid Electrolyte for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Conveyor Belt Spare Parts Owned and operated by AZoNetwork, © 2000-2023