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At least 181 records · Page 10

A facile recovery process for cathodes from spent lithium iron phosphate batteries by using oxalic acid

A simplistic and novel leaching process is developed to dispose spent lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO 4 ) batteries. In this paper, oxalic acid is selected as a leaching reagent to recover lithium as a resource and remove phosphorus from LiFePO 4 batteries, benefiting from its low natural effects. The physical properties of spent cathode materials (before leaching) and residues (after leaching) are identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The total amounts of Li and Fe are analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). The process occurs under conditions of a 0.3 mol·L -1 oxalic acid concentration, a temperature of 80°C, a reaction time of 60 min and a solid/liquid ratio of 60 g· L -1 . It can effectively precipitate ~92% ferrum in terms of FeC 2 O 4 ·2H 2 O from LiFePO 4 , with the leaching efficiency of Li achieving up to 98%. This method demonstrates a new strategy for dealing with spent lithium iron phosphate batteries with a low cost and low environmental impact.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

A Mg-Doped High-Nickel Layered Oxide Cathode Enabling Safer, High-Energy-Density Li-Ion Batteries

High-nickel layered oxide cathodes with a Ni content of > 90% show substantial potential for next-generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their high capacity and lower cost. However, they are plagued by rapid capacity decay and poor thermal stability, which hamper their practical viability. Here we present Li 0.98 Mg 0.02 Ni 0.94 Co 0.06 O 2 (NC-Mg) with 2% Mg doping, aiming to provide a strategic guideline for solving the issues. The Mg 2+ ions occupy the lithium layer and are pro-posed to act as pillar ions, which substantially enhances the structural reversibility and reduces the anisotropic lattice distortion upon cycling, thereby greatly improving the electrochemical and thermal stability of NC-Mg compared to the undoped LiNi 0.94 Co 0.06 O 2 (NC). Specifically, NC-Mg delivers 214 mA h g -1 with a capacity retention of 80.1% after 500 cycles in pouch-type full cells, much higher than the retention of NC (56.3%). A discharge capacity of 158 mA h g -1 at 10C rate demonstrates its remarkable rate capability. Additionally, the Mg doping significantly elevates the exothermic peak tem-perature of NC-Mg to 211 °C, in sharp contrast to 177 °C for NC, highlighting the improved thermal stability of NC-Mg. Collectively, the superior performance of NC-Mg demonstrates a feasible alternative strategy for developing safer, high-energy-density LIBs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Vapor-Fed Cathode Microbial Electrolysis Cells with Closely Spaced Electrodes Enables Greatly Improved Performance

Hydrogen can be electrochemically produced in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) by current generated from bacterial anodes with a small added voltage. MECs typically use a liquid catholyte containing a buffer or salts. However, anions in these catholytes result in charge being balanced predominantly by ions other than hydroxide or protons, leading to anode acidification. To enhance only hydroxide ion transport to the anode, we developed a novel vapor-fed MEC configuration lacking a catholyte with closely spaced electrodes and an anion exchange membrane to limit the acidification. This MEC design produced a record-high sustained current density of 43.1 ± 0.6 A/m 2 and a H 2 production rate of 72 ± 2 LH 2 /L-d (cell voltage of 0.79 ± 0.00 V). There was minimal impact on MEC performance of increased acetate concentrations, solution conductivity, or anolyte buffer capacity at applied voltages up to 1.1 V, as shown by a nearly constant internal resistance of only 6.8 ± 0.3 mΩ m 2 . At applied external voltages >1.1 V, the buffer capacity impacted performance, with current densities increasing from 28.5 ± 0.6 A/m 2 (20 mM phosphate buffer solution (PBS)) to 51 ± 1 A/m 2 (100 mM PBS). Furthermore, these results show that a vapor-fed MEC can produce higher and more stable performance than liquid-fed cathodes by enhancing transport of hydroxide ions to the anode.

anion exchange membrane↗

CuS and Cu 2 S as Cathode Materials for Lithium Batteries: A Review [A Review on CuS and Cu 2 S as Cathode Materials for Lithium Batteries]

Nowadays, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) take a very important role for energy storage. LIBs are dominant in consumer electronics, and they have also entered the market of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in HEVs, and pure EVs. However, state-of-the-art LIBs are electrochemically intercalation-based and are still limited in energy density and power rates. To address these challenges and others (e. g. safety issues and cost), conversion-based copper sulfides (Cu x S, 1≤x≤2) have been investigated as alternative cathodes for improved electrochemical performance, that is, higher energy density, better cycling stability, and enhanced rate capability. In this paper, we summarize the recent research progress on Cu x S to gain a better understanding of the material's electrochemical mechanisms and develop feasible strategies for improving its performance.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

LiMnPO4·Li3V2(PO4)3 composite cathode material derived from Mn(VO3)2 nanosheet precursor

The LiMnPO4·Li3V2(PO4)3/C composite cathode material was synthesized from Mn(VO3)2 nanosheet precursor, which was prepared by a hydrothermal method. The structure and morphology of the composite were systematically investigated by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), etc. The LiMnPO4·Li3V2(PO4)3/C composite material exhibits a low polarization and high specific capacity of 150.7 mAh g-1 at 0.1C in voltage range of 2.5–4.5V, and excellent cycle and rate performance for its stable nanocomposite framework. The composite material dominantly exists in the morphological shape of nanograins and nanorods, which increases the surface area and hence facilitate the electrolyte penetration. The nanoparticle components were even further identified in detail.

Lei, Zhihong↗

Synchrotron X-ray studies of model SOFC cathodes, part II: Porous powder cathodes

Infiltrated La 0.6 Sr 0.4 Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 O 3-δ (LSCF) sintered porous powder cathodes for solid oxide fuel cells have been investigated by synchrotron ultra-small angle x-ray scattering (USAXS). Here, we demonstrated that atomic layer deposition (ALD) is the method for a uniform coating and liquid-phase infiltration for growing nanoscale particles on the porous LSCF surfaces. The MnO infiltrate, grown by ALD, forms a conformal layer with a uniform thickness throughout the pores evidenced by USAXS thickness fringes. The La 0.6 Sr 0.4 CoO 3 (LSC) and La 2 Zr 2 O 7 (LZO) infiltrates, grown by liquid-phase infiltration, were found to form nanoscale particles on the surfaces of LSCF particles resulting in increased surface areas. In conclusion, impedance measurements suggest that the catalytic property of LSC infiltrate, not the increased surface area of LZO, is important for increasing oxygen reduction activities.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗