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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

Nonpolar Alkanes Modify Lithium‐Ion Solvation for Improved Lithium Deposition and Stripping

Abstract Lithium metal batteries have been plagued by the high reactivity of lithium. Reactive additives that can passivate the lithium metal surface and limit electrolyte accessibility to a fresh lithium surface have been widely explored, but can have limited utility with continuous consumption of the additive. In this work, an alternative strategy is explored. The use of nonreactive cosolvents such as nonpolar alkanes is studied and its is shown that hexane and cyclohexane addition to ether solvents (1,3‐dioxolane and 1,2‐dimethoxyethane) halves the nucleation and growth overpotentials for lithium deposition, increases the cell coulombic efficiency, improves the lithium deposition morphology, increases the electrolyte oxidative stability (>0.2 V), and doubles the cycle life—even when compared to a widely used fluorinated ether. The nonpolar alkanes modify the lithium‐ion solvation environment and reduce the solvation free energy; hence reducing the reaction barrier for lithium deposition. Exploration of nonpolar alkanes as part of the electrolyte mixture is a promising strategy for controlling metal deposition.

Amanchukwu, Chibueze V.↗
DOE OSTI2017

Spatial Heterogeneities and Onset of Passivation Breakdown at Lithium Anode Interfaces

Effective passivation of lithium metal surfaces, and prevention of battery-shorting lithium dendrite growth, are critical for implementing lithium metal anodes for batteries with increased power densities. Nanoscale surface heterogeneities can be “hot spots” where anode passivation breaks down. Motivated by the observation of lithium dendrites in pores and grain boundaries in all-solid batteries, we examine lithium metal surfaces covered with Li 2 O and/or LiF thin films with grain boundaries in them. Electronic structure calculations show that at >0.25 V computed equilibrium overpotential Li 2 O grain boundaries with sufficiently large pores can accommodate Li0 atoms which aid e– leakage and passivation breakdown. Strain often accompanies Li insertion; applying an ~1.7% strain already lowers the computed overpotential to 0.1 V. Lithium metal nanostructures as thin as 12 Å are thermodynamically favored inside cracks in Li 2 O films, becoming “incipient lithium filaments”. LiF films are more resistant to lithium metal growth. Finally, the models used herein should in turn inform passivating strategies in all-solid-state batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Insights into lithium ion deposition on lithium metal surfaces

Lithium metal is among the most promising anodes for the next generation of batteries due to its high theoretical energy density and high capacity. Challenges such as extreme reactivity and lithium dendrite formation have kept lithium metal anodes away from practical applications. However, the underlying mechanisms of Li ion deposition from the electrolyte solution onto the anode surface are still poorly understood due to their inherent complexity. In this work, density functional theory calculations and thermodynamic integration via constrained molecular dynamics simulations are conducted to study the electron and ion transfer between lithium metal slab and the electrolyte in absence of an external field. Here, we explore the effect of the solvent chemistry and structure, distance of the solvated complex from the surface, anion–cation separation, and concentration of Li-salts on the deposition of lithium ions from the electrolyte phase onto the surface. Ethylene carbonate (EC), 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME), 1,3-dioxolane (DOL), and mixtures of them are used as solvents. These species compete with the salt anion and the Li cation for electron transfer from the surface. It is found that the structure and properties of the solvation shell around the lithium cation has a great influence on the ability of the cation to diffuse as well as on its surrounding electron environment. DME molecules allow easier motion of the lithium ion compared with EC and DOL molecules. The slow growth approach allows the study of energy barriers for the ion diffusion and desolvation during the deposition pathway. This method helps elucidating the underlying mechanisms on lithium-ion deposition and provides a better understanding of the early stages of Li nucleation.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Effect of Anion Size on Conductivity and Transference Number of Perfluoroether Electrolytes with Lithium Salts

Mixtures of perfluoropolyethers (PFPE) and lithium salts with fluorinated anions are a new class of electrolytes for lithium batteries. Unlike conventional electrolytes wherein electron-donating oxygen groups interact primarily with the lithium cations, the properties of PFPE-based electrolytes appear to be dependent on interactions between the fluorinated anions and the fluorinated backbones. We study these interactions by examining a family of lithium salts wherein the size of the fluorinated anion is systematically increased: lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI), bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) salts and lithium bis(pentafluoroethanesulfonyl)imide (LiBETI). Two short chain perfluoroethers (PFE), one with three repeat units, C6-DMC, and another with four repeat units, C8-DMC were studied; both systems have dimethyl carbonate end groups.We find that LiFSI provides the highest conductivity in both C6-DMC and C8-DMC. These systems also present the lowest interfacial resistance against lithium metal electrodes. The steady-state transference number (t + ss ) was above 0.6 for all of the electrolytes and was an increasing function of anion size. The product of conductivity and the steady-state transference number, a convenient measure of the efficacy of the electrolytes for lithium battery applications, exhibited a maximum at about 20 wt% salt in all electrolytes. Finally, amongst the systems studied, LiFSI/PFE mixtures were the most efficacious electrolytes.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Hydrogen, lithium, and lithium hydride production

A method is provided for extracting hydrogen from lithium hydride. The method includes (a) heating lithium hydride to form liquid-phase lithium hydride; (b) extracting hydrogen from the liquid-phase lithium hydride, leaving residual liquid-phase lithium metal; (c) hydriding the residual liquid-phase lithium metal to form refined lithium hydride; and repeating steps (a) and (b) on the refined lithium hydride.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2015

Investigation of parameters of interaction of hydrogen isotopes with liquid lithium and lithium capillary-porous system under reactor irradiation

In this study, the effect of reactor irradiation on the processes of interaction of hydrogen with liquid lithium and a lithium capillary-porous system (CPS) is considered. The experiments are carried out by the gas-absorption method with use of a specially designed ampoule device. The results of investigation of the interaction of hydrogen with liquid lithium and a lithium CPS under conditions of reactor irradiation are described; namely, these are the temperature dependences of the rate constant for the interaction of hydrogen with liquid lithium at different reactor powers, the activation energies of the processes, and the pre-exponential factor in the Arrhenius dependence. The effect of increasing absorption of hydrogen by the samples under investigation as a result of the reactor irradiation is fixed. The effect can be explained by increasing mobility of hydrogen in liquid lithium due to hot spots in lithium bulk and the interaction of helium and tritium ions (formed as a result of the nuclear reaction of {sup 6}Li with neutron) with a surface hydride film.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Uniform High Ionic Conducting Lithium Sulfide Protection Layer for Stable Lithium Metal Anode

Artificial solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) is one of the key approaches in addressing the low reversibility and dendritic growth problems of lithium metal anode, yet its current effect is still insufficient due to insufficient stability. Here, a new principle of “simultaneous high ionic conductivity and homogeneity” is proposed for stabilizing SEI and lithium metal anodes. Fabricated by a facile, environmentally friendly, and low-cost lithium solid-sulfur vapor reaction at elevated temperature, a designed lithium sulfide protective layer successfully maintains its protection function during cycling, which is confirmed by both simulations and experiments. Stable dendrite-free cycling of lithium metal anode is realized even at a high areal capacity of 5 mAh cm -2 , and prototype Li–Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 cell with limited lithium also achieves 900 stable cycles. These findings give new insight into the ideal SEI composition and structure and provide new design strategies for stable lithium metal batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Valuation of Anode Materials for High-Performance Lithium Batteries: From Graphite to Lithium Metal and Beyond

Lithium-ion batteries have revolutionized energy storage, yet advanced technologies such as electric vehicles and eVTOLs demand even higher performance and safety. Anodes, the negative electrodes, are crucial in enhancing batteries’ safety, lifespan, and fast-charging capabilities. This review paper comprehensively evaluates the progression of anode materials from traditional graphite to advanced anodes like lithium metal. Graphite anodes, with a capacity of 372 mAh g −1 , enabled the first commercial lithium-ion batteries, but future applications require higher energy densities and fast-charging capabilities. Emerging anode materials, including alloying, and conversion types, as well as lithium metal, offer significantly higher capacities, with lithium metal offering a theoretical capacity of 3 860 mAh g −1 . However, these advanced anodes face challenges such as volume expansion, high surface reactivity, sluggish Li+ kinetics, and unstable lithium deposition morphologies. Here, this review critically examines the electrochemical performance, interfacial properties, mechanical attributes, and stability issues of various anode materials. It further discusses solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation, strategies for enhancing interface stability, and the requirements of anodes for solid-state batteries. Additionally, the review explores potential solutions for limitations with each anode type, highlights innovative anode-free architectures, and evaluates the current and future trends of battery anode industries. Ultimately, this paper aims to guide the development of high-performance anode materials, paving the way for the next generation of efficient, reliable lithium batteries.

Alloying anodes↗
DOE OSTI2018

The synergetic interaction between $\mathrm{LiNO_3}$ and lithium polysulfides for suppressing shuttle effect of lithium-sulfur batteries

LiNO 3 has been widely used as an effective electrolyte additive in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries to suppress the polysulfide shuttle effect. To better understand the mechanism of suppressed shuttle effect by LiNO3, herein we report a comprehensive investigation of the influence of LiNO 3 additive on the formation process of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer on lithium anode of Li-S batteries by operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). We observed that a compact and stable SEI layer composed of Li 2 SO 3 and Li 2 SO 4 on top of lithium anode is formed during the initial discharge process due to the synergetic effect of shuttled polysulfides and LiNO 3 , which can effectively suppress the subsequent reaction between polysulfides in electrolyte and lithium metal and thus result in the alleviation of polysulfide shuttle effect. In contrast, when using electrolyte without LiNO 3 , the shuttled polysulfides continuously react with lithium metal to form insulating Li2S on lithium anode, leading to the irreversible capacity loss. Our present operando XAS study provides a valuable insight into the important role of LiNO 3 for the protection of lithium anodes, which will be beneficial for the further development of new electrolyte additives for high-performance Li-S batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Life-cycle analysis of battery metal recycling with lithium recovery from a spent lithium-ion battery

Demand for critical materials (nickel, cobalt, manganese [NCM], and lithium) for use in batteries is increasing rapidly due to the expansion of the battery-electric vehicles market. Battery metal recycling (BMR) is an important technology that can potentially realize environmental and economic benefits in cathode active material (LiNi x Mn y Co z O 2 ) production using recycled materials. While current major battery recycling technologies recover cathode materials (NCM) and other metals (steel, aluminum, copper, etc.) from the spent battery, the lithium (Li) recovery rate is less than 1% in the world. In this study, we analyze the environmental benefits of a BMR process that recovers lithium in the form of lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LiOH∙H 2 O) along with other cathode materials. Using life-cycle analysis (LCA), we evaluate the life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, criteria air pollutant emissions, and water consumption of the new BMR technology in terms of lithium hydroxide production and cathode active material production. The LCA results show that the life-cycle GHG emissions recycled LiOH are 37–72% lower than those of virgin LiOH production from Chilean brine and Australian ore, respectively. In addition, the life-cycle GHG emissions of NCM811 produced using the recycled materials are 40–48% lower compared to virgin cathode active material production. Furthermore, recovering lithium from the spent batteries reduces associated air pollutant emissions and water consumption relative to using the virgin materials or materials from other recycling technologies without LiOH recovery.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Methods of making and inspecting a web of vitreous lithium sulfide separator sheet and lithium electrode assemblies

A lithium ion-conductive solid electrolyte including a freestanding inorganic vitreous sheet of sulfide-based lithium ion conducting glass is capable of high performance in a lithium metal battery by providing a high degree of lithium ion conductivity while being highly resistant to the initiation and/or propagation of lithium dendrites. Such an electrolyte is also itself manufacturable, and readily adaptable for battery cell and cell component manufacture, in a cost-effective, scalable manner. An automated machine based system, apparatus and methods assessing and inspecting the quality of such vitreous solid electrolyte sheets, electrode sub-assemblies and lithium electrode assemblies can be based on spectrophotometry and can be performed inline with fabricating the sheet or web (e.g., inline with drawing of the vitreous Li ion conducting glass) and/or with the manufacturing of associated electrode sub-assemblies and lithium electrode assemblies and battery cells.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Fast Determination of Lithium Content in Spent Cathodes for Direct Battery Recycling

Determination of the lithium ion content in cathode materials, which is currently performed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), involves tedious procedures and error-prone preparation. This work introduces a new methodology to quickly determine the lithium content in spent cathode materials (LiNix Mny Coz O2, x + y + z = 1, NMC) using a thermalgravimetric analysis, which bypasses the use of ICP-MS and significantly reduces the cost and time required for determining the lithium content. Based on this new method, a new approach is developed to identify spent cathode materials suitable for direct relithiation recycling. Finally, these new methods have been applied to investigate the effectiveness of direct electrochemical-relithiation on recycling the spent cathodes, and provide insights for future development of direct battery materials recycling.

cathode recycling↗
DOE OSTI2021

Significant life extension of lithium-ion batteries using compact metallic lithium reservoir with passive control

Both traditional graphite-based lithium-ion batteries and next generation silicon-based chemistries suffer significant capacity fade from loss of cyclable lithium due to continued solid-electrolyte interphase growth. A possible engineering solution to maintaining the capacity of cells is incorporating a metallic lithium reservoir and discharging the reservoir into a working electrode to make up for lost cyclable lithium. Here, metallic lithium reservoirs are inserted into both pouch- and cylindrical-format cells. Significant capacity recovery and lifetime extension are demonstrated for traditional graphite and Si/graphite-based cells. In this work, a combination of post-mortem characterization and modeling provide insight into how the lithium distribution as a function of position from reservoir vary with recovery rate. The potential of using passive control to potentially eliminate the need for extra wiring for the third electrode is explored using a simple resistor.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Kinetics Tuning the Electrochemistry of Lithium Dendrites Formation in Lithium Batteries through Electrolytes

Lithium batteries are one of the most advance energy storage devices in the world and have attracted extensive research interests. However, lithium dendrite growth was a safety issue which handicapped the application of pure lithium metal in the negative electrode. In this paper, two solvents, propylene carbonate (PC) and 2-methyl-tetrahydrofuran (2MeTHF), and four Li + salts, LiPF 6 , LiAsF 6 , LiBF 4 and LiClO 4 were investigated in terms of their effects on the kinetics of lithium dendrite formation in eight electrolyte solutions. The kinetic parameters of charge transfer step (exchange current density, j 0 , transfer coefficient, α) of Li + /Li redox system, the mass transfer parameters of Li + (transfer number of Li + , t Li+ , diffusion coefficient of Li + , D Li+ ), and the conductivity (κ) of each electrolyte were studied separately. The results demonstrate that the solvents play a critical role in the measured j 0 , t Li+ , D Li+ , and κ of the electrolyte, while the choice of Li + salts only slightly affect the measured parameters. Finally, the understanding of the kinetics will gain insight into the mechanism of lithium dendrite formation and provide guidelines to the future application of lithium metal.

2-methyl-tetrahydrofuran↗
DOE OSTI2017

Formation and Inhibition of Metallic Lithium Microstructures in Lithium Batteries Driven by Chemical Crossover

The formation of metallic lithium microstructures in the form of dendrites or mosses at the surface of anode electrodes (e.g., lithium metal, graphite, and silicon) leads to rapid capacity fade and poses grave safety risks in rechargeable lithium batteries. In this work, we present here a direct, relative quantitative analysis of lithium deposition on graphite anodes in pouch cells under normal operating conditions, paired with a model cathode material, the layered nickel-rich oxide LiNi 0.61 Co 0.12 Mn 0.27 O 2 , over the course of 3000 charge-discharge cycles. Secondary-ion mass spectrometry chemically dissects the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) on extensively cycled graphite with virtually atomic depth resolution and reveals substantial growth of Li-metal deposits. With the absence of apparent kinetic (e.g., fast charging) or stoichiometric restraints (e.g., overcharge) during cycling, we show lithium deposition on graphite is triggered by certain transition-metal ions (manganese in particular) dissolved from the cathode in a disrupted SEI. This insidious effect is found to initiate at a very early stage of cell operation (<200 cycles) and can be effectively inhibited by substituting a small amount of aluminum (~1 mol %) in the cathode, resulting in much reduced transition-metal dissolution and drastically improved cyclability. In conclusion, our results may also be applicable to studying the unstable electrodeposition of lithium on other substrates, including Li metal.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗