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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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

An Accelerated Testing and Analysis Framework for Qualification of Battery Materials

The continuously growing demand for batteries used within automotive, aviation, and grid applications has exacerbated the need to supplement critical battery material feedstocks, such as those for anode and cathode active materials. New or supplementary material sources, however, universally comprise unique material properties that can significantly affect the lifetime and performance of resultant batteries. As such, the influence of composition, microstructure, and morphology on electrochemical performance should be characterized quickly and accurately to accelerate commercialization of new material sources. This work introduces a tiered framework to quickly assess new material viability and understand the influence of physicochemical properties on battery performance. The Tier 1 testing described here is rapid and lower-effort to quickly recognize materials with fundamental flaws and potentially disqualify them. Later testing would require more time and effort but provide higher fidelity information with a goal of validating materials for specific applications. A case study examining various commercial sources of LiFePO4 (LFP) is presented, using Tier 1 of the protocol to identify rapid electrochemical and physicochemical signals that correlate with performance and to provide early go/no-go decisions on LFP materials without the need for long-term cycling data.

25 - ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2026

An Accelerated Testing and Analysis Framework for Qualification of Battery Materials Part I: A Case Study with LFP Cathodes

The growing demand for batteries used within automotive, aviation, and grid applications has exacerbated the need to supplement critical battery material feedstocks, such as those for anode and cathode active materials. New or supplementary material sources, however, universally comprise unique properties that can affect the lifetime and performance of resultant batteries. Even minor differences between new sources and established supplies can delay qualification, making it difficult for new suppliers to commercialize and resulting in a less resilient supply chain. Accordingly, the influence of composition, microstructure, and morphology on electrochemical performance should be characterized quickly and accurately to accelerate commercialization of new sources. This work introduces a tiered framework to assess new material viability and understand the influence of physicochemical properties on battery performance. The Tier 1 testing described here is rapid and low-effort to recognize materials with fundamental flaws and potentially disqualify them. Later testing would require more effort but provide higher-fidelity information with a goal of application-based validation. A case study examining commercial sources of LiFePO4 (LFP) is presented, using Tier 1 of the protocol to identify rapid electrochemical and physicochemical signals that correlate with performance and provide early go/no-go decisions for LFP materials without requiring long-term cycling.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Atomic-Scale Imaging of Lithium Vacancies in a Battery Cathode by Multislice Electron Ptychography

Atomic-resolution imaging of battery materials is critical for identification of local defects and structural variations, which are tied to battery performance. However, since battery materials are, by design, optimized to allow ion motion in response to an applied electric field, they are also very sensitive to radiation damage by an electron beam. Image resolution is therefore severely constrained by the dose applied. Here, we show that multislice electron ptychography (MEP) can provide sub-ångström lateral resolution images of both light and heavy elements of a Li-ion battery cathode, along with nanometer-scale depth information and greater dose efficiency than conventional electron microscopy methods. Using the depth-sectioning capability of MEP, we have been able to obtain direct visualizations of Li vacancy clusters, atom column by atom column, in Li x Ni 0.33 Mn 0.33 Co 0.33 O 2 (NMC111) cathodes. This capability to track Li distributions will be valuable in understanding, informing, and optimizing electrode material design for ion storage and transfer.

batteries↗
DOE OSTI2025

Life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions analysis of battery-grade lithium production in Finland

Various countries are undertaking initiatives to domestically produce battery-related critical materials. Within Finland, Keliber Technology Oy is developing capabilities for battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) production from spodumene ores. A detailed life-cycle assessment (LCA) of this pathway is conducted to determine its life-cycle GHG impacts using Argonne's R&D GREET (Research and Development Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies) model. The analysis shows life-cycle GHG emissions of similar to 9.2 kg CO 2-eq /kg LHM, dominated by contributions from three energy sources - diesel, natural gas, and electricity - and two material inputs - lime (CaO) and soda ash (Na 2 CO 3 ). Sensitivity analyses highlight the potential to reduce these impacts using low-carbon electricity, sequestration of process CO 2 emissions generated during CaO and Na 2 CO 3 production, and bio-based energy for LHM production (by similar to 15 % each). A comparative analysis shows lower impacts for Keliber's LHM than for existing LHM production from Australian spodumene ores processed in China (by similar to 40 %).

CCS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Batteries (2023 Annual Progress Report)

This document summarizes the progress of VTO battery R&D projects supported during the fiscal year 2023. Its R&D focus was on the development of high-energy batteries for PEVs. The electrochemical energy storage roadmap describes ongoing and planned efforts to develop electrochemical storage technologies for EVs. To advance battery technology, which can in turn improve market penetration of PEVs, the program investigates various battery chemistries to overcome specific technical barriers, e.g., battery cost, performance, life (both the calendar life and the cycle life), its tolerance to abusive conditions, and its recyclability/sustainability.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2026

A Practical Guide to E-waste Education and Events in Schools

The Practical Guide to E-waste Education and Events in Schools is a comprehensive resource that equips educators and outreach professionals to deliver impactful lessons on electronic waste (e-waste), critical materials, and battery recycling, while launching effective school-based e-waste recycling programs. It offers step-by-step guidance for starting and managing outreach efforts, including tips on student engagement, selecting recycling partners, planning collection logistics, creating promotional materials, and overcoming common challenges. The guide also supports curriculum development and scaling initiatives across schools to foster lasting recycling habits.

school outreach↗
DOE OSTI2025

Addressing Inherent Challenges to Chemical Relithiation of Cycled End‐of‐Life Cathode Materials

Recycling end‐of‐life (EOL) lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) is important to retain valuable resources from critical materials present in EOL battery waste. Direct recycling methods offer an opportunity to recover intact valuable cathode materials with minimal re‐processing. An important step of the direct recycling process is relithiation which is used to restore lithium content to EOL cathode materials. However, little has been done to study how preprocessing steps such as washing or binder removal may affect relithiation methods in the direct recycling process. Here, the evolution of fluorine byproducts left over from preprocessing steps during a low‐temperature chemical redox mediator relithiation process is tracked. A facile washing step is presented as a solution for mediating adverse effects of surface contamination on the chemical relithiation performance. The structure, lithium content, and electrochemical performance of relithiated EOL NMC 622 material that underwent a pre‐relithiation washing step to remove fluorine byproducts is shown to match that of pristine NMC 622. In this work, it is showed that redox mediator relithiation as a part of a direct recycling process is a promising low energy method that can be applied to EOL material with inherent surface impurities if the proper pre‐relithiation processing steps are implemented.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2026

A Reverse Logistics Tool For Ev Battery Recycling And Repurposing,

The demand for electric vehicles (EVs) in the United States is projected to rise significantly, with sales expected to reach approximately 4.1 million units by 2030. However, the U.S. remains heavily reliant on imports for the batteries and critical raw materials—such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel—that power these vehicles. As of 2024, around 70% of these imports originate from China. This dependency has become even more precarious following China’s imposition of export restrictions in April 2025, a retaliatory move against U.S. tariffs. These developments highlight the strategic vulnerabilities posed by China’s dominant position in the critical materials market. Compounding the issue, decades of intensive extraction have severely depleted global reserves of critical materials, widening the gap between supply and growing demand. This situation underscores the urgent need for the U.S. and other nations to diversify their sources of critical materials and enhance domestic capabilities to secure these resources—an essential step toward ensuring long-term energy security. At the end of their lifecycle—whether due to the battery’s degradation or the retirement of the vehicle—EV batteries are often improperly disposed of or sent to landfills. However, many of these batteries still retain usable capacity and can follow one of three alternative pathways: (a) Re-used: deployed in another vehicle with a shorter driving range, (b) Re-purposed: utilized act as a backup storage/power for data centers, solar panels, and e-scotters or (c) Recycled: broken down to recover the critical materials. To that end, the proposed tool (REBORN) is designed to optimize the reverse logistics network for battery repurposing and recycling. Its goal is to minimize associated costs while identifying optimal locations for battery collection and processing. Ultimately, REBORN ensures that each battery is used to its fullest potential.

Srinivas, SrikarV. [Idaho National Laboratory (INL↗
DOE OSTI2025

Overview of the Magnetic Resonance Capabilities at INL

The aim of this presentation is to give a broad overview of the magnetic resonance capabilities at Idaho National Laboratory and how the technique is implemented within the different directorates at the lab. Historically, the high-field NMR instrumentation has been used by our Energy & Environment Science and Technology (EES&T) directorate primarily as a characterization tool for synthetic chemistry work, but we have been actively trying to expand the use of the instrumentation into our Nuclear Science and Technology (NS&T) and National and Homeland Security (NHS) directorates. The expanded scope of work has ranged from solid-state characterization of biomass, analysis of electrolyte materials from lithium ion batteries, quantification of extracted critical materials, and measurement of metal-ligand complexes using ligands proposed for use in the nuclear fuel cycle.

37 - INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL C↗
DOE OSTI2026

Upcycling Polycrystalline LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 to High-Performance Large-Grained LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2 via Simplified Polyol-Mediated Recycling

The escalating demand for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) necessitates advanced recycling strategies that can address both resource scarcity and environmental impact. While conventional hydrometallurgy shows promise, it is challenged by complexity, impurity management, and environmental footprint. Here, we report a strategic polyol-metallurgy recycling process that efficiently transforms spent polycrystalline LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 (NMC111) into high-performance large-grained LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2 (NMC622), offering dual benefits of compositional upcycling and morphology upgradation. Our approach leverages a polyol system with meticulous control over nickel salt addition and the precipitation process. This yields upcycled cathode materials possessing excellent structural integrity, well-defined large-grained particles (5-10?..mu..m), and robust electrochemical performance, including a specific capacity of ~182 mAh g-1 at C/10 and 88.0% capacity retention after 100 cycles. This facile and multifunctional process provides an environmental-friendly pathway for advanced cathode recycling, significantly contributing to a circular economy for LIBs through precise control over critical material attributes.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Energy, greenhouse gas, and water life cycle analysis of synthetic graphite anode production in the United States

This study presents a comprehensive life cycle analysis of potential synthetic graphite battery anode material (BAM) production in the U.S. based on industrial-scale data. The analysis focuses on three impacts: greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, total energy use, and water consumption. We also conducted sensitivity analyses to evaluate the effect of variation in process parameters and energy sources used for synthetic graphite BAM production on its life cycle GHG emissions. A detailed supply chain analysis of graphite BAM in the U.S. was also undertaken, along with a study of its associated GHG emissions. The results show GHG emissions of 29.7 kg CO 2 -eq. per kg BAM, total energy use of 580 MJ kg −1 BAM, and water consumption of 121 L kg −1 BAM for the baseline condition. The graphitization step is a major process hotspot, contributing to over 74% of all impacts. This is attributed to the energy and material input requirements for this step, particularly through the use of crucibles. Across the entire synthetic graphite production process, electricity is the primary contributor, followed by crucibles used in graphite block production, and then calcined petroleum coke. Sensitivity analyses indicate that improvement in micronization yield, reuse of crucibles, and use of low-carbon nuclear energy can significantly reduce GHG emissions of potential domestic graphite production (by ∼70%). Supply chain analysis identified major graphite BAM sources in the U.S. and showed that the U.S. has a competitive advantage in domestic production of synthetic graphite BAM in terms of reduced life cycle GHG emissions compared to present-day imported sources (by ∼20%).

Battery anode↗
DOE OSTI2024

Operando Freezing Cryogenic Electron Microscopy of Active Battery Materials

Abstract Understanding structural and chemical evolution of battery materials during operation is critical to achieving safe, efficient, and long-lasting energy storage. Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has become a valuable tool in battery characterization, leveraging low temperatures to improve stability of sensitive materials under electron beam irradiation. However, typical cryo-EM sample preparations leave extended time between the electrochemical point of interest and ex situ freezing of samples, during which active structures may relax, degrade, or otherwise evolve. Here, we detail a method for operando freezing cryo-EM to preserve and characterize native electrode and interfacial structures that arise during battery cycling, based on an operando plunge freezer and cold sample removal process. We validate the method on multiple electrode materials and quantify and discuss the freezing rate achieved. Operando freezing cryo-EM can be used to directly visualize transient features that arise at active electrochemical interfaces, to enable deeper understanding of structural evolution and interfacial chemistry in batteries and other electrochemical systems.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Cobalt–Nickel Exchange in Exfoliated Battery Layered Cathode Sheets with Application to Recycling

With the emerging dominance of electric vehicles (EV) in the transportation sector, recycling or upcycling spent battery materials will be required to reduce EV costs, lessen waste, and ease critical material supply chain issues for EV batteries. Here, motivated by work in the literature describing the exfoliation of layered oxides, first‐principles calculations are performed to show that Li x CoO 2 , if exfoliated into nanosheets, can readily undergo transition metal cation exchange in aqueous media. The substitution of Co 3+ or Co 4+ cations inside the sheet by Ni 2+ is associated with modest reaction barriers (Δ G* ≈ 0.3–0.7 eV) and is at most mildly endothermic (Δ G ≈ 0.2–0.3 eV). In contrast, previous battery degradation studies have shown that Co 3+ diffusion is strongly inhibited inside bulk layered oxides. This suggests that processing spent layered oxides as nanosheets can provide a potentially low‐energy‐cost pathway to altering the transition metal and/or dopant stoichiometry, which can be used toward developing new room‐temperature upcycling routes for cathodes from end‐of‐life batteries.

battery recycling↗
DOE OSTI2024

In the Mix : A Workshop Merging Computational Chemistry and Electrochemistry Alongside Data Science

As chemistry expands to more complex and interdisciplinary areas, a new generation of diverse researchers must engage with science and learn effective cross-disciplinary collaboration and communication. To these ends, we designed and implemented In the Mix, a graduate student-led, two-day workshop for undergraduate students promoting collaborative science in the context of energy storage innovations. Here, the interactive workshop was designed for future and emerging researchers to gain hands-on experience with data science, computational chemistry, and electrochemistry techniques that are critical for developing materials for battery technologies. Participants also visited commercial renewable energy facilities to help them connect discovery-based research with industry and broader societal considerations. The workshop content and structure ensured that participants experienced the interrelatedness of the fields and understood the importance of collaborative research to yield scientific advances with real-world applications. An external team evaluated the workshop and participants’ perceptions of their experiences. While our research context was energy storage, the workshop goals and outcomes are applicable to other contexts. Interdisciplinary, experiential workshops are a key avenue to broadening participation in science and research, and the ideas presented here can be readily modified for other scientific contexts and/or incorporated as broader impact activities.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Nano- and Earth-Science-inspired Electric Vehicle Battery Recycling to Secure Battery Supply Chain

With the expected growth of electric vehicles (EV) in the transportation sector, recycling or upcycling spent battery materials will be required to reduce EV costs, lessen waste, and ease critical material supply chain pressure for EV battery applications. “Direct” recycling or upcycling is an alternative to current industrial approaches. Many challenges remain for viable direct battery upcycling, including upgrading the transition metal ratio in the costliest component (cathode oxide); separation of transition metal ions in the exit stream; battery disassembly; improving cathode exfoliation which can lead to a new way of direct recycling; and lithium metal anode recycling -- including safety concerns. We devise and deploy a suite of methods to deal with these challenges. The results pave the way to future work on battery recycling, in areas of technological/commercial readiness level ranging from basic research to large-scale commercialization.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Low-Temperature Plasma-Based Metrology of Lithium-Ion Battery Electrode Materials (CRADA Final Report)

As part of the Cyclotron Road program, SirenOpt Inc. evaluated its low-temperature plasma-based metrology sensor prototype for measuring multiple critical properties of lithium-ion battery electrode materials in parallel and in real-time. Cost-effective, minimal-waste manufacturing of high-performance battery electrode materials will be vital for achieving society’s net-zero carbon emission goals. Because existing electrode metrology sensors cannot operate within most sections of manufacturing lines, manufacturers often complete hundreds of processing steps before they can test their products and detect problems. When manufacturers perform these offline tests, they typically only test a small portion of the manufactured products. Current electrode manufacturing thus often yields many low-quality products, or off-spec products that must be thrown away all together. For example, at least 6% of the total lithium-ion battery manufacturing cost (i.e., over $250 million/year for the average gigafactory) is devoted to processing defective electrodes that are not scrapped until performance tests are failed during late-stage quality control checks. Electrode variability also leads manufacturers to build extra cells into battery packs to reduce the risk of poor performance. For example, many electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers include up to 10% more cells than needed, which substantially increases the cost and weight of the final EV product. The SirenOpt sensor can potentially enable early detection of poorly manufactured electrodes and allow them to be removed earlier from manufacturing lines, which can save battery manufacturers (hundreds of) millions of dollars per year. The sensor can further be used to improve product quality by accelerating R&D and process optimization, improving quality control, and enabling real-time process control. Overall, a real-time, in-situ metrology strategy can create unprecedented opportunities for implementation of smart manufacturing practices and advanced quality and process control solutions to realize higher battery electrode throughput and performance.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Quaternary Cu 2 TSiS 4 (T = Fe, Mn) Anodes for Li-Ion Batteries

Developing high-capacity and fast-charging anode materials is critical for achieving high-performance Li-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, polycrystalline quaternary transition metal silicon sulfides, Cu 2 TSiS 4 (T = Fe, Mn), were synthesized using a solid-state method and investigated as anode materials in LIBs. Cu 2 FeSiS 4 retains a reversible capacity of 670 mAh g –1 at 200 mA g –1 for 400 cycles, while Cu 2 MnSiS 4 suffers from a fast capacity loss in the initial 50 cycles. More importantly, Cu 2 FeSiS 4 can maintain a reversible capacity of 379 mAh g –1 after 700 cycles at a high current density of 2 A g –1 , demonstrating high cyclic stability and fast-charging capacity. To further understand the structure degradation and phase transformation, we investigated the postcycling electrodes using multiple techniques, including the scanning electron microscope with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. The results indicated that Cu 2 FeSiS 4 undergoes reversible phase transitions with Li 2 S as a major product component. To further assess the performance for practical applications, Cu 2 FeSiS 4 was coupled with LiFePO 4 to make LiFePO 4 ||Cu 2 FeSiS 4 full cells, which delivered superior electrochemical performance. These results demonstrate great promise for using quaternary transition metal silicon sulfides as anodes to achieve low-cost and sustainable LIBs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗