Project update: Industry partnership with UCLA in nanoscale study on advanced batteries
Project update: Industry partnership with UCLA in nanoscale study on advanced batteries
Project
Visualizing the dynamics of carbon-enhanced negative electrodes
Application
Automotive sector and utility grid energy storage
Timeline
18 months
Goal
The objective of the project is to determine the fundamental mechanisms by which carbon additives improve lead battery performance using innovative techniques not used before in lead battery research:
Using Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM), researchers can observe the crystallization and dissolution of the phases involved in the charge and discharge of a lead battery during operation at the nanoscale:
In a battery, the crystallization of some of the materials results in early battery failure and lower cycle life.
By understanding these processes, this presents opportunities to decrease battery failure and maximize cycle life, for longer-lasting batteries.
This will be critical in CBI’s research to deliver performance improvements in lead battery technology.
Contractor
UCLA
Initial findings
The microscale electrochemical cells developed by UCLA are considered small-scale lead batteries.
Using STEM and optical microscopy has determined that these microscale cells should be able to be scaled up into larger, real-size lead battery systems.
The first project report shows how UCLA have been able to develop parts of these microcells:
Ti/Au wafers
Thin lead and lead oxide electrodes
Mapping of the composition of a range of lead battery materials
Battery Match
