Solar Energy
Researchers utilize recycled silicon anodes to enhance lithium-ion battery efficiency
Researchers utilize recycled silicon anodes to enhance lithium-ion battery efficiency
by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jul 17, 2024
Researchers from the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have crafted low-cost micro-sized silicon anodes from recycled photovoltaic waste, thanks to an innovative electrolyte design.
Their important research, published in Nature Sustainability on July 16, paves the way for more sustainable, cost-effective, and high-energy-density batteries, potentially revolutionizing energy storage systems for electric vehicles and renewable energy uses.
Silicon anodes are known for significantly increasing the energy density of lithium-ion batteries compared to traditional graphite anodes but face challenges due to substantial volume expansion during charge-discharge cycles. This expansion can lead to mechanical fractures and degrade battery performance.
To address these issues, the research team, led by Prof. CUI Guanglei, developed micro-sized silicon (um-Si) particles from photovoltaic waste as a promising alternative.
When combined with a specially formulated ether-based electrolyte, these um-Si anodes show exceptional electrochemical stability, maintaining an average coulombic efficiency of 99.94% and retaining 83.13% of their initial capacity after 200 cycles.
“This work not only suggests a more sustainable supply source for silicon particles but also addresses the major challenges facing micro-sized silicon anode materials,” said Dr. LIU Tao, first author of the study.
The success of the anodes is attributed to their unique solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) chemistry, stemming from the team’s innovative electrolyte composition of 3 M LiPF6 dissolved in a 1:3 volume ratio of 1,3-dioxane and 1,2-diethoxyethane. This formulation promotes the development of a dual-layer SEI that is both flexible and robust, holding together fractured silicon particles while enhancing ionic conduction and minimizing side reactions.
The NCM811||um-Si pouch cells with the new anode and electrolyte combination survived 80 cycles and delivered an impressive energy density of 340.7 Wh kg-1 under harsh conditions. This performance marks a significant improvement over conventional lithium-ion batteries, which are nearing their energy density limits.
Dr. DONG Tiantian, another co-first author of the study, highlighted the environmental benefits: “The sustainable sourcing of silicon from discarded solar panels mitigates both the economic and environmental impacts of photovoltaic waste. Converting waste into valuable battery components significantly reduces the cost of lithium-ion batteries and increases their accessibility.”
“By using recycled materials and advanced chemical engineering, we have demonstrated that high-performance and environmentally sustainable lithium-ion batteries are not only possible, but also within reach,” said Prof. CUI, who is optimistic that this research will lead to the development of next-generation batteries capable of powering everything from electric vehicles to grid-scale energy storage.
This major approach exemplifies how innovative recycling and meticulous materials science can converge to solve some of the most pressing challenges in energy technology today.
Research Report:Recycled micro-sized silicon anode for high-voltage lithium-ion batteries
Related Links
Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com
DGIST enhances quantum dot solar cell performance
by Riko Seibo
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Oct 04, 2024
A research team led by Professor Jongmin Choi from the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at DGIST, in collaboration with Gyeongsang National University’s Professor Tae Kyung Lee and Kookmin University’s Professor Younghoon Kim, has developed a new method that significantly boosts the performance and longevity of perovskite quantum dot solar cells. Their innovative approach addresses a key issue: surface distortions on quantum dots that hinder solar cell efficiency.
Perovskite quantum dots are widely regarded as essential for next-generation solar cells due to their high light-to-electricity conversion efficiency and scalability. However, the process of replacing the “ligands” on their surface often causes distortions, akin to crumpled paper, that degrade solar cell performance.
The research team tackled this problem by introducing short ligands that firmly grip both sides of the quantum dots. This method effectively restores the quantum dot’s distorted surface, resembling the process of flattening crumpled paper. By smoothing the surface, they significantly reduced defects and improved both the performance and the stability of the solar cells. The power conversion efficiency rose from 13.6% to 15.3%, and the cells maintained 83% of their performance over 15 days, marking a major advancement in solar cell technology.
“Through this research, we could minimize surface defects on the quantum dots and stabilize their surfaces by newly adopting these amphiphilic ligands, thereby significantly improving the efficiency and stability of the solar cells,” explained Professor Jongmin Choi. He also noted the team’s intention to extend this approach to other photoelectric devices in the future.
This study, a collaborative effort by DGIST, Gyeongsang National University, and Kookmin University, was supported by the National Research Council of Science and Technology, the DGIST R and D Program, and the New Faculty Research Foundation at Gyeongsang National University. The findings were published in the ‘Chemical Engineering Journal’ on September 15, 2024.
Research Report:Multifaceted anchoring ligands for uniform orientation and enhanced cubic-phase stability of perovskite quantum dots
Related Links
Philippines’ Marcos opens first EV battery plant
by AFP Staff Writers
Manila (AFP) Sept 30, 2024
President Ferdinand Marcos inaugurated on Monday the first factory for electric vehicle batteries in the Philippines, calling it the “future” of clean energy.
The Australian-owned lithium-iron-phosphate factory aims to produce two gigawatt-hours of batteries per year by 2030, powering about 18,000 electric vehicles or nearly half a million home battery systems.
“We have worked very hard and tried to do our best to bring this kind of technology to the Philippines with a clear recognition that this is the future,” Marcos said in a livestreamed speech.
“As the first manufacturing plant in the Philippines for advanced iron phosphate batteries… (it) sets the stage for the Philippines to become a player in clean energy storage in our part of the world.”
Located in New Clark city north of Manila, the StB Giga Factory Inc. facility will create 2,500 local jobs and channel five billion pesos ($89.2 million) into the economy each year, Marcos said.
The investment aligns with the government’s efforts to “transition our country to renewable energy”, and would help Manila “entice more investors in renewable energy facilities in the country”, he added.
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Fire breaks out at Chinese battery giant CATL plant
by AFP Staff Writers
Beijing (AFP) Sept 29, 2024
A fire broke out Sunday at a factory belonging to Chinese battery giant CATL, which supplies electric vehicle makers including Tesla, but only a “relatively small” impact on operations is expected, the company said.
A CATL spokesperson said no injuries or casualties had occurred at the plant in the coastal city of Ningde, and that “the reasons behind this accident are still under investigation”.
Emergency services were sent to the plant to fight the fire and to organise the evacuation of any people who were inside the 15,000 square metre (160,000 square feet) site, a statement by the Dongqiao Economic and Technological Development Zone said.
Firefighters were alerted to the blaze just before 11:30 AM local time (0330 GMT).
It was not immediately clear what was produced at the plant, CATL’s base in the eastern province of Fujian, but the company said the effect of the now extinguished fire would not be significant.
“The impact to CATL’s overall production operation is relatively small,” the spokesperson said.
Videos published by the Chinese business media outlet Cailianshe, and posted on the Weibo social network, showed parts of a large white building in flames with thick gray smoke rising into the air.
AFP could not immediately verify the authenticity of the images.
CATL was founded in 2011 and produces more than a third of the electric vehicle batteries sold worldwide for automakers that include Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volkswagen, Toyota, Honda and Hyundai.
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