Browse Topic: Nickel
As the electric vehicle era enters full scale, demand is increasing for batteries that can travel farther and last longer. Lithium-metal batteries have been attracting attention as a next-generation technology capable of surpassing the capacity limits of existing lithium-ion batteries. However, during the charging process, needle-shaped crystals called “dendrites” grow, shortening battery life and increasing the risk of fire, which has been identified as the biggest obstacle to commercialization. A Korean research team has developed a key technology that can solve this challenge.
Asolid, rather than liquid, electrolyte between the opposite electrodes of a battery should, in theory, enable a rechargeable lithium metal battery that is safer, packs much more energy, and charges considerably faster than the lithium-ion batteries commercially available today. For decades, scientists and engineers have explored several paths to realize the great promise of lithium metal batteries. A major problem with the solid, crystalline electrolytes under study has been the formation of microscopic cracks that grow during use until the battery fails.
A joint research team led by Professor Soojin Park and Dr. Dong-Yeob Han of the Department of Chemistry at POSTECH, together with Professor Nam-Soon Choi and Dr. Saehun Kim of KAIST, and Professor Tae Kyung Lee and researcher Junsu Son of Gyeongsang National University, has successfully achieved a volumetric energy density of 1270 Wh/L in an anode-free lithium metal battery. This value is nearly twice that of lithium-ion batteries currently used in electric vehicles, which typically deliver around 650 Wh/L. The achievement was published in Advanced Materials.
With the growing global demand for sustainable energy and high-performance mobile devices, lithium metal solid-state batteries (LMBs) have emerged as a research hotspot in the field of energy storage due to their exceptional high energy density and significant safety advantages. However, the growth of lithium dendrites and their penetration through the solid electrolyte remain key issues leading to battery short-circuiting and failure. To date, there has been a lack of effective in situ research methods to reveal the failure mechanisms, which has severely restricted the commercialization of LMBs. This study innovatively employs in situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to investigate lithium plating behavior in symmetric cells during critical current density (CCD) tests under room temperature and elevated temperature conditions. By analyzing characteristic signals at 1 MHz, this study presents the in situ impedance changes at the grain boundaries and interfaces of the battery, revealing that lithium plating is a dynamic reduction-oxidation process. We summarize two modes of lithium plating: one involves lithium metal deposition at the interface due to local current density inhomogeneity; the other involves lithium metal deposition at grain boundaries far from the electrode due to concentration gradient differences. The study further reveals that lithium plating at grain boundaries is the primary cause of battery failure. This research highlights the unique advantages of in situ EIS in the field of solid-state battery research and its applicability to various material systems. Moreover, the proposed lithium plating mechanism provides a theoretical basis for optimizing battery design and enhancing battery safety, thereby facilitating the realization of high-energy-density solid-state batteries.
Reliable monitoring of the internal state of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is crucial for mitigating potential safety hazards. The incorporation of a reference electrode (RE) within the battery constitutes a vital approach for achieving single-electrode monitoring and understanding changes in electrode state during cycling. Among these, the lithium-copper reference electrode (Li-Cu RE) is particularly cost-effective and straightforward to prepare, being fabricated by depositing lithium onto a copper wire. However, Li-Cu RE exhibits a relatively short effective lifespan during long-term cycling, thereby limiting its practical application. In this work, based on a self-fabricated three-electrode single-layer pouch cell, the microstructural changes before and after failure of the Li-Cu RE were characterized and analyzed, revealing its failure evolution process. Post-failure microstructures observations exhibit marked porosity in the electrode, attributed to substantial depletion of surface lithium metal. Concurrently, the copper wire's elevated potential dominantly influences the overall Li-Cu RE potential, causing its potential to rise and destabilize. This induces a sharp decline in the measured electrode's potential curve. Furthermore, comparative analysis of key factors influencing Li-Cu RE lifespan were investigated. In the static state, the theoretical failure time of Li-Cu RE differed by only approximately 9 hours from that in the cycling state. Crucially, isolating the test electrode from the Li-Cu RE nearly doubled its lifespan, revealing that current generated by the potential difference between the test electrode and Li-Cu RE is the primary cause of failure under low-rate cycling. This paper systematically elucidates the observed failure behavior of the Li-Cu RE and comprehensively analyzes the various factors, which aids in further understanding the failure mechanism of the Li-Cu RE and identifying targeted solutions.
Composite materials have become widely adopted in commercial aviation, as aerospace manufacturers look to use them to drive weight reduction and improved fuel efficiency in new aircraft designs. In the case of aircraft rotary blades, the poor wear properties of these materials have necessitated the development of metal leading edge guards that can provide critical protection against erosion and impact damage during flight. Electroforming has been a leading process for the manufacture of these protective guards, with nickel parts providing excellent wear resistance that significantly extends the service life of the rotary blade assembly. Currently there has not been a focus on utilizing direct electrodeposition of metal on to carbon filled epoxy composite structures, as traditional plating-on-plastics approaches require considerable effort in surface preparation and normally do not provide adequate adhesion to the underlying structure. Alpha Metalcraft Group has been working in cooperation with aerospace suppliers in the design of an electroplating ready composite structure that would allow for direct nickel deposition, provide excellent adhesion, and significantly reduce both the time and cost for the manufacture of ready-to-assembly rotary blade structures. Test panels were constructed of commercially available prepreg materials or by resin infusion of dry fabrics that incorporated different metal containing conductive layers to allow for the direct deposition through a nickel sulfamate electrodeposition process. Different surface modification strategies were investigated to expose the metal conducting layer and thereby provide the metal-to-metal bonding surfaces required for successful electrodeposition.
Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) are a promising technology for next-generation energy storage, offering higher energy density than traditional lithium-ion batteries. However, challenges related to the anode’s behavior — specifically issues related to its kinetics and reversibility — have hindered their widespread adoption. Researchers have long struggled with understanding the underlying causes of battery failure, often relying on post-mortem analysis that only reveals outcomes but fails to capture the dynamic processes leading to failure.
Nickel’s role in the future of electric vehicle batteries is clear: It’s more abundant and easier to obtain than widely used cobalt, and its higher energy density means longer driving distances between charges. However, nickel is less stable than other materials with respect to cycle life, thermal stability, and safety. Researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and Argonne National Laboratory aim to change that with a new study that dives deep into nickel-based cathodes, one of the two electrodes that facilitate energy storage in batteries.
Intermetallic Zn-Mo to steel induction brazing was performed in an induction furnace at 1260 degrees Celsius for 0.8 thousand seconds utilising Ni-Cr-Zn filler metal. Base metal atoms such as zinc, molybdenum, and nickel are stated to diffuse to the contact and aggressively react with the filler metal during brazing. This is backed by microstructural research. The reaction layer near Zn-Mo, which is composed of Ni-Cr-Zn compounds and Ni-based solid solutions; the interface's centre zone, which is composed of Ni-based solid solutions with distributed Ni-Cr eutectic phases; and the NiC reaction layer near the steel. The interface is made up of all of these components. The best values for the induction brazing parameters may be calculated by analysing the association between the brazing parameters and the tensile strength of the joints. The joint has a tensile strength of 348 MPa after being brazed at a temperature of 1260 degrees Celsius for 0.8 thousand seconds.
The foundation specification (AMS3050) and this category specification (AMS3050/3) cover anti-seize greases conforming to the requirements but using the anti-seize ingredient Nickel only.
Existing commercial battery technologies, which use liquid electrolytes and carbonaceous anodes, have certain drawbacks such as safety concerns, limited lifespan, and inadequate power density particularly at high temperatures. This has prompted researchers to search for solid electrolytes that are safe and compatible with lithium metal anodes, which are known for their high theoretical specific power capacity.
An ultrathin coating was developed that contradicts a physics phenomenon of materials related to thermal radiation: The hotter an object gets, the brighter it glows. The new coating is engineered from samarium nickel oxide, a unique tunable material. The coating “breaks” the relationship between temperature and thermal radiation; essentially, there is a temperature range within which the power of the thermal radiation emitted by the coating stays the same.
A collaboration co-led by an Oregon State University chemistry researcher is hoping to spark a green battery revolution by showing that iron instead of cobalt and nickel can be used as a cathode material in lithium-ion batteries.
While Daimler Truck and Paccar are pursuing LFP battery cells, Volvo Trucks employs lithium-ion batteries in which lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA) is used as the cathode — for now anyway. The Swedish truck maker is continuously exploring other battery technologies.
A Columbia Engineering team has published a paper in the journal Joule that details how nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy techniques can be leveraged to design the anode surface in lithium metal batteries. The researchers also present new data and interpretations for how this method can be used to gain unique insight into the structure of these surfaces.
Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have developed a new lithium metal battery that can be charged and discharged at least 6,000 times — more than any other pouch battery cell — and can be recharged in a matter of minutes.
Fly ash is a light byproduct produced when pulverized coal is burnt in suspension-fueled furnaces in power plants. Separating the recovered fly ash from the exhaust gases. Due to its distinct physical and chemical properties, it is utilized in a wide variety of industrial and building applications. These applications include the production of cement and concrete, the stabilization of liquid waste, and hydraulic mining backfill. Fly ash has the potential to enhance the physical and mechanical properties of aluminum castings, as well as reduce their costs and increase their densities, all while lowering their prices. This research investigated the effect of fly ash incorporation on the mechanical properties of the aluminum casting alloy ZA8. Investigated were the cast and heat-treated varieties of unreinforced ZA8 and its metal matrix composite of 15% ferrous, 20% nickel, 10% fly ash, and 10% magnesium carbide. According to the results, the quantity of fly ash in the melt affected the tensile and impact properties of the metal matrix composite. The loss of magnesium atoms in the matrix, which contributes to the strength of solid solutions, and porosity both contribute to the lower mechanical properties and impact resistance of the metal matrix composite.
A team from Chalmers University of Technology has succeeded in observing how the lithium metal in the cell behaves as it charges and discharges. The new method may contribute to batteries with higher capacity and increased safety in our future cars and devices.
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have created a new and efficient way to recycle metals from spent electric vehicle (EV) batteries. The method allows recovery of 100 percent of the aluminum and 98 percent of the lithium in EV batteries. At the same time, the loss of valuable raw materials such as nickel, cobalt, and manganese is minimized. No expensive or harmful chemicals are required in the process because the researchers use oxalic acid – an organic acid that can be found in the plant kingdom.
Engineers have made progress toward lithium-metal batteries that charge as fast as an hour. This fast charging is thanks to lithium metal crystals that can be seeded and grown — quickly and uniformly — on a surprising surface. This new approach, led by University of California San Diego engineers, enables charging of lithium-metal batteries in about an hour, a speed that is competitive against today’s lithium-ion batteries.
“Adjacent” strategies such as improving vehicle efficiency and advancing promising chemistries can mitigate the risks associated with today's favored battery materials. Battery electric vehicle (BEV) adoption is taking off for a variety of reasons. Battery cost per kWh of energy stored has dropped 10-fold since 2010. Driving range has increased, making range anxiety less of a concern, particularly for households having Level 2 charging and several vehicles. Government regulations in key vehicle markets and automakers rethinking the electrical architecture to support software-defined vehicles also are stimulating an expanding choice of consumer EVs. With increased EV adoption comes concern for the environmental and human rights impact associated with battery materials mining and processing as well as national-security concerns. Supply volatility, given the huge investments and long-term return, make battery production susceptible to price spikes, as seen in 2022 with lithium and nickel, for example.
This specification covers the requirements for brush plating of zinc-nickel by electrodeposition.
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