High throughput manufacture of hierarchical Li-Ion battery materials
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Department Name: Engineering
Abstract
Despite continuous progress in both nanomaterial synthesis and assembly, there is a gap in industrially relevant technologies to scale-up the manufacturing of advanced nanomaterial structures. Combining advances in nanotechnology with emulsion templating and high throughput microfluidic techniques can offer a paradigm shift in how complex materials are processed and structured from the bottom-up. The ERC Consolidator Grant MIGHTY has demonstrated that microfluidic droplet generators can produce nanoparticle super-structures with controlled morphologies for applications in energy storage. More precisely, this process allows optimisation of Li-Ion battery electrode composition, porosity, and packing, which improves energy density and rate performance of Li-Ion batteries.
In this PoC Grant (HURRICANE) we seek additional support to scale up the particle manufacturing process to commercially relevant volumes, in order to translate the achieved performance benefits to commercial Li-ion battery electrode manufacture. This is particularly timely to support the EU's automotive industry as it transitions to electrical vehicles.
In this PoC Grant (HURRICANE) we seek additional support to scale up the particle manufacturing process to commercially relevant volumes, in order to translate the achieved performance benefits to commercial Li-ion battery electrode manufacture. This is particularly timely to support the EU's automotive industry as it transitions to electrical vehicles.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Michael Franciscus Lucas De Volder (Principal Investigator) |
| Description | The award successfully fabricated microparticles with precisely selected sizes and controlled morphologies for use in lithium ion battery electrodes. Both lithium titanate and composite lithium titanate/carbon nanotube materials were produced. This was achieved through the use of emulsion droplets as templates, and the implementation of controlled emulsification technologies such as microfluidics to produce many identically sized droplet templates at once. The performance of our structured materials compared favorably against the starting commercially available starting material powders, and against microparticles with less well-controlled structures, confirming the added value of this technique. The most promising option for producing commercially relevant volumes of battery materials through this process was achieved using flow-through membrane emulsification, which allowed us to increase production from ~1mg to ~1g of material. A patent was filed on the processing method employed during this work. |
| Exploitation Route | This award demonstrates a proof-of-concept for the use of droplets with a tuneable size generated by controlled emulsification as templates for controlled battery material fabrication. Additionally, the method used was demonstrated to be compatible with scalable equipment which is in industrial use. The outcomes from this funding award could therefore be taken forward by academic routes (e.g. studying other materials which could benefit from this structuring process) or by non-academic routes (considering potential industry interest and commercialisation potential of the technology). |
| Sectors | Chemicals Energy Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology |
| Description | EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) 2023 |
| Amount | £113,672 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | G116766 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2024 |
| End | 10/2024 |
| Description | Collaboration with Micropore Technologies |
| Organisation | Micropore Technologies Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We have contributed through sharing our expertise in emulsion formulation and processing methods for droplets which can provide complementary benefits to controlled emulsification hardware: Micropore Technologies are a membrane emulsification tool manufacturer. Writing of three grant proposals involving Micropore as project partners. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Micropore Technologies have contributed by discounting hardware equipment which we have purchased to support scale-up of our formulation method for the production of structured microparticles. Additionally they have provided advice on further scale up options involving their larger systems. Three supporting letters have been written by Micropore to support grant proposals with our research team. |
| Impact | Acquisition of discounted high-throughput, scalable membrane emulsification hardware. Successful further grant awarded (University of Cambridge EPSRC IAA award) with the support of Micropore technologies as a project partner. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Participation in Cambridge Festival |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | At least 500 people attended a science festival event open to the general public at the research organisation. The research team ran an exhibition room as part of this event with a range of activities related to battery science including vegetable/fruit batteries and coin cell assembly. Feedback was extremely positive from all age groups and participation in future outreach activities was requested. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |