V. Focused Fundamental Research - EERE - U.S. Department of ...

V.C.8 Metal-Based High-Capacity Li-Ion Anodes (SUNY)
M. Stanley Whittingham (Project Manager)
Binghamton University
Vestal Parkway East
Binghamton, NY 13902-6000
Phone: (607) 777-4623; Fax: (607) 777-4623
E-mail: stanwhit@binghamton.edu
Subcontractor: None
Start Date: January 1, 2011
Project End Date: December 31, 2014
Objectives
Replace the presently used carbon anodes:
· With safer materials that will be compatible with
lower cost layered oxide and phosphate cathodes and
the associated electrolyte.
· With materials having higher volumetric energy
densities, twice that of carbon (1.6 Ah/cc and 0.5
Ah/g)
Technical Barriers
This project addresses the following technical barriers
facing the use of lithium-ion batteries in PHEV and allelectric
vehicles:
(A) Materials and manufacturing cost of lithium-ion
batteries
(B) Safety of lithium-ion batteries
(C) Volumetric capacity limitations of lithium-ion
batteries
Technical Targets
· Synthesize nano-size tin materials by at least two
different methods.
· Characterize these materials and determine their
electrochemical behavior
· Initiate studies on nano-silicon materials. Synthesize
by at least one method.
Accomplishments
· Synthesized nano-size tin compounds using a
mechanochemical reductive reaction.
o Electrochemical behavior is comparable to that of
the SnCo anode.
o Volumetric capacity is double that of carbon.
· Synthesized a nano-silicon material using a
mechanochemical reductive reaction.
o Shows stable cycling
o Volumetric capacity is double that of carbon.
· Technology transfer accomplished.
o Working with several local battery companies,
and many ex-students now in battery companies
o Students now have positions at BNL, NREL, and
PNNL. Also at Toyota (Ann Arbor, MI) and
Primet Precision (Ithaca, NY)
Introduction
Achieving the DOE cost and energy/power density
targets will require improved anode materials that have
higher volumetric energy densities than carbon, and have
lower cost production methods. At the same time the
material must have higher lithium diffusion rates than
carbon and preferably be at a slightly higher potential to
improve the safety.
Approach
Explore, synthesize, characterize and develop
inexpensive materials that:
· Ideally have a potential around 500 mV above pure Li
· Have double the volumetric capacity of carbon
· Have a higher gravimetric capacity than carbon
· Emphasize simple metal alloys/composites from bulk
to nano-size
o Build on our understanding of the SnCo anode
nanostructures
o Emphasize tin compounds and compare with
silicon based nanostructures
Results
Tin Anode Materials. Sn based alloy materials were
prepared by mechanical milling using Ti, Al and Mg as the
reducing agent and different grinding media. It was found
that both the reductive metal and grinding media
significantly affect the material formed and the resulting
electrochemical behavior. Titanium reduction provided
materials with excellent capacity, 600 mAh/g which is
close to the theoretical capacity, and excellent capacity
Energy Storage R&D 564 FY 2011 Annual Progress Report