Issue 22
Week 27 May - 2 June 2019
Welcome to the first summer issue of our Last Week In Batteries digest!
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This is a very basic review of last week's events relevant to the battery and fuel cell industries. We do not pretend to be experts in this space but as investors we find such an overview helpful. The digest is intentionally very brief and dry and is intended as a demonstration rather as an end product. We'd love to hear what tools/software/platforms you use to stay abreast of the events in your industries of interest: please answer our anonymous questionnaire.
Synthesis of layered TiB
Chemists from Tokyo Tech have used boron as the X element to create a new MAX phase TiB material (an "MXene"). Layered TiB is "an excellent anode material for lithium- or sodium-ion batteries," and the new achievement marks a milestone towards its synthesis.
Impact areas: Li-ion and Na-ion battery performance
Source: https://www.titech.ac.jp/english/news/2019/044418.html
Deep study of Li-ion battery failures
A team of scientists from ESRF, SLAC, Virginia Tech and Purdue University have carried out a detailed study of electrodes in batteries to elucidate the processes that lead to battery degradation. The findings should provide scientists and the industry with data to make batteries more durable and safer.
Impact areas: Li-ion battery durability, safety and performance
A battery with growing capacity?
The IEEE Spectrum blog talks about a claim by respected researchers that they have created a non-flammable battery that increases its capacity over the first 300 charging cycles. The inventors expect first commercial applications of their technology around 2022, so we'll have to wait a little to check if this is the real deal.
Impact areas: Battery safety and durability
Source: https://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/environment/a-glass-battery-that-keeps-getting-better
Sulfur-based cathode for lithium batteries
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have created a new sulfur-based cathode for lithium batteries. The cathode is made of an "organodisulfide compound that is only made up of elements like carbon, hydrogen, sulfur, and oxygen" and does not contain toxic heavy metals.
Impact areas: Lithium battery performance, capacity, safety
Source: https://www.bnl.gov/newsroom/news.php?a=115516
A derivation of a single particle model with electrolyte
An arXiv paper proposes a new derivation of the "single particle model" used to model lithium-ion batteries, which "accounts for the behaviour in the electrolyte." The new model may help researchers come up with better designs of Li-ion batteries.
Impact areas: Li-ion battery research
Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/1905.12553
Battery diagnostics with magnetometry
Researchers propose to use atomic magnetometry to diagnose batteries. This technique might be useful "for the assessment of cells in research, quality control, or
during operation, and could help uncover details of charge storage and failure processes in cells."
Impact areas: Battery research and management
Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/1905.12507
Enhancement in performance of quantum battery
An arXiv paper on quantum batteries talks about the factors that "increase the extraction of power" from such batteries.
Impact areas: Quantum batteries
Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/1905.12377
A state observer for redox flow batteries
This is a bit more science than I can handle, so I'll just quote the authors verbatim... "This paper presents an augmented state observer design for the simultaneous estimation of charge state and crossover flux in disproportionation redox flow batteries."
Impact areas: Redox flow battery management
Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/1905.11396
New materials for thin-film Li-ion batteries
Researchers at St. Petersburg Polytechnic University "suggested using a new pair of reagents" to create thin-film Li-ion battery electrodes based on nickel oxide. These will be useful for sensors, IoT, implants and other micro- and nano-devices.
Impact areas: Thin-film Li-ion batteries
Life of organic flow battery extended
Scientists from Harvard University have discovered that they could extend the life of an organic aqueous flow battery, based on organic anthraquinone, by exposing it to oxygen and avoiding overcharging. Overcharge prevention alone "extends the lifetime by a factor of 40."
Impact areas: Organic flow batteries
Better application of X-ray absorption spectroscopy to battery research
Researchers are suggesting how to apply "modern laboratory-based X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS)" to Li-ion battery research in more realistic settings. According to the authors, "Such capability enables accelerated discovery of new materials and improved operation modes for LIBs."
Impact areas: Li-ion battery research
Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/1905.10435
Aqueous electrochemical battery
The TechXplore blog talks about a paper published by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences on "a new aqueous electrochemical energy storage battery," as well as about a commentary piece by another researcher. The potassium-ion battery uses water as an electrolyte.
Impact areas: Aqueous batteries
Source: https://techxplore.com/news/2019-05-aqueous-electrochemical-energy-storage-battery.html
Study of the sodium storage mechanism with titanium vacancies
An arXiv paper investigates "how the introduction of titanium vacancies into anatase TiO2 affects the sodium storage mechanism" in Na-ion batteries.
Impact areas: Aqueous batteries
Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/1905.10211
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