All things are possible until they are proved impossible... P.S.Buck. Only those who attempt the absurd can achieve the impossible. Einstein
Researchers develop and patent a high-capacity cathode material for lithium-ion batteries. A research team from the Skoltech Energy Center, led by Distinguished Professor and director of the center #Artem #Abakumov, secured a patent for high-capacity cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries made from layered nickel-rich transition metal oxides, as well as a new hydrothermal microwave-assisted approach for their production. The new method is faster and cheaper, and the cathode material itself will last about 10% longer than those available on the market. The technology will assist in developing electric transport in Russia more effectively. A paper presenting the results is published in the Journal of Power Sources. "We use hydrothermal microwave-assisted treatment to coat spherical particles of the precursor of cathode material with a thin layer of cobalt hydroxide. Then, its high-temperature lithiation results in a concentration gradient, formed in the near-surface layer, and a unique morphology—the primary particles are located radially in the agglomerate, and not randomly, as is the case with other materials available on the market," said Senior Research Scientist Alexandra Savina, a co-author of the patent and the article. At the first stage, the team obtained a hydroxide precursor (a substance involved in the reaction leading to the formation of another substance), where nickel, manganese, and cobalt cations are homogeneously mixed at the atomic level. Then its suspension with an aqueous solution of carbamide and a cobalt source was placed in a hydrothermal microwave reactor, where it was processed for about 15 minutes. After that, the team obtained a precursor covered with a uniform cobalt-enriched shell. At the stage of high-temperature lithification, the precursor is mixed with a lithium source and subjected to heat treatment at high temperatures. Now, instead of the microwave processing stage, the co-precipitation method is mainly used on the market, which takes more than 12 hours. "The formation of a concentration gradient, combined with a unique morphology, provides several advantages—stability of the material and its high capacity at different cycling rates. Thanks to our material, the lithium-ion battery will work about 10% longer. In addition, we use cheap reagents—carbamide (urea)," Savina added. Developing advanced energy storage technologies is one of the key scientific and technological tasks in Russia... ...The authors point out that one of the roadmap's targets is to produce cells with a maximum energy density of 260 watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kg), but already now the team is producing prototypes of cells with a specific energy intensity of more than 250 Wh/kg, and when switching to the next-generation material, it can be increased to 300 Wh/kg... ... by @Oleg Sherbakov, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology
