{"id":33362,"date":"2023-07-19T09:30:28","date_gmt":"2023-07-19T08:30:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=33362"},"modified":"2023-07-19T09:34:48","modified_gmt":"2023-07-19T08:34:48","slug":"improving-efficiency-of-lithium-ion-battery-production","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/improving-efficiency-of-lithium-ion-battery-production\/33362\/","title":{"rendered":"Adianano: Improving the efficiency of lithium-ion battery production"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Adianano microwave exfoliation method<\/a> for the synthesis of silicon-carbon nanocomposites for lithium-ion battery production is highly efficient and removes the need for complex equipment.<\/h2>\n

According to global environmental tendencies, the EU is strongly pushing industries to go green. Everyone understands that climate change is here and mainly caused by CO2<\/sub>\u00a0emissions, where the transport sector is responsible for 26% of all greenhouse gas emissions and, inside it, 77% are generated by road transport.<\/p>\n

Due to these factors, the automotive sector has shifted its focus to electronic vehicles<\/a> (EVs). However, there is a lack of sales due to consumer concerns, including that they won\u2019t have enough range to satisfy their needs, since currently used materials inside lithium-ion batteries (LIB), which are the power source of EVs, are used on their maximum level.<\/p>\n

Also, the increasing demand for EVs is causing a lot of CO2<\/sub>\u00a0emissions during lithium-ion battery production. This can be mitigated if the total capacity and lifespan of the battery is increased.<\/p>\n

Current solutions and problems<\/h3>\n

The performance of a LIB is primarily dependent on the material of the battery\u2019s anode. Currently, graphite is the most popular commercial anode material. However, the relatively low capacity of the material limits its further development. Silicon (Si) based anode materials are a popular candidate for next-generation lithium-ion battery production due to their high-power density.<\/p>\n

Silicon is an alternative to graphite as an anode material for lithium-ion battery production. Its theoretical specific capacity is 4,212 mAh\/g, while the theoretical specific capacity for graphite is 372 mAh\/g.<\/p>\n

However, the high initial capacity of composites based on nano silicon rapidly decreases with cycling, which is associated with an increase in its volume up to three to five times during lithiation-delithiation of silicon. Such swelling leads to the cracking of the anode material and disruption of contact with the current collector.<\/p>\n

Researchers from different countries have proposed many ways to improve the efficiency of anodes based on nano-silicon.<\/p>\n

The downside of nano-silicon in lithium-ion battery production<\/h3>\n

The mechanisms of LIB degradation are complex and depend on several factors, the main of which is the agglomeration of silicon nanoparticles and its volumetric changes, leading to loss of contact between silicon nanoparticles and carbon material, which leads to degradation of the LIB during cycling.<\/p>\n

The following image shows how silicon is unevenly distributed in the carbon material and forms agglomerates up to 300 nm in size.<\/p>\n

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Fig 1:
Agglomerates of silicon nanoparticles in graphene<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Adianano \u2013 The microwave exfoliation method<\/h3>\n

Our team proposed an original method for the synthesis of silicon-carbon nanocomposites by microwave (MW) exfoliation.<\/p>\n

Development of technology for microwave synthesis of silicon-carbon nanocomposites and technological equipment for its implementation<\/strong><\/p>\n

By choosing a precursor, operating parameters of MW radiation, composition, and pressure of the argon-monosilane gas mixture, it was possible to synthesise silicon-carbon composites with:<\/p>\n