Forecasting conductivities of LiBOB-EC/DEC electrolytes by the mass triangle model

Conductivities of lithium bis(oxalato)borate (LiBOB)-ethyl carbonate (EC)/diethyl carbonaten (DEC) electrolytes at 25℃ and 50℃ were studied. The electrolyte component with the highest conductivity at each temperature was obtained through changing the concentration of LiBOB and the ratio of EC/DEC. The mass triangle model was applied to calculate the conductivity of Li- BOB-EC/DEC ternary system at 25℃ and 50℃. The results show that the calculated and experimental results have reached a good agreement. Therefore, it is expected that the experimental work can be vastly reduced by introducing the mass triangle model.     

Capacity fading of spinel LiMn2O4 during cycling at elevated temperature

A normal spinel LiMn2O4 as cathode material for lithium-ion cells was cycled galvanostatically (0.2 C) at 55℃. To determine the contribution of each voltage plateau to the total capacity fading of the cathode upon repeated cycling, the capacities in each plateau were separated by differentiation of voltage vs. capacity. The results showthat the capacity fading in the upper voltage plateau is more rapidlythan that in the lower during discharging, while in charging process,it fades slower than that in the lower voltage range. The increased capacity shift and aggravated self-discharge/electrolyte oxidation during discharging contribute to a high fading rate in the upper step. Capacity shift also takes place during charging process, which again enhancing the fading rate of the lower voltage plateau. An increase in capacity shift, as a result of an increase in polarization of the cell, plays a major role in determining the fading rate in each voltage plateau, further reflecting the thickening of the passivation layer on the active particles, and the accumulation of electrolyte decomposition. The relative capacity loss for modified spinels is well correlated withthe relative increase in the polarization of the half-cells, confirming the above causes for capacity fade of this kind of cathode material.     

P(AN-MMA)/TiO_2 Nano-composite Polymer Electrolyte by in-situ Polymerization

1 Introduction With the development of portable electric devices,polymer lithium ion batteries (PLiBs) have been widely used as the power sources because of their high energy density and safe property[1].P(AN-MMA) copolymer is a kind of cheap macromolecules easily dissolving in the polar solvents such as carbonate,it has been applied as gel polymer electrolyte in PLiBs.Here we prepare a kind of highly conductive nano-composite polymer electrolytes using the P(AN-MMA) copolymer incorporated with TiO2 nan...     

KINETICS OF THE DEPOSITION OF LITHIUM ON ALUMINIUM ELECTRODE

The kinetics of the deposition of lithium on aluminium electrode has been studied by cyclic voltammetry.The deposition of lithium on aluminium electrode was found to be controlled by the diffusion of lithium within the β-LiAl alloy probably through the vacancy mechanism. The limiting operating potential and current for prepanng the lithium aluminium electrodes were given.     

Improved hydrogen desorption properties of Co-doped Li<Subscript>2</Subscript>BNH<Subscript>6</Subscript>

The hydrogen desorption properties of Li 2 BNH 6 were improved by doping with cobalt. With the addition of CoCl 2 (7 wt%), more than 8 wt% of hydrogen was released from Li 2 BNH 6 at temperatures below 210°C, which is approximately 90°C lower than that of pristine Li 2 BNH 6 . X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform-infrared and Raman characterizations revealed that the dehydrogenation was a stepwise process with the formation of intermediates Li 4 BN 3 H 10 and LiBH 4 and final products of Li 3 BN 2 and LiH. The introduction of Co greatly accelerated the dehydrogenation of Li 4 BN 3 H 10 . X-ray absorption near-edge structure measurements revealed that Co and CoB species formed during ball milling of CoCl 2 with LiBH 4 and LiNH 2 , which may function as catalyst in the subsequent dehydrogenation.     

Morphology-controllable solvothermal synthesis of nanoscale LiFePO4 in a binary solvent

LiFePO4(LFP) nanobars,microplates and nanorods have been selectively synthesized via a solvothermal method in a water-ethylene glycol(EG) binary solvent with H3PO4,LiOH·H2O,and FeSO4·7H2O as starting materials.The morphology and size of the as-obtained LFP products can be deliberately controlled by varying the volume ratio of EG to water.The formation mechanism and electrochemical properties of different LFP morphologies have been investigated.With carbon coating,the Li-ion diffusion coefficients of LFP nanorods,nanobars and micro-plates are 2.58×10-9,2.91×10-10,and 7.22×10-10 cm2 s-1,respectively.For the carbon-coated nanorods,excellent rate capability and cyclability were attained.At 5 C,the capacity was 141 mAh g-1 for the first cycle and maintained 120 mAh g-1 after 100 cycles;at 10 C,the capacity was still as high as 132 mAh g-1.     

SEEBECK EFFECT IN OXYGEN PROBE USED FOROXYGEN DETERMINATION IN LIQUID STEEL

Heat conduction in oxygen probe was analyzed by means of non-steady state method and measured using "double probe" arrangement. The results showed that during the response process the thermal emf was decreased exponentially with the time and in case of low oxygen level the Seebeck coefficient and thermal conductivity of solid electrolyte agreed well with those in literatures.     

Facile synthesis of nanostructured LiFePO4/C cathode material for lithium-ion batteries

Nanostructured LiFePO4/C cathode material was prepared by FePO4·2H2O/C precursor by in situ restriction reaction.The synthesized LiFePO4/C cathode material presents a narrow distribution of nano-sized particles and exhibits an excellent electrochemical property with various rates.The facile synthesis route for the preparation of nano-sized LiFePO4 material has the particular advantage of simple synthesis process and low synthesis cost.     

Relation between powder size and electrolyte properties in nano YSZ system

YSZ (yttria stabilized zirconia) electrolyte properties made from different sizes of nano powders were investigated. As a result, the sample marked KD with the smallest size (10 nm) of first particles and the sample marked TH with narrow distribution and the smallest median diameter M_med of 0.49 μm have the best sintering properties and the highest electrical conductivity. There is a very well correlation between the density and the electrical conductivity of YSZ, that is, the samples with a higher density have a higher electrical conductivity. The area resistance of YSZ electrolyte made in the experiment, such as TH of 0.483 Ω·cm2, is much lower than that of the sample D of 1.300 Ω·cm2 made in Germany at 850℃. The complex resistance of YSZ electrolyte made in the experiment at the grain, grain boundary and electrode in the range of 300-750℃ decreases greatly compared to the sample made in Germany by shown in the complex impedance plot.     

Effect of modified elastomeric binders on the electrochemical properties of silicon anodes for lithium-ion batteries

Silicon has been investigated intensively as a promising anode material for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The choice of a binder is very important to solve the problem of the large capacity fade observed along cycling. The effect of modified elastomeric binders on the electrochemical performance of crystalline nano-silicon powders was studied. Compared with the conventional binder (polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)), Si electrodes using the elastomeric styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (SCMC) combined binder show an improved cycling performance. The reversible capacity of the Si electrode with the SCMC/SBR binder is as high as 2221 mA·h/g for 30 cycles in a voltage window between 0.005 and 2 V. The structure changes from SEM images of the silicon electrodes with different binders were used to explore the property improvement.     

Comparative study of LiNiO2, LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 and LiNi0.75Al0.25O2 for lithium-ion batteries

The comparative study of LiNi0.8Co0.2O2 and LiNi0.75Al0.25O2 was carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electrochemical methods. The results show that Co and Al doping suppress the phase transition during charge-discharge. The experiments indicate that LiNi0.75Al0.25O2 has the better cycle-ability and over-charge resistance comparing with LiNi0.8Co0.2O2. The interfacial behavior was studied by use of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results show that LiNi0.75Al0.25O2 has a slightly larger polarization character than LiNi0.8Co0.2O2.     

Optimization of operation conditions for extracting lithium ions from calcium chloride-type oil field brine

Al(OH)3 was prepared to extract lithium ions from calcium chloride-type oil field brine. The influences of four factors, namely temperature, Al3+/Li+ molar ratio, OH-/Al3+ molar ratio, and contact time between Al(OH)₃ and the brine, on the yield of lithium ions were investigated. It is found that their optimal values are 35℃, 4.5, 2.6, and 6 h, respectively. In the course of the experiment, the apparent pH value was observed. The results reveal that the apparent pH value has no remarkable influence on the yield of lithium ions. Meanwhile, the effects of the concentrations of calcium ions and magnesium ions in the brine on lithium recovery were studied. The results indicate that calcium ions have minor negative influence on the yield of lithium ions under optimal conditions, and magnesium ions slightly influence the yield of lithium ions.     

Kinetic approach to the study of froth flotation applied to a lepidolite ore

The number of published studies related to the optimization of lithium extraction from low-grade ores has increased as the demand for lithium has grown. However, no study related to the kinetics of the concentration stage of lithium-containing minerals by froth flotation has yet been reported. To establish a factorial design of batch flotation experiments, we conducted a set of kinetic tests to determine the most selective alternative collector, define a range of pulp pH values, and estimate a near-optimum flotation time. Both collectors (Aeromine 3000C and Armeen 12D) provided the required flotation selectivity, although this selectivity was lost in the case of pulp pH values outside the range between 2 and 4. Cumulative mineral recovery curves were used to adjust a classical kinetic model that was modified with a non-negative parameter representing a delay time. The computation of the near-optimum flotation time as the maximizer of a separation efficiency (SE) function must be performed with caution. We instead propose to define the near-optimum flotation time as the time interval required to achieve 95%–99% of the maximum value of the SE function.     

Preparation and electrochemical properties of re-synthesized LiCoO2 from spent lithium-ion batteries

A new idea for reuse of the cathode materials of lithium-ion batteries(LIBs) is investigated to develop an environmentally friend-ly process for recycling spent batteries.LiCoO2 is re-synthesized from spent LIBs by leaching and a sol-gel method calcined at high temperature.Thermogravimetric analysis(TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) are employed to study the re-actions occurring calcination that are responsible for the weight losses.X-ray diffraction(XRD) and scanning electron microscopy(SEM) are used to determine the structures of the LiCoO2 powders.It was found that a pure phase of LiCoO2 can be obtained by the re-synthesis process.Cyclic voltammetry(CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS) are used to evaluate the electrochemical properties of the LiCoO2 powders.The discharge capacity of re-synthesized LiCoO2 is 137 mAh g-1 at the 0.1 C rate,and the capacity retention of the re-synthesized LiCoO2 is 97.98% after 20 cycles at the 0.1 C rate,and 88.14% after 40 cy-cles.The results indicate that the re-synthesized LiCoO2 displays good charge/discharge performance and cycling behavior.     

Mechanism of intercalation and deintercalation of lithium ions in graphene nanosheets

Graphene nanosheets (GNSs) were synthesized by reducing exfoliated graphite oxides. Their structure, surface morphology and lithium storage mechanism were characterized and investigated systematically using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, charge-discharge tests, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. It was found that the GNSs, which were obtained via chemical synthesis, were primarily less than 10 graphene layers. The GNS electrodes, which were fabricated from the reduced GNSs, exhibited an enhanced reversible lithium storage capacity and good cyclic stability when serving as anodes in lithium-ion batteries. Also, the first-cycle irreversible capacities of the system were relatively high, because of the formation of a solid electrolyte interphase film on the surface of the GNS electrode and the spontaneous stacking of GNSs during the first lithiation. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results suggest that the solid electrolyte interphase film on the GNS electrode during first lithiation were primarily formed at potentials between 0.95 and 0.7 V. Also, the symmetry factor of the charge transfer was measured to be 0.446.     

Preparation and kinetic analysis of Li4SiO4 sorbents with different silicon sources for high temperature CO2 capture

Using diatomite and analytical pure SiO2 as silicon sources,Li4SiO4 sorbents for high temperature CO2 capture were prepared through solid-state reaction method.Phase composition was analyzed by X-ray diffraction,and the CO2 absorption capacity and absorptoin-desorption performance were studied by the simultaneous thermal thermogravimetric analyzer(TG-DSC).The results showed that silicon source had an important influence on CO2 absorption properties.The kinetic parameters for the chemisorption and diffusion processes were obtained by the isothermal study for different silicon sources.The results showed that the activation energies for these two processes were estimated to be 105.427 and 35.928 kJ/mol for the sample with analytical pure SiO2(AS).While for the sample with diatomite(DS),the activation energies for these two processes were estimated to be 78.500 and 20.439 kJ/mol,respectively.     

Inorganic-Organic Composite Materials for Lithium Batteries

1 Results In order to develop high capacity anode materials for enhancing the performance of lithium-ion batteries,silicon (Si) and a variety of metals that alloy with lithium,such as Sn,Sb,and Al,were studied and found to be promising candidates as anode materials[1-4].Among them,Si appears to be the most attractive candidate due to its large theoretical lithium insertion capacity of 4 200 mAh g-1[1].Unfortunately,there is one severe problem with the application of Si anode,i.e., the large volume chang...     

Nanostructured transition metal nitride composites as energy storage material

There are growing demands for the next generation lithium ion batteries with high energy density as well as high power performance for renewable energy storage and electric vehicles application.Recently,nanoscale materials with outstanding energy storage capability have received considerable attention due to their unique effect caused by the reduced dimensions.This review describes some recent developments of our group in research of transition metal nitride nanocomposites in application of energy storage,especially for lithium ion battery and supercapacitor.The strategies of mixed conduction(electron and ion) network with a favorable charge transportation interface in the design of the nanocomposites for such devices are highlighted.     

Effect of Sr on microstructure and aging behavior of Mg–14Li alloys

The as-cast and as-extruded Mg–14 wt%Li–x Sr ( x=0.14, 0.19, 0.39 wt%) alloys were,respectively, prepared through a simple alloying process and hot extrusion. The effects of Sr addition on microstructure and aging behavior of the Mg–14 wt%Li–xSr alloys were studied. The results indicated that β(Li) and Mg2Sr were the two primary phases in the microstructures of both as-cast and as-extruded Mg–14 wt%Li–xSr alloys. Interestingly, with the increase of Sr content from 0.14 wt% to 0.39 wt%, the grain sizes of the as-cast and as-extruded Mg–14 wt%Li–xSr alloys markedly decreased from 5000mm and 38mm to 330 mm and 22mm respectively, while no obvious changes of the micro-hardness and microstructure of the as-extruded alloys were observed during the aging treatment.