Lithium News

Norwegian battery startup Morrow, which opened its first factory earlier this month, has reached a preliminary deal to deliver power storage systems to Ukraine, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

Morrow said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Ukraine’s State Agency on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving (SAEE), adding that a final deal may involve support from sources including external financial donors.

Lithium iron phosphate is one of the most important materials for batteries in electric cars, stationary energy storage systems and tools. It has a long service life, is comparatively inexpensive and does not tend to spontaneously combust. Energy density is also making progress. However, experts are still puzzled as to why lithium iron phosphate batteries undercut their theoretical electricity storage capacity by up to 25% in practice.

In order to utilize this dormant capacity reserve, it would be crucial to know exactly where and how lithium ions are stored in and released from the battery material during the charging and discharging cycles.

Researchers at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) have now taken a significant step in this direction. Using transmission electron microscopes, they were able to systematically track the lithium ions as they traveled through the battery material, map their arrangement in the crystal lattice of an iron phosphate cathode with unprecedented resolution and precisely quantify their distribution in the crystal.

Their study is published in the journal Advanced Energy Materials.

Key clue for increasing the capacity of batteries further

“Our investigations have shown that even when the test battery cells are fully charged, lithium ions remain in the crystal lattice of the cathode instead of migrating to the anode. These immobile ions incur a cost in capacity,” says Daniel Knez from the Institute of Electron Microscopy and Nanoanalysis at TU Graz.

The immobile lithium ions are unevenly distributed in the cathode. The researchers have succeeded in precisely determining these areas of different levels of lithium enrichment and separating them from each other down to a few nanometers.

Distortions and deformations were found in the crystal lattice of the cathode in the transition areas.

“These details provide important information on physical effects that have so far counteracted battery efficiency and which we can take into account in the further development of the materials,” says Ilie Hanzu from the Institute of Chemistry and Technology of Materials, who was closely involved in the study.

Methods are also transferrable to other battery materials

For their investigations, the researchers prepared material samples from the electrodes of charged and discharged batteries and analyzed them under the atomic-resolution ASTEM microscope at TU Graz. They combined electron energy loss spectroscopy with electron diffraction measurements and atomic-level imaging.

“By combining different examination methods, we were able to determine where the lithium is positioned in the crystal channels and how it gets there,” explains Nikola Šimić from the Institute of Electron Microscopy and Nanoanalysis, the first author of the paper.

“The methods we have developed and the knowledge we have gained about ion diffusion can be transferred to other battery materials with only minor adjustments in order to characterize them even more precisely and develop them further.”

The Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) has developed a redox-active metal-organic hybrid electrode material (SKIER-5) for Li batteries that remains stable in cold conditions as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius. By addressing the limitations of graphite as an anode material of conventional Li batteries under freezing conditions, SKIER-5 has the potential to be a superior alternative. This novel material can be used in Li batteries for a variety of applications, including electric vehicles, drones, and ultra-small electronic devices, even at low temperatures.

Currently, graphite is the conventional material used for anodes in lithium-ion batteries due to its thermodynamic stability and low cost. However, batteries with graphite anodes have significant drawbacks: their storage capacity sharply decreases at subzero temperatures, and dendrites can form on the anode surface during charging. This can lead to thermal runaway and potential explosions.

A research team led by Dr. Jungjoon Yoo, Dr. Kanghoon Yim, and Dr. Hyunuk Kim at KIER has developed a redox-active conductive metal-organic framework called “SKIER-5.” This framework is assembled from a trianthrene-based organic ligand and nickel ions. SKIER-5 exhibited a discharge capacity five times higher than that of graphite in subzero environments.

SKIER-5 anode achieved a discharge capacity of 440 mAh/g, surpassing the 375 mAh/g of a graphite electrode at room temperature. Notably, after 1,600 charge-discharge cycles, the capacity increased by approximately 1.5 times (600 mAh/g). This is an exceptional result, as discharge capacity typically decreases with repeated charge-discharge cycles.

The research team confirmed the redox mechanism of SKIER-5 using high flux X-ray analysis at the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory. Unlike graphite, SKIER-5, which includes nickel ions and heteroatoms (N, F, S)-based organic ligands, interacts with Li ions to trigger redox reactions involving electron transfer. This process allows for increased electron storage, leading to a higher discharge capacity.

Notably, SKIER-5 achieved a discharge capacity of 150 mAh/g, which is five times higher than that of graphite at minus 20 degrees Celsius. This enhanced performance is attributed to SKIER-5’s lower minimum energy threshold for initiating chemical reactions compared to graphite. Consequently, SKIER-5 maintains stable performance in low-temperature environments where reaction rate typically decreases.

The operating principle of SKIER-5 was validated using first-principles calculations based on quantum chemistry. The research team first determined the crystalline structure of SKIER-5, which was consistent with X-ray structural analysis, and predicted lithium adsorption sites to predict the material’s theoretical capacity and reaction voltage via calculation. The predicted values closely matched the experimental results, confirming the origin of the excellent performance of SKIER-5’s as a Li battery anode.

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) see a realistic path forward to the manufacture of bio-derivable wind blades that can be chemically recycled and the components reused, ending the practice of old blades winding up in landfills at the end of their useful life.

The findings are published in the journal Science. The new resin, which is made of materials produced using bio-derivable resources, performs on par with the current industry standard of blades made from a thermoset resin and outperforms certain thermoplastic resins intended to be recyclable.

The researchers built a prototype 9-meter blade to demonstrate the manufacturability of an NREL-developed biomass-derivable resin nicknamed PECAN. The acronym stands for PolyEster Covalently Adaptable Network, and the manufacturing process dovetails with current methods.

Under existing technology, wind blades last about 20 years, and afterward they can be mechanically recycled, such as shredded for use as concrete filler. PECAN marks a leap forward because of the ability to recycle the blades using mild chemical processes.

The chemical recycling process allows the components of the blades to be recaptured and reused again and again, allowing the remanufacture of the same product, according to Ryan Clarke, a postdoctoral researcher at NREL and first author of the new paper. “It is truly a limitless approach if it’s done right.”

He said the chemical process was able to completely break down the prototype blade in six hours.

The paper, “Manufacture and testing of biomass-derivable thermosets for wind blade recycling,” involved work from investigators at five NREL research hubs, including the National Wind Technology Center and the BOTTLE Consortium. The researchers demonstrated an end-of-life strategy for the PECAN blades and proposed recovery and reuse strategies for each component.

“The PECAN method for developing recyclable wind turbine blades is a critically important step in our efforts to foster a circular economy for energy materials,” said Johney Green, NREL’s associate laboratory director for Mechanical and Thermal Engineering Sciences.

The research into the PECAN resin began with the end. The scientists wanted to make a wind blade that could be recyclable and began experimenting with what feedstock they could use to achieve that goal. The resin they developed using bio-derivable sugars provided a counterpoint to the conventional notion that a blade designed to be recyclable will not perform as well.

“Just because something is bio-derivable or recyclable does not mean it’s going to be worse,” said Nic Rorrer, one of the two corresponding authors of the Science paper. He said one concern others have had about these types of materials is that the blade would be subject to greater “creep,” which is when the blade loses its shape and deforms over time.

“It really challenges this evolving notion in the field of polymer science, that you can’t use recyclable materials because they will underperform or creep too much.”

Composites made from the PECAN resin held their shape, withstood accelerated weatherization validation, and could be made within a timeframe similar to the existing cure cycle for how wind turbine blades are currently manufactured.

While wind blades can measure the length of a football field, the size of the prototype provided proof of the process.

“Nine meters is a scale that we were able to demonstrate all of the same manufacturing processes that would be used at the 60-, 80-, 100-meter blade scale,” said Robynne Murray, the second corresponding author.

Batteries have rapidly become a crucial factor in the global energy storage ecosystem and it is expected that batteries will continue to be central to ensuring a safe, affordable, and clean energy transition.

Batteries represent an essential enabler for the increasing number of electric vehicles (EVs) being sold every year, throughout the transport sector. Batteries are increasingly important in energy storage, with them seeing widespread use in utility-scale and behind-the-meter applications as their cost reduces and there is increased deployment of solar and wind power.

As their centrality to these applications continues to grow, sustainability in battery materials and the battery supply chain will be essential for integrating renewable energy sources, optimizing storage capacities, and accelerating the global transition to electric mobility.

The entire battery lifecycle must be considered in order to realize this goal, including the material supply chain, battery chemistries, and ongoing environmental impacts.

Current developments in battery technology have the potential to further improve the sustainability of lithium-ion batteries and alternative battery chemistries by enhancing the battery cathode and anode materials’ availability and safety. Essential raw materials will also be eliminated from future battery chemistries.

For example, promising cases include the growing adoption of lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries in the market, the rapid development of next-generation battery technologies like the solid-state battery or lithium-sulfate battery chemistry; and the ongoing commercialization of sodium-ion batteries.

Conventional lithium-ion batteries continue to be a key component of modern economies, however, and these have very much reshaped electronic devices and electric mobility. Their use is also increasing in power systems.

The development of new battery chemistries may challenge traditional lithium battery dominance in the coming years, however.

Growing Demand for Battery Storage Capacity

The use of batteries continues to expand throughout the energy storage sector, with record electric vehicle sales and use of battery storage in the power sector.

One in five cars sold in the global market is now electric, while in China, approximately 50 % of car sales are electric. An increasing number of wind and solar power projects are also leveraging stationary battery storage capacity.

These factors have contributed to the announcement numerous new battery cell manufacturing facilities worldwide, with political support in various regions supporting these developments.

There has been rapid growth throughout the lithium-ion battery industry over the past five years. Between 2018 and 2023, the installed capacity of LIBs for energy storage applications increased by over 2000 GWh – a noteworthy fourfold increase that increased the total volume to over 2400 GWh by the end of 2023.

Lithium batteries have outperformed other energy storage technologies over the past ten years due to their superior cycle life and energy density. Ongoing advances in manufacturing processes and battery chemistry and have lowered the average costs of batteries by a total of 90 % from 2010 levels.

Battery Material and Supply Chain Risks

The current international rechargeable battery supply chain is extremely complex and involves a large number of stages. China moved into this sector early and, as a result, now occupies a dominant position at almost every point in the downstream battery supply chain.

China accounts for over 50 % of the global raw material processing for essential battery minerals including cobalt, lithium, and natural graphite.

China essentially controls the whole graphite anode supply chain, with the country possessing a 90 % share of the world’s graphite mining operations. It is home to 85 % of global battery cell manufacturing capacity, and the country’s industrial base is responsible for 90 % of global cathode active material production.

China’s dominant role in the battery supply chain ranges from the processing of raw materials to the finishing of components and cells. Its role is undeniably substantial and difficult for other nations to match at the present time, with just Korea (9 %) and Japan (3 %) currently housing noteworthy cathode active material manufacturing capacity outside of China.

Different battery chemistries require different supply chains, however, meaning that it may be possible to find opportunities to reduce supply chain dependencies while developing more sustainable means of advancing the electric mobility and energy storage sectors.

Evolution of Lithium-Ion Battery Material and Chemistries

The cathode material – the positive electrode, where lithium ions are stored during the charge and discharge cycle – is impacted by its elemental composition, which in turn influences battery performance. Batteries are, therefore, named and classified according to the applied cathode active material.

The most commonly employed lithium-ion battery chemistries are:

• lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC)
• lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA)
• lithium iron phosphate (LFP)
• and lithium cobalt oxide (LCO)

Different combinations and proportions of each battery chemistry’s electrode material result in distinctive battery characteristics. For example, LCO is currently one of the most recognized chemistries with its high-energy density and technological maturity resulting in widespread use in portable electronics .

NMC, NCA, and LFP chemicals are currently the most prominent battery types used in electric vehicles (EVs), but alternative technologies and materials for lithium-ion batteries or entirely other chemistries have recently garnered attention as potential successors; for example, solid-state and sodium-ion batteries.