SBIR Phase I: Novel Anode Formulation for Improving Cycle Life of Lithium Metal Batteries

这个SBIR一期项目将开发下一代锂金属电池的关键部件，与最好的锂离子电池相比，它大大提高了能量密度和安全性。这种技术有可能通过改善电池市场的最新技术，如植入式医疗设备、电气化飞行、电动汽车等，带来重大的社会价值。事实上，仅仅是医疗设备电池的改进就可能导致设备设计和医疗保健服务的阶梯式改进，每年可以挽救数万人的生命。该项目将增加美国制造业的机会，并通过利用全国现有的国内原型和制造能力创造就业机会。一旦材料和工艺成本降低，这项技术还可以帮助加速电动汽车、消费电子产品、可穿戴设备和其他便携式设备的大众市场采用。这项拟议中的技术可能最终使可持续电气化交通的广泛采用成为可能，减少美国对外国石油的依赖，显著减少与交通运输相关的碳排放，并为美国的电池研发和制造建立优势。该项目解决了基于锂金属的下一代电池化学未满足的关键挑战：高可逆循环（500次循环，锂电镀效率99.7%）和高充电电流密度（1 mA/cm^2）。研发计划的目标是证明一种新型金属阳极配方的概念，该配方可以实现前所未有的循环寿命、锂电镀效率和充电速率。现有的纯锂金属阳极电池原型已经证明了稳定的循环和较低速率下的高比能。然而，在高充电速率下，不充分的锂电镀效率限制了商用电池的循环寿命。第一阶段的研究工作将集中在两个主要目标上：(I)与纯锂金属相比，在高充电率下提高金属阳极的可逆性和效率；（ii）在具有商业吸引力的设计参数的硬币电池中展示性能优势，在高充电率下以最小的锂损耗提供500次循环。第一阶段研究的最终目标是开发基于优化电解质和商用电池组件的高性能实验室原型，这将为目标市场的快速商业化提供可行性证明。

This SBIR Phase I project will develop key components of a next-generation lithium metal battery that greatly increases both energy density and safety compared to the best lithium-ion batteries. Such a technology has the potential to deliver significant societal value by improving the state-of-the-art in battery markets such as implantable medical devices, electrified flight, electric vehicles, and many others. In fact, improvements just in medical device batteries may cause a step-change improvement in device design and delivery of healthcare that could save tens of thousands of lives annually. This project will increase opportunities for US-based manufacturing and create jobs by leveraging existing domestic prototyping and manufacturing capabilities around the country. Once material and process costs come down with scale, this technology can also help to expedite mass-market adoption of electric vehicles, consumer electronics, wearables, and other portable devices. The proposed technology may eventually allow for the widespread adoption of sustainable electrified transportation, reduce US dependence on foreign oil, significantly reduce carbon emissions related to transportation, and build an edge for US-based battery R&D and manufacturing.The project addresses the key unmet challenge for next-generation battery chemistries based on lithium metal: highly reversible cycling ( 500 cycles with lithium plating efficiency 99.7%) with high charging current density ( 1 mA/cm^2). The objective of the proposed R&D is to prove out a concept around novel metallic anode formulation that can enable unprecedented cycle life, lithium plating efficiency, and charging rate. Existing cell prototypes with pure lithium metal anodes have already demonstrated stable cycling and high specific energy at lower rates. However, inadequate lithium plating efficiency at high charging rates limits the cycle life that can be achieved in a commercial cell. Phase I research efforts will focus on two main objectives: (i) improve reversibility and efficiency of the metallic anode at high charge rates compared to pure lithium metal, and (ii) demonstrate the performance benefits in a coin cell with commercially attractive design parameters that delivers 500 cycles with minimal lithium loss at a high rate. The ultimate goal of the Phase I research is to develop a high-performance lab prototype, based on an optimized electrolyte and commercial cell components, that will provide proof of feasibility for rapid commercialization in the target market.