PFI-TT: Using Ultralight Carbon Aerogel Electrodes to Increase Energy Density of Rechargeable Batteries

这一创新-研究伙伴关系(PFI-TT)项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是我们的碳气凝胶技术将产生更高能量密度的电池。由于每个新设备和应用都由锂离子电池供电，消费者希望以更低的成本提高性能(容量和循环寿命)。为了满足这些需求，需要比目前最先进的电池更高的能量密度。拟议的轻质气凝胶通过取代当今电池电极中使用的较重的金属箔，使电池具有更高的能量密度。这种能量密度的增加预计将允许客户在(1)给定电池尺寸/重量的较高能量输出或(2)较小的电池尺寸/重量之间进行选择，而不会牺牲当前电池单元实现的能量输出。随着全球锂离子电池市场预计将从2018年的214亿美元快速增长到2021年的456亿美元，拟议的技术为电池制造商提供了一种变革性的战略，以提高锂离子电池供电设备的性能。拟议的项目涉及建造比目前最先进的电池电极更小、更轻的高能量密度电池电极。在传统的锂离子电池中，能量密度受到用于支撑电极膜的金属箔集电器的重量的限制。作为对这一限制的解决方案，拟议的项目将推进多孔、超轻碳气凝胶的开发，以取代标准的金属箔。拟议技术的成功演示将取决于完成以下目标：(I)开发批量生产方法以扩大气凝胶的生产，(Ii)优化气凝胶衬底的孔结构、电学性能和机械耐久性，(Iii)扩大制造工艺以生产复合气凝胶电极，(Iv)用构建的气凝胶电极设计和制造大尺寸电池，以及(V)确定高性能气凝胶袋电池的最佳电池化学。这些问题的成功解决将为建造更轻、更小、更高能量密度的锂离子电池提供一种战略。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation – Research Partnerships (PFI-TT) project is the higher energy density batteries that will result from our carbon aerogel technology. With every new device and application powered by a lithium ion battery, consumers expect increased performance (capacity and cycle life) at lower cost. To satisfy these demands, batteries of higher energy density than current state-of-the-art are needed. The proposed lightweight aerogels enable higher energy density batteries by replacing the heavier metal foils used in today’s battery electrodes. This increase in energy density is expected to allow customers to choose between either (1) a higher energy output for a given battery size/weight, or (2) a smaller battery size/weight without sacrificing the energy output achieved in current battery cells. With the global lithium ion battery market projected to rapidly grow from $21.4 B in 2018 to $45.6 B in 2021, the proposed technology provides a transformative strategy to battery manufacturers to increase the performance of devices powered by lithium ion batteries.The proposed project involves constructing energy-dense battery electrodes that are smaller and lighter than current state-of-the-art. In conventional lithium ion batteries, the energy density is restricted by the weight of the metal-foil current collectors used to support the electrode films. As a solution to this limitation, the proposed project will advance the development of a porous, ultralight-weight carbon aerogel to replace the standard metal foils. Successful demonstration of the proposed technology will rely on completing the following goals: (i) developing a batch production method for scaling up aerogel production, (ii) optimizing the pore structure, electrical properties, and mechanical durability of the aerogel substrates, (iii) scaling up the fabrication procedure to produce composite aerogel electrodes, (iv) designing and fabricating large-format cells with the constructed aerogel electrodes, and (v) identifying the optimal cell chemistry for high performance aerogel pouch cells. Successful solution of these issues would provide a strategy to construct lighter, smaller, and more energy-dense lithium ion batteries.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.