SBIR Phase II: A New Class of High-Conductivity Solid-state Composite Electrolytes for Next-Generation Lithium Batteries

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是引入不易燃，易于制造的固体电池电解质，这些电解质也与锂金属兼容。电池架构寻求确保安全性，同时能够显著提高能量密度。 该团队还试图通过消除与热管理和爆炸控制相关的外部成本来降低锂离子电池的成本。 安全、易于制造的电解质可能会改变全球经济的电气化速度。下一代电池供电的医疗设备，其中很大一部分是在美国制造的，也可能受益于采用新的固体电解质。此外，复合固体电解质的目标是使新的电池结构具有比迄今为止液体电解质系统更高的能量密度。这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目将开发一种不易燃、高导电性的复合固态电池电解质，与混合金属氧化物阴极化学和电池制造工艺兼容。复合电解质的形态使得其抵消了聚合物电解质以及无机硫化物和氧化物固体电解质在用作单片材料时存在的缺点。所提出的固体电解质的独特异质结构通过使锂离子能够通过多个途径更快地扩散，同时减轻锂枝晶的生长来推进当前的最新技术水平。电解质的不可燃性使其成为传统液体电解质的潜在替代品，可减少火灾危险并降低锂离子电池所需热保护系统的成本。与锂金属的相容性为改善目前使用的硅-石墨阳极的能量密度提供了独特的机会，这转化为每单位储存能量的较低成本（$/kWh）。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值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 Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase II project is the introduction of non-flammable, easy-to-manufacture solid battery electrolytes that are also compatible with lithium metal. The cell architecture seeks to ensure safety while enabling a significant improvement in the energy density. The teams also seeks to lower the costs of the lithium-ion batteries by eliminating extrinsic costs associated with thermal management and explosion containment. Safe, easy-to-manufacture electrolytes may alter the rate of electrification of the global economy. The next generation of battery powered medical devices, a large proportion of which are manufactured in the United States, may also benefit from the adoption of the new solid electrolyte. In addition, the proposed composite solid electrolyte aims to enable new cell architectures with significantly higher energy densities than what has been possible in liquid electrolyte systems to date.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop a non-flammable, high-conductivity composite, solid-state battery electrolytes that are compatible with mixed metal oxide cathode chemistries and cell manufacturing processes. The morphology of the composite electrolyte is such that it offsets disadvantages present in polymer electrolytes, as well as inorganic sulfide and oxide solid electrolytes, when they are used as monolithic materials. The unique heterostructures of the proposed solid electrolytes advance the current state-of-the-art by enabling faster diffusion of lithium ions through multiple pathways, while mitigating the growth of lithium dendrites. The electrolyte's nonflammable nature makes it a potential replacement for conventional liquid electrolytes in reducing fire hazards and reducing the costs of reqired thermal protection systems in lithium-ion batteries. The compatibility with lithium metal presents a unique opportunity for improvement in the energy density over currently used silicon-graphite anodes, that translates to a lower cost per unit of stored energy ($/kWh). An additional advantage is that these batteries do not require special handling and they are compatible with both spiral wound and planar battery form factors.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.