GOALI: Chemomechanical Failure Mechanisms in Inorganic Solid Electrolytes

非技术描述：固体电解液是成功开发固态电池的使能材料。近年来，具有足够高离子电导率的陶瓷和玻璃固体电解质得到了发展，但这些材料仍然面临着巨大的挑战。该项目的研究涉及与化学和机械现象的综合影响有关的降解机制。这项工作的变革性影响正在通过固态电池性能的大幅改进得到展示。通过与GOALI合作伙伴的直接合作来促进实施，其中包括合成和测试新型电解液的工作。布朗大学的研究人员正在与肖兴成博士和通用汽车(General Motors)的其他人直接合作，以扩大教育成果并加强对行业的知识转移。通过与行业合作者的这些直接互动，由此产生的新知识正在应用于商业上可行的系统。技术细节：与传统的基于液体电解液的锂离子电池相比，固态锂电池提供了关键的改进。特别是，固体电解质的实施可以通过安全使用锂金属阳极来潜在地增加能量密度。本研究项目利用精密的地应力测量和其他实验方法来研究固体电解质中的各种化学机械现象(如锂金属渗透、纳米复合材料中的大规模桥联效应、硫化物玻璃中的粘塑性等)。这包括集中努力了解和减轻树枝状锂丝的形成，这是一种关键的失效机制，机械应力似乎在其中起着重要作用。通过对三种不同类型的材料的研究，正在研究化学机械降解的这一方面和其他方面：(1)经历纯弹性变形的单相陶瓷氧化物(主要是石榴石类型材料)；(2)纳米复合电解质，其中纳米片、纳米管和纳米纤维增加断裂韧性；(3)硫化物玻璃电解质，受到速率相关变形的影响。对这些数据的解释是基于详细的有限元建模。与Goali合作伙伴的广泛合作促进了向行业的知识转移。该项目的教育内容包括一名博士生在通用汽车公司暑期实习，以及在布朗大学为卫尔斯理学院的本科生女性提供研究培训机会。该奖项反映了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。

NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Solid electrolytes are the enabling material for the successful development of solid-state batteries. Ceramic and glass solid electrolytes with sufficiently high ionic conductivities have been developed in recent years, however, these materials still face significant challenges. The research in this project addresses degradation mechanisms that are associated with the combined effects of chemical and mechanical phenomena. The transformative impact of this work is being demonstrated through substantial improvements in the performance of solid-state batteries. Implementation is facilitated by direct collaborations with the GOALI partner, which includes work on the synthesis and testing of novel electrolytes. Researchers from Brown University are working directly with Dr. Xingcheng Xiao and others at General Motors (GM), in ways that expand educational outcomes and enhance knowledge transfer to industry. Via these direct interactions with industrial collaborators, the resulting new knowledge is being applied to commercially viable systems. TECHNICAL DETAILS: Solid-state lithium batteries provide key improvements compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries based on liquid electrolytes. In particular, the implementation of solid electrolytes can potentially increase energy density through the safe use of Li metal anodes. This research project employs precise in situ stress measurements along with other experimental methods to investigate a variety of chemo-mechanical phenomena in solid electrolytes (e.g., Li metal penetration, large scale bridging effects in nanocomposites, viscoplasticity in sulfide glasses, etc.). This includes focused efforts to understand and mitigate the formation of dendrite-like lithium filaments, a critical failure mechanism where mechanical stresses appear to play an important role. This and other aspects of chemo-mechanical degradation are being investigated with research on three distinct types of materials: (1) single phase ceramic oxides (primarily garnet-type materials) that undergo purely elastic deformation; (2) nanocomposite electrolytes where nanoplatelets, nanotubes, and nanofibers increase the fracture toughness; (3) sulfide glass electrolytes that are subject to rate dependent deformation. Interpretation of these data is based on detailed finite element modeling. Extensive collaborations with the GOALI partner facilitate knowledge transfer to industry. Education elements of this project include a doctoral student working as a summer intern at GM, and research training opportunities at Brown University for undergraduate women from Wellesley College.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.