SBIR Phase I: Investigate Process-Structure-Property Relationship of Nano-Layered Coatings of Binderless Electrodes by a Nozzle-less Spray Coating Technique

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的广泛影响是开发一种制造工艺创新，克服了传统制造工艺制造电池的体积膨胀问题。这些扩展问题限制了高性能、更安全、自然丰富、环保和更便宜的原材料在现代电动汽车和动力飞机等先进电池应用中的广泛采用。拟议的项目为现有的制造基础设施开发了一种嵌入式技术，有可能显著减少传统制造过程的环境浪费。SBIR第一期项目将研究使用无喷嘴喷涂技术沉积纳米层状涂层的无粘结剂电极制造。技术挑战包括被过滤器残留物污染的电极；电极厚度、密度和孔隙率不均匀；可怜的重复性;而过滤去除过程冗长，抑制了真空过滤法制造无粘结剂电极的放大。该项目将验证一种新的超声波喷涂技术，用于规模化生产无粘结剂电极。研究范围包括：设计表面活性剂去除和均匀分散的纳米复合溶液子系统，利用该创新技术合成无粘结剂电极，以及表征电极原型。该项目的任务（使用氧化铁阳极进行演示）包括选择具有适当形态和尺寸的前驱体材料，以便在纳米复合材料之间有效结合并粘附在集流器上；无粘结剂电极结构设计；计算机建模和仿真优化无粘结剂电极结构参数、电极纳米复合材料组分形态和尺寸；推进表面活性剂去除、均匀分散和热压力子系统；研制超声无喷嘴喷涂涂料制备电极原型；并对无粘结剂电极原型的力学和电化学性能进行了表征。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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 of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is the development of a manufacturing process innovation that overcomes volume expansion problems of batteries made by conventional manufacturing processes. These expansion problems limit the broad adoption of high performance, safer, naturally abundant, environmentally friendly, and cheaper raw materials for advanced batteries in applications such as modern electric vehicles and powered aircraft. The proposed project develops a drop-in technology for existing manufacturing infrastructure with the potential to significantly reduce the environmental waste of conventional manufacturing processes.The SBIR Phase I project will investigate the binderless electrode manufacturing using nano-layered coatings deposited using a nozzle free spray coating technique. The technical challenges include contaminated electrodes with filter residues; non-uniform electrode thickness, density, and porosity; poor repeatability; and lengthy filter removal process, inhibiting scale-up of the vacuum filtration method for making binderless electrodes. This project will validate a new ultrasonic spray coating technique for scaling the production of binderless electrodes. The scope of the research includes: designing surfactant removal and homogeneous dispersion of nanocomposite mixture solution subsystems, synthesizing binderless electrodes with the innovation, and characterizing electrode prototypes. The project's tasks (using an iron oxide anode for demonstration) include selecting precursor materials with appropriate morphologies and sizes for effective bonding between nanocomposites and adhesion on current collector; designing binderless electrode structures; computer modeling and simulation to optimize parameters of binderless electrode structure, electrode nanocomposite constituent morphologies and sizes; advancing surfactant removal, homogeneous dispersion, and thermal=pressure subsystems; developing ultrasonic nozzle-less spray coatings to make prototype electrodes; and characterizing the mechanical and electrochemical properties of the binderless electrode prototypes.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.