SBIR Phase I: A unique aerogel-based separator technology for safety and ultrafast charging of batteries

这项小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的广泛影响将改善电池市场，并为向负担得起的清洁能源解决方案的转变做出贡献。该公司新型气凝胶膜分离器的性能特点解决了现有电池的主要局限性。膜提供的增强耐用性和稳定性使电池非常适合电动汽车（ev）和其他应用，如手机、平板电脑、无人机、无线电动工具和电动自行车。电动汽车为减少美国交通对环境的影响提供了最有可能的解决方案，因为它有助于显著减少化石燃料的使用和随后的温室气体排放。这项技术旨在提高电池的整体寿命，确保它们能够承受严格的使用条件，从而提高电动汽车的可靠性和续航里程，同时减少充电和更换电池的频率和时间。同样，在电子领域，延长的电池寿命转化为增强的设备性能，减少停机时间，并最终改善用户体验。SBIR一期项目考察了该公司气凝胶技术作为分离膜的技术可行性。该膜是由六方氮化硼片（h-BN）与氮化硼纳米管（bnnt）结合形成的独特的三维取向和功能化膜。目前的隔膜受到热稳定性差的限制，随后导致电池行业面临充电时间长、热产生率高带来的安全风险，以及由于缺乏足够的能量容量而导致的电池性能下降等挑战。该解决方案可实现超快速充电（将电池额定温度延长至10C），并提高安全性（允许电池工作至200°C），同时增强可循环性、容量和功率密度。表征气凝胶的研究活动包括利用各种化学成分对膜进行功能化，以增强离子电导率、内部串联电阻和镀锂电阻，以及研究和测试气凝胶孔径形成的均匀分布，以防止锂电镀和活性颗粒的渗透，同时最大限度地提高离子电导率。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 will improve battery market and contribute towards the shift to affordable and clean energy solutions. The company’s novel aerogel membrane separator exhibits performance characteristics that address the major limitations of existing batteries. The enhanced durability and stability provided by the membrane make batteries highly suitable for electric vehicles (EVs) and other applications, such as mobile phones, tablets, drones, cordless power tools, and e-bikes. Electric vehicles offer the most likely solution to reduce the environmental impact of transport in the US by contributing towards a significant reduction in the usage of fossil fuels and the subsequent emissions of greenhouse gases. This technology seeks to improve the overall lifespan of batteries and ensure that they can endure rigorous usage conditions, thereby increasing the reliability and range of EVs, while decreasing the frequency and time of charging and battery replacement. Similarly, in the realm of electronics, the extended battery life translates into enhanced device performance, reduced downtime, and ultimately improved user experience.This SBIR Phase I project examines the technical feasibility of the company’s aerogel technology as a separator membrane. This membrane is formed by a unique 3-dimensional orientation and functionalization of hexagonal boron nitride sheets (h-BN) combined with boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs). Current separators are limited by poor thermal stability, subsequently causing the battery industry to face challenges such as long charging times, safety risks associated with high heat generation rates, and low battery performance due to the lack of enough energy capacity. This solution allows for ultra-fast charging (extending the battery rating to 10C) and improved safely (allowing batteries to operate up to 200 °C), while enhancing cyclability, capacity, and power density. The research activities that will allow characterization of the aerogel are functionalization of the membrane with various chemical moieties to enhance ion conductivity, internal series resistance, and lithium plating resistance and investigation and testing of the aerogel pore size formation for a uniform size distribution to prevent lithium plating and penetration of active particles, while maximizing ionic conductivity.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.