Designing New Production Processes for Lithium-Ion Batteries for a Sustainable Future

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The manufacture of better, more sustainable and cheaper lithium-ion batteries is a crucial part of the strategy to reduce the impact of climate change and reach net zero carbon production. This is particularly important for the future of electric vehicles. In this research project, the student will apply cutting edge particle processing techniques to the manufacture of lithium-ion battery electrodes. Electrodes are traditionally manufactured using the slurry casting process, which involves large volumes of solvents. Use of solvents cause a number of challenges during manufacture, such as solvent toxicity, high energy usage which increases the cost of manufacture (and carbon footprint), and defects in the electrode microstructural. Because of these problems, there is a strong need for new electrode manufacturing techniques which reduce or completely eliminate solvents. In this research project, the student will apply modern particle processing techniques to the challenge of low solvent electrode manufacture. In particular, they will use computational modelling such as Discrete Element Method (DEM) to examine, understand and predict the performance of new dry electrode manufacturing processes. DEM has been used widely outside of the electrode manufacturing industry. The application of DEM to battery manufacture is highly novel and has great potential to transform energy storage device manufacture. The student will perform research at multiple length scales, generate mechanistic understanding of mixing and de-agglomeration, and apply this knowledge to the development of novel dry processing technologies for lithium ion battery manufacture. They will have the opportunity to develop skills across the breadth of electrode manufacture, in computational modelling, experimental techniques and characterisation.