Development of solid-state electrolytes for thin-film lithium batteries

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The rising level of greenhouse gases caused by fossil fuels is known to be one of the foremost drivers ofclimate change. In Canada, the transportation sector was the second largest source of greenhouse gases,accounting for 23% of total emissions in 2014. In this context, electric vehicles are gaining widespreadinterests in order to realize clean transportation. Thin-film lithium battery built on solid-state electrolytes is themost promising technology to power electric vehicles, due to its high safety and energy density.To enable thin-film lithium batteries, it is the key to develop solid-state electrolytes with high lithium-ionconductivity. One critical challenge that Micromolding Solutions Inc. (a Quebec-based company) has is the lowlithium-ion conductivity of solid-state electrolytes prepared by a cold-pressing method, which leads to highinterfacial resistance. In this project, Prof. Jian Liu at UBC Okanagan, in partnership with MicromoldingSolutions, proposes to use an innovative technique, Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS), to fabricate solid-stateelectrolytes. It is expected that SPS will significantly reduce the interfacial resistance and improve theconductivity of solid-state electrolytes.Success of this project will deliver marketable solid-state electrolyte products that will put MicromoldingSolutions in a leading position in key battery material supply. Moreover, the thin-film lithium battery researchwill have great impacts on economic and environmental sectors of Canada. The global market for thin-filmbatteries is anticipated to grow from USD 51.6 Million in 2014 to an estimated value of USD 1,104.3 Millionby 2020. This presents an unprecedented opportunity for Canadian battery industries (such as Nano One,Corvus), and create new economic venue in the next decade. At last but not least, thin-film battery technologywill increase the deployment of renewable energy and contribute to the development of sustainable society.