SBIR Phase II: Aqueous Lithium and Zinc Ion Batteries for Stationary Energy Storage Applications

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是水锂锌离子电池的商业化，它是铅酸和锂离子电池在固定储能应用中的替代品。这种电池具有不易燃、环保的水性电解质，不使用钴或镍，减少了对关键材料的依赖，有助于使电池材料供应链多样化。这种电池化学结合了锌基电池的高安全性和低成本，以及锂离子电池的长寿命。这种水电池可能有助于推动采用有益的能源技术，如间歇性可再生能源和电动汽车。这种电池使用的锌可以在国内采购，不会对外国资源产生依赖，既促进了国家安全，又在美国创造了就业机会。使用现有的方法，这种电池也是完全可回收的。该SBIR二期项目旨在通过优化单个电池组件来开发水锂和锌离子电池技术，以提高循环寿命和功率，并从袋状电池扩展到更大尺寸的棱柱状电池。该研究将包括改进插层电极设计以增加长寿命循环期间的容量保留，开发锌电极设计以抑制锌枝晶生长，改进分离器功能以保持高速率能力并增加循环寿命，以及开发一种设计用于稳定锌的电解质，同时也允许更快地与锌和锂离子反应。与传统固定储能应用中使用的铅酸电池和锂离子电池相比，将构建具有优化组件的更大尺寸电池并进行测试，以评估实际性能指标。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/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is the commercialization of an aqueous lithium and zinc ion battery that is a replacement for lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries in stationary energy storage applications. This battery has a nonflammable, environmentally-friendly, water-based electrolyte and does not utilize cobalt or nickel, reducing reliance on critical materials and helping to diversify battery material supply chains. The battery chemistry combines the high safety and low cost associated with zinc-based batteries with the long life of lithium-ion batteries. This aqueous battery may help to advance the adoption of beneficial energy technologies such as intermittent renewables and electric vehicles. The battery utilizes zinc that can be sourced domestically and does not introduce a dependency on foreign sources, promoting both national security and the creation of US-based jobs. The battery is also fully recyclable using existing methods.This SBIR Phase II project proposes to develop the aqueous lithium and zinc ion battery technology by focusing on optimization of individual battery components to improve cycle life and power as well as scale up from pouch cells to larger-format prismatic cells. The research will include refining the intercalation electrode design to increase capacity retention during long life cycling, developing the zinc electrode design to suppress zinc dendrite growth, improving separator functionality to maintain high-rate capabilities and increase cycle life, and developing an electrolyte designed to stabilize zinc while also allowing for faster reactivity with the zinc and lithium ions. Larger format cells with optimized components will be built and tested to evaluate scaled real-world performance metrics compared to Lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries traditionally used in stationary energy storage applications.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.