GOALI: Chemomechanical Failure Mechanisms in Inorganic Solid Electrolytes

非技术描述：固体电解质是成功开发固态电池的有利材料。近年来，已经开发了具有足够高的离子电导率的陶瓷和玻璃固体电解质，然而，这些材料仍然面临重大挑战。该项目的研究涉及与化学和机械现象的综合影响相关的降解机制。这项工作的变革性影响正在通过固态电池性能的大幅改善得到证明。与GOALI合作伙伴的直接合作促进了实施，其中包括合成和测试新型电解质的工作。来自布朗大学的研究人员正在与Xingcheng Xiao博士和通用汽车（GM）的其他人直接合作，以扩大教育成果并加强对行业的知识转移。通过这些与工业合作者的直接互动，所产生的新知识正在应用于商业上可行的系统。技术优势：与基于液体电解质的传统锂离子电池相比，固态锂电池提供了关键的改进。特别地，固体电解质的实施可以通过安全使用Li金属阳极来潜在地增加能量密度。该研究项目采用精确的原地应力测量沿着其他实验方法来研究固体电解质中的各种化学机械现象（例如，锂金属渗透，纳米复合材料中的大规模桥接效应，硫化物玻璃中的粘塑性等）。这包括集中精力理解和减轻树枝状锂丝的形成，这是一种关键的失效机制，其中机械应力似乎起着重要作用。化学机械降解的这个方面和其他方面正在通过对三种不同类型的材料的研究来研究：（1）单相陶瓷氧化物（主要是石榴石型材料），其经历纯弹性变形;（2）纳米片、纳米管和纳米纤维增加断裂韧性的纳米复合材料电解质;（3）硫化物玻璃电解质，其经受速率依赖性变形。 这些数据的解释是基于详细的有限元建模。与GOALI合作伙伴的广泛合作促进了知识向行业的转移。该项目的教育部分包括一名博士生在通用汽车公司做暑期实习生，以及布朗大学为韦尔斯利学院的本科女生提供研究培训机会。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Solid electrolytes are the enabling material for the successful development of solid-state batteries. Ceramic and glass solid electrolytes with sufficiently high ionic conductivities have been developed in recent years, however, these materials still face significant challenges. The research in this project addresses degradation mechanisms that are associated with the combined effects of chemical and mechanical phenomena. The transformative impact of this work is being demonstrated through substantial improvements in the performance of solid-state batteries. Implementation is facilitated by direct collaborations with the GOALI partner, which includes work on the synthesis and testing of novel electrolytes. Researchers from Brown University are working directly with Dr. Xingcheng Xiao and others at General Motors (GM), in ways that expand educational outcomes and enhance knowledge transfer to industry. Via these direct interactions with industrial collaborators, the resulting new knowledge is being applied to commercially viable systems. TECHNICAL DETAILS: Solid-state lithium batteries provide key improvements compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries based on liquid electrolytes. In particular, the implementation of solid electrolytes can potentially increase energy density through the safe use of Li metal anodes. This research project employs precise in situ stress measurements along with other experimental methods to investigate a variety of chemo-mechanical phenomena in solid electrolytes (e.g., Li metal penetration, large scale bridging effects in nanocomposites, viscoplasticity in sulfide glasses, etc.). This includes focused efforts to understand and mitigate the formation of dendrite-like lithium filaments, a critical failure mechanism where mechanical stresses appear to play an important role. This and other aspects of chemo-mechanical degradation are being investigated with research on three distinct types of materials: (1) single phase ceramic oxides (primarily garnet-type materials) that undergo purely elastic deformation; (2) nanocomposite electrolytes where nanoplatelets, nanotubes, and nanofibers increase the fracture toughness; (3) sulfide glass electrolytes that are subject to rate dependent deformation. Interpretation of these data is based on detailed finite element modeling. Extensive collaborations with the GOALI partner facilitate knowledge transfer to industry. Education elements of this project include a doctoral student working as a summer intern at GM, and research training opportunities at Brown University for undergraduate women from Wellesley College.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.