High performance 3D-Li anodes with recycled and sustainably sourced carbon scaffolds

锂离子电池是从小型便携式电子设备到电动汽车和电网存储等各种规模应用中应用最广泛的充电电池技术。使用石墨作为阳极材料，它们提供约100-265Wh/kg的能量密度。然而，只有在低充电速率下才能达到高能量密度(200Wh/kg)。金属锂是一种优良的阳极，由于其低密度和氧化还原电位，提供了显著更高的重量/体积能量密度。此外，锂金属阳极在充放电过程中的主要过程是锂的沉积/剥离，而不是锂的嵌入/脱嵌，这影响了整个动力学过程。因此，从锂离子电池的传统石墨阳极切换到锂金属阳极，电动汽车的续航里程和充放电速率都可以实现阶梯式变化，可以满足高能量和高功率应用的需求。Sigma Lithium(SL)开发了一种先进的3D-Li负极电池技术，该技术本质上更安全，具有成本竞争力，与当前最先进的电池相比，具有更高的比能量/功率密度。SL的3D-Li阳极提供了一种轻质、机械坚固且多孔的锂涂层支架，它提高了重量/体积能量密度，并通过降低局部电流密度实现了高活性锂的安全使用。作为一种平台解决方案，SL的创新电池技术可以应用于多个电池化学公司。SL现在正在与Gen2 Carbon合作，优化碳纤维支架的组成，以提高电池性能，同时利用回收的碳纤维材料创造可持续产品，否则这些材料将被填埋。

Li-ion batteries are the most widely used rechargeable battery technologies in various scale application from small portable electronic devices, to electric vehicles and grid storage. Employing graphite as the anode material, they offer energy densities of ~100-265 Wh/kg. However, high energy densities (\>200 Wh/kg) are only reached at slow charge rates. Metallic Li is a superior anode offering significantly higher gravimetric/volumetric energy densities due to its low density and redox-potential. Additionally, the main processes during charge/discharge with Li metal anodes are Li deposition/stripping instead of Li intercalation/deintercalation which affect the overall kinetics. Hence, switching from conventional graphite anodes in Li-ion batteries to Li metal anodes offers a step-change in both mileage and charge/discharge rates for electric vehicles and can answer the demand for high energy and power applications.Sigma Lithium (SL) have developed an advanced 3D-Li anode battery technology which is inherently safer, cost-competitive, and exhibits higher specific energy/power densities against current state-of-the-art. SL's 3D-Li anode offers a lightweight, mechanically robust, and porous scaffold coated with Li, which increases the gravimetric/volumetric energy densities and enables the safe use of highly reactive Li by reducing local current densities. A platform solution, SL's innovative battery technology can be applied to multiple battery chemistries.SL are now working with Gen2Carbon to optimise the composition of the carbon fibre scaffold for improved battery performance, while creating a sustainable product from recycled carbon fibre materials which would otherwise have gone to landfill.