Electrolyte matrix materials for structural battery composites

结构电池复合材料是一类电化学储能材料，具有承载机械载荷的附加功能。这使得它们可以用作电气化交通应用中的结构部件，在使用它们而不是传统的锂离子电池时，它们的多功能提供了显著节省质量的潜力。结构电池复合材料是由碳纤维为基础的电极在基质材料中组成，作为电解液。这种基质必须具有高硬度，以便在碳纤维之间传递机械载荷，并且还必须具有高的锂离子导电性，以促进锂离子在电极之间的传输。阻碍结构电池复合材料商业化的主要因素之一是缺乏一种具有这些理想性能的无溶剂基质材料。本项目的目的是开发具有理想性能的结构电池复合材料应用的基质材料。理想的性能包括：高刚性、高锂离子导电性和无溶剂体系。该项目的部分重点将是改善目前最先进的基质材料的硬度和锂离子导电性，这些材料并不是无溶剂的。这将通过研究材料选择和电池循环对基质和碳纤维负极之间的界面的影响来实现。该项目的另一部分将侧重于开发一种无溶剂的基质材料。这将涉及开发新的组装策略和电池结构，以促进具有良好刚性和锂离子导电性的无溶剂基质材料的使用。提高电化学储能装置的能量密度对于加快电气化运输的吸收和从化石燃料过渡至关重要。结构电池复合材料为实现这一目标提供了一条诱人的途径，然而，完整的结构电池尚未开发出来。缺乏合适的基质材料和将其结合到全电池中的工艺是造成这种情况的主要原因之一，因此，这里进行的工作将为构建全电池这一里程碑提供宝贵的步骤。这项研究也与工程和物理科学研究理事会有关，因为它符合能量储存研究领域。

Structural battery composites are a class of electrochemical energy storage materials that have the additional functionality of being able to carry a mechanical load. This allows them to be used as structural components in electrified transport applications, where their multifunctionality provides the potential for significant mass savings when they are used instead of conventional lithium-ion batteries. Structural battery composites are comprised of carbon fibre-based electrodes in a matrix material, which acts as the electrolyte. This matrix must have high stiffness, to transfer mechanical loads between the carbon fibres, and it must also have high lithium ion conductivity, to facilitate lithium ion transport between the electrodes. One of the major factors preventing the commercialisation of structural battery composites is the lack of a solvent-free matrix material that has these desired properties.The aim of this project is to develop matrix materials with desirable properties for structural battery composite applications. Desirable properties include: high stiffness, high lithium ion conductivity and a solvent-free system. Part of the focus of this project will be on improving the stiffness and lithium ion conductivity properties of current state-of-the-art matrix materials, which are not solvent-free. This will be achieved by investigating the effect of material selection and battery cycling on the interface between the matrix and the carbon fibre anode. The other part of this project will focus on developing a solvent-free matrix material. This will involve the development of new assembly strategies and battery architectures that facilitate the use of solvent-free matrix materials with good stiffness and lithium ion conductivity.Increasing the energy density of electrochemical energy storage devices is critical to accelerating the uptake of electrified transport and transitioning away from fossil-based fuels. Structural battery composites offer an enticing pathway to achieving this, however, a full structural battery cell has not yet been developed. The lack of both a suitable matrix material and a process for incorporating it into a full cell is one of the main reasons for this, and therefore the work carried out here will provide valuable steps towards the milestone of constructing a full cell. This research is also relevant to the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council since it fits in with the energy storage research area.