Development of high capacitance ceramics for electric energy storage

该计划的重点是开发一类新的高介电常数/电容，从而基于钛酸钡陶瓷的高能量密度材料。更具体地说，它专注于设计和制造新一代设备，包括具有巨大商业潜力的电池。如果成功，该计划将对当今的电力储存，分配和使用产生巨大影响。除了高能量存储能力之外，这些新材料和设备的优点将导致重量的大量节省，数量级更快的充电，在一定数量的充电和放电循环之后性能不会劣化，并且消除了与处理诸如金属铅和酸的有害物质相关的问题。通过在钛金属基体上制备高比表面积的薄膜，可以使钛酸钡陶瓷具有高的电容量。这一概念已被用于制造氧化铝/铝电解电容器（AEC），其能量密度比标准陶瓷电容器高200倍以上。在该计划的第一阶段，研究将集中在致密的钛金属基板上的致密无缺陷的钡金属薄膜的制造参数的选择。在第二阶段，重点将转移到制造和表征致密的钛酸钡薄膜上的多孔钛金属基板。在第三阶段，研究将集中在致密的钡膜的热处理和氧化以及钡和钛离子的扩散性质，以形成高表面积的钛酸钡膜。其目的是生产1-3 µm厚的高表面积钛酸钡薄膜，并将缺陷降至最低水平。对更清洁的环境和更低的燃料消耗的需求不断地推动了对现有电池中的铅和酸的需求，这些电池对环境不构成威胁，能量密度能力接近甚至超过酸性电池。能量密度超过5-10 kJ/kg的陶瓷电池的开发，加上数量级的快速充电，将彻底改变我们产生，使用和运输电能的方式。

The proposed program focuses on the development of a new class of high dielectric constant/capacitance and thus high energy density materials based on barium titanate ceramics. More specifically, it focuses on the design and manufacturing of a new generation of devices including batteries with great commercial potential. If successful the program will have an enormous impact on the present day storage, distribution and use of electric energy. Besides high energy storage capabilities, the advantages of these new materials and devices will result in large savings in weight, orders of magnitude faster charging, no deterioration in performance after a certain number of charging and discharging cycles and elimination of problems associated with disposal of hazardous substances such as metallic lead and acids. High capacitance will be imparted to the barium titanate ceramics by fabricating high surface area films on the titanium metal substrate. This concept has already been used in the manufacture of Alumina/Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors (AEC) with energy density over 200times higher than the standard ceramic capacitors. In the first stage of the program, the study will focus on the selection of parameters for the fabrication of dense defect-free barium metal films on dense titanium metal substrates. In the second stage, the focus will shift to fabricating and characterizing dense barium titanate films on a porous titanium metal substrate. In the third stage, the study will focus on the heat treatment and oxidation of a dense barium film and the nature of diffusion of barium and titanium ions to form high surface area barium titanate film. The objective here is to produce 1-3 µm thick high surface area barium titanate films with a minimum level of defects. The demand for cleaner environment and lower fuel consumption is constantly fuelling the need to replace the lead and acid in the existing batteries with devices that pose no threat to theenvironment with energy density capability approaching or even exceeding those of acid batteries. The development of ceramic based batteries with energy density of over 5-10 kJ/kg, combined with orders of magnitude faster charging, will revolutionise the way we generate, use and transport electric energy.