W.S. Tang
UL Research Institutes,
United States
Keywords: energy storage and conversion, electrification, battery, materials science, lithium-ion battery, solid-state battery, solid-state electrolyte, fast-ion conductor, borohydride, closo-polyborate, hydroborate, R&D
Summary:
Battery cells and electrification technologies have become ubiquitous, and the increasing use of electric vehicles and devices has driven the demand for batteries with higher energy density, longer cycle life, and fast charging capability, which pushes the paradigm of current lithium-ion batteries (LiBs). Solid-state batteries (SSBs) are promising substitutes where the replacement of the separator and liquid electrolyte in LiBs with a single solid-state electrolyte (SSE) component feasibly improves these properties. For lithium systems, SSEs are typically composed of polymer-, oxide-, and sulfide-based chemistries or composites. More recently, a congener comprised of hydroborates has also been investigated as an alternative SSE material. These closo-polyborate (ByHzn-) salts, which were first identified as side-reaction products during the dehydrogenation-hydrogenation cycling of borohydrides for hydrogen storage, have relevant fast-ion conducting properties. This presentation highlights the recent ongoing research regarding this novel class of boron- and hydrogen- containing SSEs, particularly for lithium and sodium battery technologies, and discusses the innovation, challenges, and the slow inclusion of these borohydrides into the battery R&D community. The Director of Research (Novel Materials & New Energy Forms), Dr. Wan Si TANG, will be presenting this talk for ESRI, within UL Research Institutes. At ESRI, we are advancing the safer design and deployment of energy storage and energy generation through science. Our interest lies in energy storage safety from materials to cells and scaling up into commercially viable applications to advance the area of current lithium-ion batteries, future battery chemistries, and other green energy storage and conversion technologies. For more information: ul.org/ESRI