• Researchers develop 3D imaging technique

    From ScienceDaily@1:317/3 to All on Thu Feb 24 21:30:42 2022
    Researchers develop 3D imaging technique to understand how dendrites
    form in batteries
    Process could help manufacturers make batteries more efficient

    Date:
    February 24, 2022
    Source:
    University of Houston
    Summary:
    As the world lessens its dependence on fossil fuels, industries
    and manufacturers are turning to lithium-ion batteries to power
    the machines that make modern life possible. These batteries power
    electric vehicles, mobile phones, drones, vacuum cleaning robots
    and other machines and will be an essential component to the energy
    transition. But there's a problem with lithium-ion batteries:
    as they age and are charged, they develop dendrites. A research
    team is trying to solve the dendrite problem by investigating how
    these structures grow on batteries. Dendrites are spiky structures
    that accumulate on the batteries' anodes. These structures reduce
    the life of the batteries, hinder their ability to hold a charge
    and can short-circuit machines potentially causing safety hazards
    like battery fires.



    FULL STORY ==========================================================================
    As the world lessens its dependence on fossil fuels, industries and manufacturers are turning to lithium-ion batteries to power the machines
    that make modern life possible. These batteries power electric vehicles,
    mobile phones, drones, vacuum cleaning robots and other machines and
    will be an essential component to the energy transition.


    ==========================================================================
    But there's a problem with lithium-ion batteries: as they age and are
    charged, they develop dendrites. A research team from the University
    of Houston is trying to solve the dendrite problem by investigating how
    these structures grow on batteries. Dendrites are spiky structures that accumulate on the batteries' anodes. These structures reduce the life of
    the batteries, hinder their ability to hold a charge and can short-circuit machines potentially causing safety hazards like battery fires.

    "By understanding how dendrites grow on batteries, we can identify
    chemical and physical solutions to prevent the growth of dendrites,
    which is necessary to develop the next generation of batteries," said
    Xiaonan Shan, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering
    at UH's Cullen College of Engineering.

    Shan and his team have developed a "novel in-situ" 3D microscopy to image
    and study the localized electrochemical environments and understand where dendrites start forming in batteries. Using the 3D microscope, small
    cameras and other computer imaging technology, Shan and his team were
    able to geometrically map out how a battery initially develops dendrites.

    The findings were recently published in the journal Advanced Energy
    Materials.

    "This is significant because most battery researchers traditionally use electrochemical measurements to measure the entire surface or interior
    battery, so they don't know what happens inside the battery," said Shan,
    who is a corresponding author on the paper. Electrical and computer
    engineering graduate student Guangxia Feng is the lead author. Most
    battery companies focus on the materials part of developing batteries,
    so new materials emphasize performance, he added.

    "With this process, manufacturers can theoretically make better
    performing batteries by focusing on the structural design of batteries
    that discourages the growth of dendrites," Shan noted. "And in the
    next step, we will use this technique to design highly efficient Zn (zinc-carbon) batteries." Authors joining Shan and Feng on the paper
    are Jiaming Guo, Yaping Shi, Xiaoliang, Xu Yang and David Mayerich,
    all of the UH Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; and
    Huajun Tian, Zho Li and Yang Yang, University of Central Florida.

    ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Houston. Original
    written by Karn Dhingra.

    Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


    ========================================================================== Journal Reference:
    1. Guangxia Feng, Jiaming Guo, Huajun Tian, Zhao Li, Yaping Shi,
    Xiaoliang
    Li, Xu Yang, David Mayerich, Yang Yang, Xiaonan Shan. Probe the
    Localized Electrochemical Environment Effects and Electrode Reaction
    Dynamics for Metal Batteries using In Situ 3D Microscopy. Advanced
    Energy Materials, 2021; 12 (3): 2103484 DOI: 10.1002/aenm.202103484 ==========================================================================

    Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220224145945.htm

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