Pallab Barai

Modeling of Mesoscale Variability in Biofilm Shear Behavior

Formation of bacterial colonies as biofilm on the surface/interface of various objects has the potential to impact not only human health and disease but also energy and environmental considerations. Biofilms can be regarded as soft materials, and comprehension of their shear response to external forces is a key element to the fundamental understanding. A mesoscale model has been presented in this article based on digitization of a biofilm microstructure. Its response under externally applied shear load is analyzed. Strain stiffening type behavior is readily observed under high strain loads due to the unfolding of chains within soft polymeric substrate. Sustained shear loading of the biofilm network results in strain localization along the diagonal direction. Rupture of the soft polymeric matrix can potentially reduce the intercellular interaction between the bacterial cells. Evolution of stiffness within the biofilm network under shear reveals two regimes: a) initial increase in stiffness due to strain stiffening of polymer matrix, and b) eventual reduction in stiffness because of tear in polymeric substrate.

Damage and Crack Analysis in a Li-Ion Battery Electrode Using Random Spring Model

Lithium-ion batteries (LiB) are widely used in the electronics industry (such as, cell phones and laptop computers) because of their very high energy density, which reduced the size and weight of the battery significantly. LiB also serves as a renewable energy source for the transportation industry (see Ref. [1,2]). Graphite and LiCoO2 are most frequently used as anode and cathode material inside LiB (see Ref. [2,3]). During the charging and discharging process, intercalation and de-intercalation of Li occur inside the LiB electrodes. Non-uniform distributions of Li induce stress inside the electrodes, also known as diffusion induced stress (DIS). Very high charge or discharge rate can lead to generation of significant amount of tensile or compressive stress inside the electrodes, which can cause damage initiation and accumulation (see Ref. [4]). Propagation of these micro-cracks can cause fracture in the electrode material, which impacts the solid electrolyte interface (SEI) (see Ref. [2,3,5]). Concurrent to the reduction of cyclable Li, resistance between the electrode and electrolyte also increases, which affects the performance and durability of the electrode and has a detrimental consequence on the LiB life (see Ref. [6]).Copyright

In Situ Monitoring of the Growth of Nickel, Manganese, and Cobalt Hydroxide Precursors during Co-Precipitation Synthesis of Li-Ion Cathode Materials

The electrochemical performance of cathode materials for Li-ion batteries depends on the morphology of the material, which, in turn, depends on the synthesis conditions. Very few studies have focused on the impact of process conditions on the final morphology of the cathode particles and analyzed the growth during synthesis. In this paper, the evolution of nickel, manganese, and cobalt hydroxide precursor, Ni1/3Mn1/3Co1/3(OH)2, is investigated using a combination of in situ and ex situ techniques during the commonly-used coprecipitation process. These include in situ wide angle X-ray scattering, in-situ ultra-small angle X-ray scattering and ex situ particle size analysis. The growth rate of crystalline Ni1/3Mn1/3Co1/3(OH)2 primary particle is found to be almost constant, consistent with a mathematical analysis of process. The growth of the Ni1/3Mn1/3Co1/3(OH)2 secondary particle and its particle size distribution revealed different growth stages for samples prepared at different pH. These techniques are complimented with scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical testing to track the morphology and performance of the hydroxide particle and the subsequent calcined LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 cathode active material. This study presents insights into the synthesis process and provides a deeper understanding to aid in process optimization.