Patrick Bouchard

Large lithium polymer battery development The immobile solvent concept

Abstract The program to develop large lithium-metal, polymer electrolyte batteries for electric traction and stand-by power is reviewed. Dry polymer electrolyte conductivity improvement through research into polymers and lithijm salts has led to a thin-film lithium polymer battery that operates in the range of 60 to 40 °C. Recent developments in large lithium polymer cell design and production are given, including preliminary results on lithium polymer cell production for the US Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC). Results of stand-by and cycle-life tests on small laboratory cells over several years are also presented confirming the electrolytes exceptional stability in the lithium rechargeable-cell environment.

New Lithium metal polymer solid state battery for an ultra-high energy: Nano C-LiFePO4 versus Nano Li1.2V3O8

Novel lithium metal polymer solid state batteries with nano C-LiFePO4 and nano Li1.2V3O8 counter-electrodes (average particle size 200 nm) were studied for the first time by in situ SEM and impedance during cycling. The kinetics of Li-motion during cycling is analyzed self-consistently together with the electrochemical properties. We show that the cycling life of the nano Li1.2V3O8 is limited by the dissolution of the vanadium in the electrolyte, which explains the choice of nano C-LiFePO4 (1300 cycles at 100% DOD): with this olivine, no dissolution is observed. In combination with lithium metal, at high loading and with a stable SEI an ultrahigh energy density battery was thus newly developed in our laboratory.

Recycling of Li-Ion and Li-Solid State Batteries: The Role of Hydrometallurgy

Since their commercialization in the early 1990s, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become ubiquitous for powering a myriad of portable electronics. Their usage now extends to the automotive industry and stationary energy storage market. With an average life of 6.2 years and the strong demand, the volume of spent LIBs has increased exponentially, making recycling mandatory. Currently, recycling/recovery of spent LIBs is limited in comparison to all other types of batteries. The current processes focus mainly on the recovery of the most valuable metals such as cobalt and nickel, leaving lithium and phosphate in a low value end-product. It is necessary that new advanced recycling technologies are developed for the recovery of spent LIBs both from an economic and environmental perspective. In this paper, the current R&D status of LIBs recycling is reviewed with the emphasis placed on hydrometallurgical processing opportunities for Li-ion and Li-solid state batteries.