Sandia Labs FY22 Laboratory Directed Research & Development Annual Report

FY22 ANNUAL REPORT

CUSTOMIZED LITHIUM BATTERIES FOR MISSION APPLICATIONS. Development of complex-shaped batteries will have value for national security missions and other

The key understanding of rechargeability, aging, electrode architectures, battery designs, and diagnostic tools has potential for meeting broad industry demand for custom-shaped batteries including commercial and military drone systems that have limited recharge capability but need high energy and power density, and space applications such as launch vehicles that require short-term and high-power battery capabilities.

applications where higher power and custom form could be maximized by capitalizing on the available battery space. By employing new nuclear magnetic resonance experimental designs and diagnostic tools (a cutting-edge capability for Sandia), this LDRD Grand Challenge team was able to observe processes in situ, rather than having to employ destructive testing. They also identified aging mechanisms through multi-year accelerated aging studies, addressed major national security mission and industry issues, and ultimately advanced fundamental understanding of the relationships between rechargeability, aging, and electrode architectures in model lithium anode and conversion cathode batteries. One aspect of the lithium battery project involved investigating the rechargeability behavior of carbon monofluoride (CFx). This research resulted in the team authoring one of the most comprehensive studies on CFx currently available. They also experienced early wins by serving as a consultant on battery failure and applying project-derived techniques for battery aging characterization. This understanding will enable batteries that cycle reliably for 2-10 cycles, can maintain long shelf life, and be customized for high power and custom form.

The team collaborated with faculty at Sandia Alliance partner Purdue, University of Maryland, Sandia National/Regional partner University of California Los Angeles, and University of California San Diego. In addition, they partnered with ThermoFisher Scientific, ABQMR, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. To date, this project has resulted in 37 publications, 12 invited talks, and presentations at several society meetings including Materials Research Society, Microscopy and Microanalysis, Electrochemical Society, and Reactive Metal Processing, and high-profile conferences including the 2020 Battery Gordon Conference and the Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems 2020 virtual conference. The PI also served as a guest editor for the journal Nanotechnology for a special issue: “ Focus on Nanophase Materials for Next-generation Lithium-ion Batteries and Beyond .” (PI: Katie Harrison) PI Katie Harrison, left, and Katie Jungjohann are part of the Lithium Ion Battery LDRD Grand Challenge team. (Photo by Bret Latter)

Shown are some of the tools and capabilities developed during the Lithium Ion Battery LDRD Grand Challenge.

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