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Versatile Ionomers for DIvalent CAlcium baTteries

Project description

A new concept for reliable calcium batteries

The growth of renewable energy hinges on the development of new energy storage instruments. Lithium batteries (LiB), a reliable solution, are used today in electronic instruments, electric vehicles and stationary storage plants. But in future, the growing storage demand will conflict with the issue of limited resources. Post-LiB solutions such as sodium, magnesium or calcium technologies have emerged. They present high potential in terms of theoretical density, safety and sustainability. However, the absence of trustworthy electrolytes hinders practical research on rechargeable calcium batteries. The EU-funded VIDICAT project intends to develop a new material concept based on nanocomposite ionomers that will offer highly stable electrolytes. The project will also search for positive electrodes in its work towards building trustworthy and safe calcium batteries.

Objective

Improving energy management is vitaI for the future. It implies greener production ways and smarter conversion and storage devices. For the latter, lithium batteries (LiB) have flooded the market of electronic devices and are now also powering electric vehicles and stationary storage plants. The huge energy storage-demand involves an explosion of the battery production, which will face in the future the problem of limited resources, unlocated in Europe. Therefore, it is important to investigate alternative batteries. Recent years have seen the emergence of post-LiB, like sodium-, magnesium- or calcium technologies. The last one is very promising in terms of theoretical energy density, safety, and sustainability. However, the lack of reliable electrolytes so far impedes the practical research on rechargeable calcium batteries, CaB. In this proposal VIDICAT aims at developing a new material concept based on nanocomposite ionomers acting both as liquid-free electrolyte and electrode binders. Such approach will provide at the interface with calcium, highly chemically, electrochemically and thermally stable polymer electrolytes. Due to outstanding mechanical performance, very thin electrolytes (1 µm) are targeted, with cationic conductance close to standard lithium ones. In the frame of developing this ground-breaking electrolyte concept, VIDICAT will also search for positive electrodes with the final challenging purpose of proposing reliable and safe CaB. Innovation is omnipresent as the targeted negative and positive electrodes have never been evaluated with liquid-free ionomers as electrolyte and binder. Nonetheless, VIDICAT objective is the achieving of a CaB prototype reaching energy density similar to State of Art LiB. Multidisciplinary, VIDICAT will increase EU capacity building in low-carbon energy. Based on sustainable ores, VIDICAT will prevent the loss of non-renewable chemicals and paves the way for Europe energetic independence.

Call for proposal

H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2020

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Sub call

H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2019-2020-01

Coordinator

UNIVERSIDAD CARLOS III DE MADRID
Net EU contribution
€ 668 927,50
Address
CALLE MADRID 126
28903 Getafe (Madrid)
Spain

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Region
Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost
€ 668 927,50

Participants (9)