Periodic Reporting for period 2 - AMAPOLA (A Marketable Polymer based Al-S battery)
Berichtszeitraum: 2021-10-01 bis 2023-03-31
AMAPOLA will foster the developments achieved in the FET-Open SALBAGE project, towards real applications and towards market. The focus will be put in turning the promising research results obtained in SALBAGE into genuine technological innovations demonstrating that Al-S based batteries can have a place in certain market niches as a new future technology on batteries.
The project is founded in the combination of sulfur and aluminium in a battery, what is especially attractive because of the very high abundance of both elements. The Al-S cell has the potential to store very high energy, and very high prospective values of energy density of 660 Wh/l and specific energy of 400 Wh/kg are calculated at a cell level, taking advantage of the incorporation of innovative Polymer Gel Electrolytes (PGEs) based on novel highly conductive and inexpensive Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES) for a cheaper, lighter, tougher and safer battery concept.
In AMAPOLA project the focus will be put in:
1- further develop the materials proposed in SALBAGE with special emphasis in (i) the preparation of controlled phase-separated gel electrolytes from highly conductive novel DES; (ii) the development of advanced cathode formulations to achieve high sulfur loading and high sulfur utilisation in the cathode in combination with new promising redox mediators and (iii) strategies to overcome the presence of oxide layer at the aluminium anode.
2- up-scaling and extrapolation towards real application
3- pre-industrialization and market aspects.
To succeed in the high demanding tasks, most part of the former consortium that have shown outstanding competence and remarkable level of commitment in SALBAGE is present in AMAPOLA, namely University of Leicester, TU Graz, TU Denmark, University of Southampton together with a world recognised battery company, Varta Microinnovation, and an SME expert in IPR management and transfer to market, Tech2Market. The team is coordinated and led by ICTP-CSIC.
The project is founded in the combination of sulfur and aluminium in a battery, what is especially attractive because of the very high abundance of both elements. The Al-S cell has the potential to store very high energy, and very high prospective values of energy density of 660 Wh/l and specific energy of 400 Wh/kg are calculated at a cell level, taking advantage of the incorporation of innovative Polymer Gel Electrolytes (PGEs) based on novel highly conductive and inexpensive Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES) for a cheaper, lighter, tougher and safer battery concept.
In AMAPOLA project the focus will be put in:
1- further develop the materials proposed in SALBAGE with special emphasis in (i) the preparation of controlled phase-separated gel electrolytes from highly conductive novel DES; (ii) the development of advanced cathode formulations to achieve high sulfur loading and high sulfur utilisation in the cathode in combination with new promising redox mediators and (iii) strategies to overcome the presence of oxide layer at the aluminium anode.
2- up-scaling and extrapolation towards real application
3- pre-industrialization and market aspects.
To succeed in the high demanding tasks, most part of the former consortium that have shown outstanding competence and remarkable level of commitment in SALBAGE is present in AMAPOLA, namely University of Leicester, TU Graz, TU Denmark, University of Southampton together with a world recognised battery company, Varta Microinnovation, and an SME expert in IPR management and transfer to market, Tech2Market. The team is coordinated and led by ICTP-CSIC.
On the overall, the results of the AMAPOLA have shown that the combination of Aluminium and Sulfur as a potential battery technology is feasible. Some promising electrochemical performance was obtained with aluminium-sulfur batteries made with acetamidine-based electrolytes.
However, the technology would require of more development to overcome the main challenges found during the project implementation, explained along the report and summarised below:
- The deep eutectic solvents (DES) developed in the project are not fully compatible with the cathode due to their high Lewis acidity. This most probably drives to chemical decomposition of the cathodic particles/electrolyte, that ultimately causes capacity depletion.
- The binder used in the cathode formulations plays a role, although the extent of its influence and whether or not it can be taken advantaged of in order to improve the cathode performance has remained beyond the reach of the project.
- The aluminium anode requires of eliminating the passive native oxide layer. The presence of the passivation layer results in non-uniform current distribution which causes poor Al electrodeposition. Formation of flaky/dendritic deposits ultimately causes loss of active aluminium (dead metal) during discharge reducing the overall efficiency.
Although the are several challenges identified, good results and clear advancements have been made in the synthesis of novel materials and methods. These have been either published in peer review scientific journals in Open Acess or patented, in the case of KRE1.
At the end of the project, up to 5 Key Exploitable results have been identified, namely
- KER1: A novel membrane has been developed and patented. It can act as functional separator and endures the contact with the corrosive electrolytes. This membrane, which level of porosity and thickness can be tuned, have shown its potential to be used in combination, not only with chloroaluminates, but also in other liquid electrolytes maintaining conductivity. Results have shown show that the use of the membrane in combination with the developed electrolyte enables or improves cyclability which is otherwise very poor.
- KER2: Sulfur electrode formulation to be combined with an aluminium electrode to produce a rechargeable battery.
- KER3: Anode performance can be improved by using active PVD-Al on inert current collector foil.
- KER4&5: Method of synthesis for chloroaluminate ionic liquid analogues (deep eutectic solvent) and New electrolyte formulations based on amidines and amidinium cations
Dissemination activities have included the participation in several actions organized by the EIC, participation in seminars, congresses and conferences. Moreover a devoted workshop was organised and an specific symposium in the frame of a scientific congress.
However, the technology would require of more development to overcome the main challenges found during the project implementation, explained along the report and summarised below:
- The deep eutectic solvents (DES) developed in the project are not fully compatible with the cathode due to their high Lewis acidity. This most probably drives to chemical decomposition of the cathodic particles/electrolyte, that ultimately causes capacity depletion.
- The binder used in the cathode formulations plays a role, although the extent of its influence and whether or not it can be taken advantaged of in order to improve the cathode performance has remained beyond the reach of the project.
- The aluminium anode requires of eliminating the passive native oxide layer. The presence of the passivation layer results in non-uniform current distribution which causes poor Al electrodeposition. Formation of flaky/dendritic deposits ultimately causes loss of active aluminium (dead metal) during discharge reducing the overall efficiency.
Although the are several challenges identified, good results and clear advancements have been made in the synthesis of novel materials and methods. These have been either published in peer review scientific journals in Open Acess or patented, in the case of KRE1.
At the end of the project, up to 5 Key Exploitable results have been identified, namely
- KER1: A novel membrane has been developed and patented. It can act as functional separator and endures the contact with the corrosive electrolytes. This membrane, which level of porosity and thickness can be tuned, have shown its potential to be used in combination, not only with chloroaluminates, but also in other liquid electrolytes maintaining conductivity. Results have shown show that the use of the membrane in combination with the developed electrolyte enables or improves cyclability which is otherwise very poor.
- KER2: Sulfur electrode formulation to be combined with an aluminium electrode to produce a rechargeable battery.
- KER3: Anode performance can be improved by using active PVD-Al on inert current collector foil.
- KER4&5: Method of synthesis for chloroaluminate ionic liquid analogues (deep eutectic solvent) and New electrolyte formulations based on amidines and amidinium cations
Dissemination activities have included the participation in several actions organized by the EIC, participation in seminars, congresses and conferences. Moreover a devoted workshop was organised and an specific symposium in the frame of a scientific congress.
Al-S batteries with PGEs were explored for the first time in the SALBAGE project. Based on the lab-scale results, these sorts of batteries have the potential to outperform Li- ion technology in terms of cost with similar specific energy. The increased value of AMAPOLA lays on its improvement potential after further exploring the new highly conductive electrolytes based in completely new formulations totally unexpected.
On top of that, the up-scaling of materials will bring to reality a very promising technology with a broad market in the years to come, putting Europe at the very forefront of the international scene regarding batteries in the post-lithium era.
On top of that, the up-scaling of materials will bring to reality a very promising technology with a broad market in the years to come, putting Europe at the very forefront of the international scene regarding batteries in the post-lithium era.