Green and Sustainable Materials for Li-Ion Batteries

A special issue of Batteries (ISSN 2313-0105). This special issue belongs to the section "Battery Materials and Interfaces: Anode, Cathode, Separators and Electrolytes or Others".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 February 2024) | Viewed by 12073

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, Italy
Interests: Li-ion battery; Li-S battery; Li-O2 battery; ORR/OER catalysts; Li-metal protection; gel polymer electrolyte

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Co-Guest Editor
Instituto de Física Enrique Gaviola, CONICET, Facultad de Matemática, Astronomía, Física y Computación, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba 5000, Argentina
Interests: Li-ion battery; Li-S battery; electrode active material; Li-metal protection; gel polymer electrolyte

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The demand for energy storage devices has recently been undergoing rapid growth, and the trend for the near future is expected to be exponential. The huge demand for materials for these storage systems will require a considerable energy input in extraction, processing, and materials formulation. Therefore, one strategy to minimize the impact of this development on our environment will be to study greener and more sustainable materials and processes, in particular for the well-known Li-ion battery. As an example, common cathode active materials contain cobalt, which is harmful not only for human health but also for the environment, in addition to representing a geopolitical issue. Environmental safety is also compromised by the use of fluorinated salts in the electrolyte and fluorinated materials in electrodes, the latter also involving the use of toxic solvents for processing. Hence, the development of eco-friendly materials and processes is crucial to answer environmental challenges. The aim of this Special Issue is therefore to gather innovative studies on new materials and processes towards low-cost, sustainable and greener Li-ion batteries. Topics of interest include (but are not limited to) Nature-inspired active materials, carbons obtained from waste organic materials, bio-polymers (or bio-derived polymers), aqueous binders, green processes and so on.

Dr. Julia Amici
Dr. Cecilia Andrea Calderòn
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Li-ion battery
  • green process
  • green chemistry
  • sustainable material
  • bio-derived binders
  • bio-polymers
  • bio-derived polymers
  • carbons from organic wastes

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2688 KiB  
Article
The Rate Capability Performance of High-Areal-Capacity Water-Based NMC811 Electrodes: The Role of Binders and Current Collectors
by Yuri Surace, Marcus Jahn and Damian M. Cupid
Batteries 2024, 10(3), 100; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries10030100 - 13 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2428
Abstract
The aqueous processing of cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has both environmental and cost benefits. However, high-loading, water-based electrodes from the layered oxides (e.g., NMC) typically exhibit worse electrochemical performance than NMP-based electrodes. In this work, primary, binary, and ternary binder mixtures [...] Read more.
The aqueous processing of cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has both environmental and cost benefits. However, high-loading, water-based electrodes from the layered oxides (e.g., NMC) typically exhibit worse electrochemical performance than NMP-based electrodes. In this work, primary, binary, and ternary binder mixtures of aqueous binders such as CMC, PAA, PEO, SBR, and Na alginate, in combination with bare and C-coated Al current collectors, were explored, aiming to improve the rate capability performance of NMC811 electrodes with high areal capacity (≥4 mAh cm−2) and low binder content (3 wt.%). Electrodes with a ternary binder composition (CMC:PAA:SBR) have the best performance with bare Al current collectors, attaining a specific capacity of 150 mAh g−1 at 1C. Using carbon-coated Al current collectors results in improved performance for both water- and NMP-based electrodes. This is further accentuated for Na-Alg and CMC:PAA binder compositions. These electrodes show specific capacities of 170 and 80 mAh g−1 at 1C and 2C, respectively. Although the specific capacities at 1C are comparable to those for NMP-PVDF electrodes, they are approximately 50% higher at the 2C rate. This study aims to contribute to the development of sustainably processed NMC electrodes for high energy density LIBs using water as solvent. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green and Sustainable Materials for Li-Ion Batteries)
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13 pages, 1516 KiB  
Article
Material Flow Analysis of Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling in Europe: Environmental and Economic Implications
by Martina Bruno and Silvia Fiore
Batteries 2023, 9(4), 231; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries9040231 - 18 Apr 2023
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 6236
Abstract
This study aimed at a quantitative analysis of the material flows associated with End of Life (EoL) lithium-ion batteries’ (LIBs) materials in Europe. The European electric vehicles fleet in 2020 was taken as a case study, assuming a 10-year lifetime for the batteries [...] Read more.
This study aimed at a quantitative analysis of the material flows associated with End of Life (EoL) lithium-ion batteries’ (LIBs) materials in Europe. The European electric vehicles fleet in 2020 was taken as a case study, assuming a 10-year lifetime for the batteries and that the related EoL LIBs would be processed by existing recycling plants via pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy, or their combination in sequence. The economic implications (recycling operative costs compared to the revenues from the sales of the recycled metals) and the environmental performances (CO2 eq. emitted, energy demand and circularity performances) were assessed. Based on the gathered results, the existing European recycling capacity will overlook over 78% of the forecasted EoL LIBs. The treatment efficiencies of the full-scale recycling processes allow for the recovery of over 90% of copper, cobalt, nickel, and manganese, 87% of aluminum, and only 42% of lithium and 35% of iron entering the recycling facilities. In overall, LIBs recycling in 2030 will involve the emission of 3.7 Mt of CO2 eq. and an energy demand of 33.6 GWh. Hydrometallurgy presents the best economic and environmental trade-off compared to other recycling strategies. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that current European LIBs’ recycling infrastructure will be inadequate in the near future and the direction (i.e., hydrometallurgy) that its strengthening should pursue. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green and Sustainable Materials for Li-Ion Batteries)
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20 pages, 3464 KiB  
Article
Tragacanth, an Exudate Gum as Suitable Aqueous Binder for High Voltage Cathode Material
by Daniele Versaci, Oana D. Apostu, Davide Dessantis, Julia Amici, Carlotta Francia, Marco Minella and Silvia Bodoardo
Batteries 2023, 9(4), 199; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries9040199 - 28 Mar 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2393
Abstract
The improvements in future-generation lithium-ion batteries cannot be exclusively focused on the performance. Other aspects, such as costs, processes, and environmental sustainability, must be considered. Research and development of new active materials allow some fundamental aspects of the batteries to be increased, such [...] Read more.
The improvements in future-generation lithium-ion batteries cannot be exclusively focused on the performance. Other aspects, such as costs, processes, and environmental sustainability, must be considered. Research and development of new active materials allow some fundamental aspects of the batteries to be increased, such as power and energy density. However, one of the main future challenges is the improvement of the batteries’ electrochemical performance by using “non-active” materials (binder, current collector, separators) with a lower cost, lower environmental impact, and easier recycling procedure. Focusing on the binder, the main goal is to replace the current fluorinated compounds with water-soluble materials. Starting from these considerations, in this study we evaluate, for the first time, tragacanth gum (TG) as a suitable aqueous binder for the manufacturing process of a cobalt-free, high-voltage lithium nickel manganese oxide (LNMO) cathode. TG-based LNMO cathodes with a low binder content (3 wt%) exhibited good thermal and mechanical properties, showing remarkably high cycling stability with 60% capacity retention after more than 500 cycles at 1 C and an outstanding rate capability of 72 mAh g−1 at 15 C. In addition to the excellent electrochemical features, tragacanth gum also showed excellent recycling and recovery properties, making this polysaccharide a suitable and sustainable binder for next-generation lithium-ion batteries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green and Sustainable Materials for Li-Ion Batteries)
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