Lithium ion batteries (LIBs) and hydrogen fuel cells (HFCs) are driving a shift towards cleaner energy sources, providing electricity for various fields from electric vehicles to industrial applications. These technologies are crucial for providing sustainable electricity. It is expected that the global demand for batteries will surge. In 2020, the energy stored in batteries worldwide could provide one hour of electricity for 185 million households. By 2030, this number is expected to grow to over 2 billion households, a more than tenfold increase. The increasing demand for energy storage in personal cars, commercial trucks, and public transportation has driven a surge in global demand for batteries, making the research and development of battery materials more important than ever before.
Although some progress has been made, lithium-ion battery and fuel cell technologies still face challenges. These challenges include safety and reliability issues, sustainability issues, extraction of raw materials, limited battery life, and excessively long charging times. The current focus is on developing new material configurations to cope with higher charge densities, provide higher thermal stability, greater sustainability, and more affordable prices. This means that the research and development of next-generation batteries and fuel cells will usher in huge development opportunities, and by 2024, investment in the field of battery energy storage will exceed 50 billion US dollars.
Focus on material development
The development of new technologies often requires subtle but crucial improvements to existing materials. For example, researchers are attempting to use various lithium transition metal oxides as positive electrode materials for batteries, with a focus on studying their nanostructures and optimizing the preparation process.In many studies in this field, researchers need to make subtle adjustments to materials and observe how these adjustments affect the basic properties of the materials. This is where thermal analysis (TA) technology plays a crucial role.
Using thermal analysis techniques to analyze material properties
Material thermal analysis covers a wide range of fields and can measure various characteristics through different instruments. For example:
- Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)By measuring heat flux, key performance parameters of materials can be determined, including glass transition, melting, crystallization, heat capacity, crystallinity, and thermal stability, which are crucial for the development of membranes and electrolytes.
- Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)It can provide important information on the moisture content, residual solvents, component content released at specific temperatures, and thermal stability of materials in inert and oxidizing environments, which have critical guiding value for the research and development of battery components.
- Synchronous Thermogravimetric Analysis (STA)By combining differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques, both heat flux and weight changes can be simultaneously measured, providing a comprehensive analysis of the thermal behavior characteristics of battery materials.
- Thermal Mechanical Analysis (TMA)Measuring the thermal expansion and contraction of materials at different temperatures is crucial for evaluating battery separators.
- Dynamic Thermomechanical Analysis (DMA)Measuring the viscoelastic properties of materials at different frequencies is crucial for the study of battery materials.
These technologies help researchers understand and improve battery materials
Example of Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) for Thermal Behavior of Battery Components
The following figure illustrates how to use DSC to measure the exothermic behavior of electrolytes and positive electrode materials, in order to determine their thermal stability.Using Simultaneous Thermogravimetric Analysis (STA) and Real View ® Example of Testing Diaphragm Thermal Stability
The thermal stability of pure polyethylene membranes was tested using STA, and the results showed that a thermal decomposition occurred at 450 ° C. Due to the small sample mass (0.056 mg), slight baseline fluctuations were observed. Real View ® The image confirms that during the measurement process, these fluctuations are caused by the movement and shape change of the material in the sample tray.Example of Thermal Mechanical Analysis (TMA) Comparing the Thermal Expansion Properties of Various Diaphragm Materials
The TMA curve shows the thermal expansion of various membranes under tension. The pure polyethylene membrane (green) has the largest expansion and contraction, while the alumina coated membrane (red) has the smallest expansion and contraction. The aramid coated diaphragm (blue) has the highest shrinkage temperature, indicating that its shape retention ability is superior to the other two types of diaphragms.Material impurity inspectionThe presence of certain impurities can lead to biased research results, resulting in inconsistent results and abnormal material properties. Thermal analysis can reveal the presence of other materials in polymer samples, and since the thermal properties of these materials are like fingerprints, it can accurately provide information about other materials.
Conclusion
The advancement of battery materials is crucial for the development of sustainable energy in the future. By utilizing thermal analysis techniques, manufacturers are able to develop materials that meet the stringent requirements of modern applications, ensuring safety, reliability, and efficiency. Thermal analysis technology can provide critical insights into material properties, helping operators optimize production processes, improve product quality, and reduce costs. Investing in advanced thermal analysis tools can not only drive innovation, but also give manufacturers a competitive advantage in the rapidly developing energy sector.
Get to know our thermal analysis instruments
Hitachi Analytical Instruments' DSC, STA, DMA, and TMA series products can accurately characterize the thermal stability of materials during the research and development process. Our exclusive Real View ® The sample observation system can present real-time changes in materials during the experimental process.
