All Solid-State Battery - A Status Update 

Dr. Y. Shirley Meng, Professor of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, and Chief Scientist of the Argonne Collaborative Center for Energy Storage Science, Argonne National Laboratory

Compared with their liquid-electrolyte analogues, Solid state electrolytes SSEs have drawn increased attention as they promote battery safety, exhibit a wide operational temperature window, and improve energy density by enabling Li metal as anode materials for next-generation lithium-ion batteries. Despite suitable mechanical properties to prevent Li dendrite penetration, relatively wide electrochemical stability windows, comparable ionic conductivities, and intrinsic safety, most SSEs are found to be thermodynamically unstable against Li metal, where SSE decomposition produces a complex interphase, analogous to the SEI formed in liquid electrolyte systems. An ideal passivation layer should consist of ionically conductive but electronically insulating components to prevent the SSE from being further reduced. The past four decades have witnessed intensive research efforts on the chemistry, structure, and morphology of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) in Li-metal and Li-ion batteries (LIBs) using liquid or polymer electrolytes, since the SEI is considered to predominantly influence the performance, safety and cycle life of batteries. All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) have been promoted as a highly promising energy storage technology due to the prospects of improved safety and a wider operating temperature range compared to their conventional liquid electrolyte-based counterparts. While solid electrolytes with ionic conductivities comparable to liquid electrolytes have been discovered, fabricating solid-state full cells with high areal capacities that can cycle at reasonable current densities remains a principal challenge. Silicon anode offers a possibility to overcome the challenges that lithium metal anode faces. In this talk, we will highlight solutions to these existing challenges and several directions for future work are proposed.

Reinventing Electrochemical Methods with Mechanics for Battery Status Assessment

Dr. Juner Zhu, Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Northeastern University

A major challenge in battery sustainability is the lack of reliable assessment techniques that can efficiently obtain the status of spent batteries. In the current industry, safety inspection is usually performed by human labor, which is not only costly but also has a high risk of exposing inspectors to chemical hazards. Health assessment heavily depends on high-quality data from electrochemical and thermal measurements during cycling. To bridge these gaps, our group is exploring a new perspective by developing mechano-electrochemical approaches to assess batteries, particularly spent EV cells.

Mechanical behavior is an intrinsic property of batteries, similar to electrochemical and thermal behaviors, but it is often overlooked or viewed as a side effect in the regular life cycle. In fact, mechanical measurements convey a significant amount of information that can be used for assessment. Our group aims to use this mechanical information to reinvent traditional electrochemical methods based on our deep understanding of the fundamental coupling mechanisms. Compared to electrochemical methods, mechanical tests have the advantages of lower measuring costs and faster responding time, which is ideal for the rapid assessment of a large volume of spent batteries. Therefore, we expect our mechano-electrochemical methods to serve as an important supplement to existing assessment techniques.

Long Duration Energy Storage – Opportunities & Challenges 

Dr. Kannan Tinnium, Technology Director - External Programs, Energy Storage Center of Excellence, Schneider Electric R&D, USA 

The Electricity ecosystem is undergoing an unprecedented transformation with the rapid growth in Renewables, Distributed Power, and Electric Vehicles. Energy Storage Systems (ESS) will play a critical role in handling the intermittency associated with renewables, maintaining the stability of the grid and providing uninterrupted power. This talk will cover the need for Long Duration Energy Storage Technologies, Current scenario in the US, Initiatives by DOE and Future opportunities and Challenges. 

Arkema Sustainable Materials Solutions for Battery Processing

Dr. Robert Barsotti, North American R&D Battery Director, Arkema Inc. 

Arkema is a global specialty chemical and materials company with a US headquarters and R&D Center in King of Prussia, PA.  Arkema has a strong research focus on materials for new energies and electric mobility, specifically finding sustainable solutions for battery processing.  Research efforts on development of polymer binder technologies which enable the removal of NMP solvent from electrode processing will be presented, focusing on both waterborne PVDF solutions for cathode and novel acrylic binder technologies for the anode along with novel materials solutions that can improve processability and performance for next generation batteries.  

Enabling battery sustainability via high-throughput CT scanning

Dr. Peter Attia, Cofounder and CTO, Glimpse

Battery quality lies at the heart of major issues relating to battery safety, reliability, and manufacturability — and sustainability! In this talk, I’ll discuss the challenges and opportunities to enable battery quality and sustainability at scale, focusing on the role of high-throughput CT. I'll first discuss Glimpse's capabilities and then share relevant highlights from Glimpse's work across qualification, manufacturing, and second-life applications. 

New Sustainable Potassium-Ion Battery Technology Platform 

Dr. Yakov Kutsovsky, Chief Scientific Officer, Executive Director, and Co-founder, Group1 Inc.

Potassium-ion Batteries (KIBs) have emerged as the only credible high energy density, critical-mineral-free 30% lower cost alternative to LFP Lithium-ion Batteries.  Group1 will present an update on the advancements toward understanding and commercializing a low-cost, high-energy 3.7V KIB battery with a practical gravimetric energy target of 200 Wh/kg. This breakthrough is facilitated by a 4V Potassium Prussian White (KPW) cathode, an organic electrolyte, and a graphite anode. While LFP-based lithium-ion batteries eliminate Co and Ni, Group1's KIB further eliminates Li and Cu, representing the next leap in sustainable battery technology and ensuring a resilient domestic supply chain.