Mechanical compression of electrolytes in solid-state batteries prevents short-circuits

Good news!

"In brief

• A SLAC/Stanford University research team found they could prevent short-circuiting of solid-state batteries by deflecting the dendrite propagation direction using mechanical compression.
• They provided direct evidence that dendrites start in the interior rather than merely at the surface of the electrolyte, settling a long-standing debate within the field.
• The results could have implications for future battery design by incorporating built-in mechanical compression or electrolytes with more defect-free interiors that suppress dendrite initiation.

...

Now, in a study ... researchers have discovered a way to both track these dendrites and suppress them enough to keep the battery from short-circuiting. ...

The team found that when they applied a metal ring to compress the solid electrolyte, it prevented vertical dendrites – the kind that cause short-circuiting – from forming during charging. ...

In fact, under this compression, batteries lasted for thousands of cycles. While vertical dendrites did not form, horizontal dendrites formed internally, but these did not reach the electrodes and therefore did not cause immediate short-circuiting. ...

Under compression, dendrites still formed during charging, but they spread horizontally instead of vertically. ..."

From the abstract:

"Lithium-metal solid-state batteries offer advantages of high energy density and improved safety compared with lithium-ion batteries.

However, solid-state batteries fail through short-circuiting even at low charging rates (less than 1 mA cm−2) due to lithium dendrite initiation and propagation.

The location of dendrite initiation is under debate, particularly regarding whether initiation occurs within the interior of the solid electrolyte or at the surface.

Here we develop an in-plane biaxial compression method that provides direct evidence that dendrite initiation occurs within the interior of garnet Li6.6La3Zr1.6Ta0.4O12 solid electrolytes during long-term cycling when the surface initiation mechanisms are rendered ineffective in shorting the cell.

The biaxial compression deflects dendrite propagation so that it is perpendicular to the electric field direction, leading to the generation of an unprecedentedly high density of dendrites without short-circuiting, even at an extreme fast-charging rate of 100 mA cm−2.

After long-term cycling, dendrites eventually appeared throughout the entire thickness of the solid electrolyte.

Under extreme cycling conditions, isolated lithium deposits are observed at grain-boundary junctions and pores, and these act as the dendrite initiation sites.

This work reconciles the surface and interior initiation mechanisms in garnet solid electrolytes and demonstrates that in-plane biaxial compressive stress can prevent both from short-circuiting the cell."

Squeezing solid-state batteries prevents short-circuits | Stanford Report "SLAC and Stanford research shows that mechanical compression stops lithium buildup in solid-state batteries, making them faster to charge and longer-lasting."

Dendrite initiation and deflection in biaxially stressed solid electrolytes (no public access)

Dendrite initiation and deflection in biaxially compressed solid electrolytes (preprint, open access)

Compressed electrolyte showing horizontal dendrite propagation, which prevents short-circuiting.

US Geological Survey recently estimated that there are over 2 million metric tons of undiscovered, economically recoverable lithium in the Appalachian Mountains

Good news!

"The United States Geological Survey recently estimated that there are over 2 million metric tons of undiscovered, economically recoverable lithium in the Appalachian Mountains, enough to supply the country for centuries at current levels of consumption."

"“The southern Appalachians hold an estimated 1.43 million metric tons of lithium oxide, concentrated in the Carolinas, and

the northern Appalachians hold an estimated 900,000 metric tons, concentrated in Maine and New Hampshire, according to estimates in a new USGS scientific paper published in Natural Resources Research. The lithium is present in pegmatites, large-grained rocks similar to granite. ..."

Doomslayer: Progress Roundup - by Malcolm Cochran

Lithium in Eastern States Could Replace Imports for a Century

https://www.usgs.gov/news/national-news-release/lithium-eastern-states-could-replace-imports-a-century-or-more

Something Really Good Is Happening in Argentina, a boom in lithium mining

Very recommendable!

Membrane extracts lithium with precise selectivity and minimal environmental impact

Good news!

"A new membrane marks an important step toward more efficient extraction of lithium which is needed for reusable batteries. The design can also be used to extract other essential elements like cobalt and nickel. ...

The membrane developed by the team extracts lithium using considerably less energy, while maintaining higher selectivity. 

The membrane collects lithium through a process called electrodialysis. An electrical current is applied to the brine which pushes lithium ions to pass through the membrane, whilst other elements like sodium, calcium and magnesium get left behind. ...

The team were able to create such an effective membrane by inserting nanoparticles of lithium titanium oxide (LTO) into it. The crystal structure of LTO is the perfect size for lithium ions to move across without allowing for other elements to pass through. ..."

"... the researchers demonstrated near-perfect lithium selectivity by repurposing solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) as membrane materials for aqueous lithium extraction. While originally designed for the rapid conduction of lithium ions in solid-state batteries — where there are no other ions or liquid solvents — the highly ordered and confined structure of SSEs was found to enable unprecedented separation of both ions and water in aqueous mixtures. ..."

From the abstract:

"Precise separation of ions of the same polarity and similar valence and size remains a critical need in resource recovery from waste streams. Here, we report the rational design and scalable fabrication of a thin film nanocomposite (TFN) cation exchange membrane to achieve precise selectivity for lithium over competing cations.

The precise selectivity is realized by an ultrathin polyamide (PA) layer incorporated with amine functionalized β-monoclinic lithium titanium oxide (N-LTO) nanoparticles using a scalable interfacial polymerization process that allows high N-LTO loading while minimizing interfacial defects.

The TFN membrane demonstrates superior Li+ permeability, with Li+/Ca2+ and Li+/Na+ selectivity reaching 173.90 and 13.58, respectively. The Li+/Na+ selectivity is attributed to the Li+-exclusive transport pathway in the layered structure of the N-LTO, while size exclusion by the highly cross-linked N-LTO-PA also contributes to the Li+/Ca2+ selectivity.

Molecular dynamics simulation shows that the electrical field drives Li+ dehydration and accelerates the migration of the dehydrated Li+ while Na+ is blocked due to its larger size than the Li+ cavity. The high Li+ selectivity and permeability enable energy-efficient, precise, and chemical-free lithium extraction using the electrodialysis process. The TFN membrane architecture also allows simple and scalable fabrication of a multi-functional polymer-inorganic nanocomposite membrane."

Membrane extracts lithium with minimal environmental impact

Rice researchers develop efficient lithium extraction method, setting stage for sustainable EV battery supply chains (original news release) "Solid-state electrolyte membranes revolutionize lithium harvesting with near-perfect selectivity"

A rationally designed scalable thin film nanocomposite cation exchange membrane for precise lithium extraction (open access)

Fig. 1: TFN-CEM with high and uniform loading of N-LTO.

Donald Trump Requests Stake In Canadian Lithium Mining Company

As a free marketeer I would say perhaps bad news! Hopefully, it will be only a temporary government investment.

Could lithium explain — and treat — Alzheimer’s?

Good news! Not only batteries need lithium!

Just checked my multivitamin/multimineral supplement for lithium. It does not contain it.

"The work ... for the first time that lithium occurs naturally in the brain, shields it from neurodegeneration, and maintains the normal function of all major brain cell types. The findings — 10 years in the making — are based on a series of experiments in mice and on analyses of human brain tissue and blood samples from individuals in various stages of cognitive health. ..."

From the abstract:

"The earliest molecular changes in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are poorly understood. Here we show that endogenous lithium (Li) is dynamically regulated in the brain and contributes to cognitive preservation during ageing. Of the metals we analysed, Li was the only one that was significantly reduced in the brain in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a precursor to AD.

Li bioavailability was further reduced in AD by amyloid sequestration.

We explored the role of endogenous Li in the brain by depleting it from the diet of wild-type and AD mouse models.

Reducing endogenous cortical Li by approximately 50% markedly increased the deposition of amyloid-β and the accumulation of phospho-tau, and led to pro-inflammatory microglial activation, the loss of synapses, axons and myelin, and accelerated cognitive decline. These effects were mediated, at least in part, through activation of the kinase GSK3β. Single-nucleus RNA-seq showed that Li deficiency gives rise to transcriptome changes in multiple brain cell types that overlap with transcriptome changes in AD.

Replacement therapy with lithium orotate, which is a Li salt with reduced amyloid binding, prevents pathological changes and memory loss in AD mouse models and ageing wild-type mice.

These findings reveal physiological effects of endogenous Li in the brain and indicate that disruption of Li homeostasis may be an early event in the pathogenesis of AD. Li replacement with amyloid-evading salts is a potential approach to the prevention and treatment of AD."

Could lithium explain — and treat — Alzheimer’s? — Harvard Gazette

Lithium deficiency and the onset of Alzheimer’s disease (open access)

Fig. 1: Lithium deficiency and the onset of AD.

Fig. 2: Lithium deficiency accelerates AD pathology and cognitive decline.

Behind the secret fight between global powers over the world's largest lithium reserves in Bolivia

Recommendable!

EU signs lithium agreement with Serbia to extract one of the largest lithium deposits in Europe. Finally!

Good news! However, this report by the German government owned news media DW is shockingly one sided. It is all about environmental pollution etc.! Totally nauseating!

Deadly fire at South Korean lithium battery factory claims at least 16 lives

Imagine it was your electric car!

A Vast, Untapped Source of Lithium Has Just Been Found in The US

Good news! Maybe lithium is not so rare after all! You need to know where to look!

"... Pennsylvania sits on a vein of sedimentary rock known as the Marcellus Shale, which is rich in natural gas. The geological foundation was deposited almost 400 million years ago by volcanic activity, and it contains lithium from volcanic ash.

Over vast stretches of time, deep groundwater has dissolved the lithium in these rocks, essentially "mining the subsurface" ...

now found that when wastewater is dredged up from the deep by fracking activities, it contains an astonishing amount of lithium. ..."

From the abstract:

"Decarbonatization initiatives have rapidly increased the demand for lithium. This study uses public waste compliance reports and Monte Carlo approaches to estimate total lithium mass yields from produced water (PW) sourced from the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania (PA). Statewide, Marcellus Shale PW has substantial extractable lithium, however, concentrations, production volumes and extraction efficiencies vary between the northeast and southwest operating zones. Annual estimates suggest statewide lithium mass yields of approximately 1160 (95% CI 1140–1180) metric tons (mt) per year. Production decline curve analysis on PW volumes reveal cumulative volumetric disparities between the northeast (median = 2.89 X 107 L/10-year) and southwest (median = 5.56 × 107 L/10-year) regions of the state, influencing lithium yield estimates of individual wells in southwest [2.90 (95% CI 2.80–2.99) mt/10-year] and northeast [1.96 (CI 1.86–2.07) mt/10-year] PA. Moreover, Mg/Li mass ratios vary regionally, where NE PA are low Mg/Li fluids, having a median Mg/Li mass ratio of 5.39 (IQR, 2.66–7.26) and SW PA PW is higher with a median Mg/Li mass ratio of 17.8 (IQR, 14.3–20.7). These estimates indicate substantial lithium yields from Marcellus PW, though regional variability in chemistry and production may impact recovery efficiencies."

A Vast, Untapped Source of Lithium Has Just Been Found in The US : ScienceAlert

Estimates of lithium mass yields from produced water sourced from the Devonian-aged Marcellus Shale (open access)

Credits: A Vast Source of Lithium Has Just Been Found in the US

Figure 1 Map of study area showing the Marcellus shale extent, well locations using in decline curve analysis (DCA), PW samples used in this study, and previous USGS sample locations.

Saudi Arabia & UAE plan to mine Lithium for EV batteries

Surprised?

This Toxic, Drying Lake in California Could Turn Into the ‘Saudi Arabia of Lithium'

Good news! Recommendable! It is also reported that Utah has some significant reserves of natural lithium.

New evidence suggests McDermitt Caldera on the Oregon/Nevada border may be among the largest known lithium reserves in the world

Good news!

"A trio of volcanologists and geologists from Lithium Americas Corporation, GNS Science, and Oregon State University reports evidence that the McDermitt Caldera, on the Nevada/Oregon, border, may host some of the largest known deposits of lithium on Earth.  ...

In 2017, another team of researchers found evidence that one part of the caldera called Thacker Pass could be among the largest sources of lithium ever found. Lithium Americas obtained a stake at the site and began testing mining operations. Soon thereafter, they ran into opposition from locals and Native American groups, but eventually won the right to mine at the site. ..."

From the abstract:

"Developing a sustainable supply chain for the global proliferation of lithium ion batteries in electric vehicles and grid storage necessitates the extraction of lithium resources that minimize local environmental impacts. Volcano sedimentary lithium resources have the potential to meet this requirement, as they tend to be shallow, high-tonnage deposits with low waste:ore strip ratios. Illite-bearing Miocene lacustrine sediments within the southern portion of McDermitt caldera (USA) at Thacker Pass contain extremely high lithium grades (up to ~1 weight % of Li), more than double the whole-rock concentration of lithium in smectite-rich claystones in the caldera and other known claystone lithium resources globally (<0.4 weight % of Li). Illite concentrations measured in situ range from ~1.3 to 2.4 weight % of Li within fluorine-rich illitic claystones. The unique lithium enrichment of illite at Thacker Pass resulted from secondary lithium- and fluorine-bearing hydrothermal alteration of primary neoformed smectite-bearing sediments, a phenomenon not previously identified."

New evidence suggests McDermitt Caldera may be among the largest known lithium reserves in the world

Hydrothermal enrichment of lithium in intracaldera illite-bearing claystones (open access)

Fig. 1. Map showing type and relative size of global lithium resources.

Is Zimbabwe become the world's 'lithium valley'?

They say clean energy!

Iran Discovers World's Second-Largest Lithium DepositI

Good news! Wrong country! Let's hope and pray civil unrest in Iran will finally overcome the theocracy!

FDNY: Lithium-ion batteries sparked more than 200 fires in New York City in 2022, killing six people and injuring nearly 150

Does anyone collect these statistics? Are they being made public? Apparently the issue of fires cause by  lithium batteries is more serious than the public is lead to believe.

How do you like the idea that your e-bike, perhaps stored in your abode, suddenly could catch fire?

"Lithium-ion batteries sparked more than 200 fires in New York City last year alone, killing six people and injuring nearly 150. That’s double the amount of battery fires in 2021, according to the New York City Fire Department."

An exploding problem: Fires sparked by lithium batteries are confounding firefighters

Credits: The Heartland Institute Climate Change Weekly

India discovers 5.9 million tonnes of lithium deposits

Good news! This is a game changer!

Taliban arrests 2 Chinese nationals over smuggling about 1,000 metric tons of rocks containing perhaps up to 30% lithium

Wow!

Rise of single-use vapes sending tonnes of lithium to landfills in the UK and elsewhere. So what!

Entrepreneurs will make a business out of recycling, if it is profitable!

By the way, lithium is not a rare element! World reserves, as of 2020, are estimated at over 21 million tonnes.

However, the authors are calling, as usual, for more government regulation and intervention! This article is not really about lithium, but probably more about unaccepted sinful behavior of humans (i.e. smoking & wastefulness).

Dedicated to all electric car owners:

"... Disposable vapes also pose a potential serious risk when not recycled, as the lithium-ion batteries can start fires when crushed in a waste truck or at a waste-processing plant. ..."

"... A joint investigation by the Bureau, Sky News and the Daily Telegraph suggests that two disposable vapes are being thrown away every second in the UK. Over a year, this is enough lithium to make roughly 1200 electric car batteries. ...
While each vape contains just 0.15g of lithium, the scale of the waste means about 10 tonnes of the metal is ending up in landfills [over what time period?]. ..."

Rise of single-use vapes sending tonnes of lithium to landfill — The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (en-GB)

Lithium – new gold rush in the Andes

Recommendable! However, the video is often naive and one sided!

Electric cars are not environmentally friendly!