Why Li-ion Batteries Degrade & Lose Their Capacity - The Iliad & The Odyssey for Li ions

Synopsis

This year the battery industry marks the 29^th anniversary of the launch of an energy storage game-changer: the Li-ion rechargeable battery (LIB). However, the present day market is actually quite complicated, as energy requirements have grown considerably in the magnitude and speed that their power needs delivery or renewal. As we continue to electrify the world, manufacturers are continuously evolving the material and chemical components inside batteries, because they have limited lifespans. Why is this? 

The talk will uncover the reasons behind capacity fade in lithium ion batteries, outlining just how complex the degradation can be. We will look at some of the sophisticated characterization techniques that have been developed, specifically to understand root causes of failure. This is vital to avoiding the safety incidents with lithium ion batteries, which we have witnessed in the media in recent years. Along with this, we introduce ways in which batteries can be analyzed whilst they are charging and discharging – so-called operando characterization. Such approaches are critical to advancing and evolving the advanced manufacturing of new battery materials.

Speakers

Melanie Loveridge

WMG

Melanie Loveridge is Associate Professor of Electrochemical Materials at WMG, University of Warwick. Her research is centred on a number of themes which include:

• New materials discovery: High capacity anode materials such as silicon and graphene hybrids, niobium oxides and metal organic frameworks.
• Battery Forensics: Post-mortem analysis to understand failure mechanisms and generate published case studies.
• Correlative metrology to better understand property-structure-performance relationships.

Previously to joining WMG Melanie was a specialist at Nexeon (a spin-out company from Imperial College), developing materials for energy storage. She has conducted research projects and technology transfers with companies such as Akzo Nobel and Corus Colours and holds several global patents on battery materials. Melanie is a member of the Graphene Flagship and a Co-investigator with the Faraday Institute, having collaborated with key UK and European academia over the last few years since joining WMG in 2014.

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