New discoveries on batteries / August 2019

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New discoveries on batteries / August 2019




by jean.caissepas » 16/08/19, 22:16

A recap. on new discoveries on batteries, and in French! : Mrgreen:

https://www.automobile-propre.com/batte ... aout-2019/

Good reading !

Falling cobalt prices, discovery of new materials and disruptive technologies, construction of factories ... The news of the sector of the batteries for electric vehicles has been dense these 2 last months. Automobile-own compiled for you the most important info
Cobalt: steep drop in prices and closure of mines

When in the summer 2018 the price of a ton of cobalt on the LME (London Metal Exchange) reached a peak of almost 80.000 €, some experts predicted an impending shortage of this strategic metal used in the composition of battery electrodes. They thought that the cobalt would continue to sell and that this situation might even hinder the growth of the electric vehicle market. Yet it is a reverse phenomenon that has occurred since then: the price of a tonne has continued to fall to show this August 14 to 27.500 €, barely one-third of what it was worth there is one year old.

A tumble that hurts some mining giants like Glencore, one of the largest producers of cobalt in the world. The Anglo-Swiss group has just announced a decline in 32% of its 1er 2019 semester results, which has caused the dip of the listing of its shares on the stock market, the lowest since 2016. In the process, Glencore CEO Ivan Glasenberg announced his intention to close the Mutanda mine in Congo, the world's largest cobalt mining company.

Several reasons can explain this evolution. In recent years, cobalt producers have increased their production capacity to anticipate significant growth in lithium-ion battery production, not only for the electromobility market (which accounts for only 20% of demand) but also for nomadic devices and electronics. But the market for these is losing momentum and the growth of demand is not continuing as quickly as expected. Cell manufacturers significantly reduce the amount of cobalt incorporated in their electrodes. About 50% for some; others like Tesla, its partner Panasonic or Svolt, even target the production of cobalt-free batteries. The cobalt market is therefore in overcapacity and the law of supply and demand logically causes prices to tumble. This is not really bad news for the development of the electric vehicle.
Discovery of a revolutionary material for the batteries of the future

Solid electrolyte battery technology is generally considered the next disruption in the evolution of lithium-ion batteries. It promises greater energy density and increased safety since it eliminates the risk of cell ignition and therefore vehicle fire. However, there remained a major obstacle to the development of a powerful solid battery: the low mobility of lithium ions in the materials considered to constitute this solid electrolyte. A defect that is synonymous with increased slowness for charging and discharging the battery and therefore does not meet the expectations of the market.

However, an international team of university researchers has discovered a new crystal whose structure allows higher lithium ion mobility than any battery electrolyte studied so far. Its name: lithium-titanium triphosphate or LTPS whose chemical formula is LiTi2 (PS4) 3.

Prof. Geoffroy Hautier of UCLouvain (Belgium), a member of the research team, said "this new material is capable of increasing the speed of charging and discharging a battery, at a speed never before observed". Another important asset: the mobility of ions in this crystal remains high even at very low temperatures (up to -253 ° C) which suggests rapid loads even in extreme winter conditions.
Scientists point out, however, that we should not expect batteries that use this technology to come onto the market for years to come. Many steps have yet to be taken before starting their industrialization.
The LTPS is able to increase the speed of charging and discharging a battery, at a speed never before observed
A multiplication by 2 or 3 of the energy density of the batteries?

KeraCell, a Silicon Valley startup, claims to have developed a technology for manufacturing lithium-ion cells that combine solid electrolyte, lithium metal anodes, and 3D printing technology. According to his statement, the energy density of his batteries would be 2 3 times larger and their cost 2 times lower than those currently produced.

The company announces it has entered into a strategic partnership with Musashi Seimitsu Industry, a leading Japanese automotive supplier. The goal is to accelerate the development and commercialization of new batteries.

KeraCell however does not reveal any technical details concerning this technology ...
Imec uses nanotechnology to develop a high-density Li-metal battery

Imec is an inter-university research institute in microelectronics and nanotechnology located in Leuven (Belgium). Its scientists announce the development of cells for "solid" Lithium-metal batteries. They use a nanocomposite electrolyte in combination with a standard lithium iron phosphate cathode (LFP) and a lithium metal anode to develop a battery whose energy density is 400 Wh / liter. Their goal is to reach 1000 Wh / l by 2024.

Innovation involves incorporating the new electrolyte in liquid form. It is only after its introduction into the pores of the electrodes that it hardens and transforms into a solid. The contact between the solid electrolyte and the material of the porous electrodes is thus maximal, as with a liquid electrolyte.
According to Imec, these cells can be assembled on production lines for "slightly modified" Li-Ion batteries.

The industrialization of the developed process could therefore be faster than that of other new solid battery technologies developed in different research centers around the world.
Airbus batteries: Europe will have at least 16 cell production plants

While not long ago the vast majority of cells for lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles were produced in Asia, Europe woke up through, in particular, the Airbus battery project launched by the company. Germany and France and to which other European states have since joined. In recent months, announcements of investments in new cell production plants planned in Europe have multiplied. The NGO Transport & Environment has counted 16 factories already operational, under construction or planned. Asian manufacturers also intend to get closer to their European customers.

For example, Svolt Energy Technology, a subsidiary of Chinese automaker Great Wall, plans to develop global production capacity totaling 100 GWh by 2025 and plans to build at least one plant in Europe. The Korean SK Innovation has announced the construction of an 2e factory in Hungary, the site of the first having already started more than a year ago. Two other Korean manufacturers, LG Chem and Samsung are already operating a European plant, the first in Poland and the second in Hungary as well.
CATL significantly increases planned investments for its European cell plant

Just one year ago, CATL, the Chinese manufacturer of battery cells announced an investment of 240 million euros in the construction of a European plant. Expected in Erfurt, Germany, not far from the VW factory in Zwickau and BMW in Leipzig, it was originally to have an annual production capacity of 14 gigawatt hours of cells. But as European manufacturers almost all revise up their electric vehicle production targets, CATL in turn changes its plans and announces that the company will spend 1,8 billion euros in this plant. That is almost 8 times more than the amount originally planned. If this plan materializes, the European CATL plant, once built, is expected to be the largest in the world, far surpassing the production capacity of Tesla's Gigafactory 1.

The construction site will begin this fall. According to Matthias Zentgraf, head of CATL for Europe, the first stone will be laid in September.
Germany: 3 consortiums for battery construction will be subsidized

To boost domestic production of battery cells, the German Ministry of the Economy will finance three consortia for a total of one billion euros. So far, only the alliance formed by Peugeot, Opel and the French battery manufacturer Saft has come forward and is almost certain to obtain funding.
PSA launches battery production in Slovakia

The French group PSA will produce the batteries of its new electric and hybrid cars in its Slovak plant in Trnava, where the Peugeot e-208 will also be assembled. Later, batteries will also be produced in the Vigo plant in Spain, closer to the assembly site of the e-Corsa in Zaragoza.

Volkswagen to finance increased battery production capacity in Europe

After announcing an 20% equity stake in Northvolt (the European battery cell manufacturer), the VW group now says it is ready to enter into partnerships and to fund other cell manufacturers to convince them to increase their production capacities.

Anticipating the annual production in its factories of one million electric vehicles from 2025, the group fears to be soon faced with a shortage of cells. "Not all of our suppliers are convinced of the speed with which the transition to electric mobility will take place," he says. "For this reason, Volkswagen offers to support its partners, for example by prefinancing production tools and sharing the entrepreneurial risk in a joint venture."
Volvo uses recycled cobalt for its batteries and makes sure it comes from the blockchain

Cobalt used in batteries of electric vehicles has bad press. The main reserves of this strategic metal are located in the Republic of Congo where artisanal mines exploit children. Some use this argument to tarnish the "green" image of the electric car. Several automotive giants such as BMW, Ford and the VW group have already taken steps to ensure the transparency of their supply chain and ensure that the cobalt in their batteries is extracted in sustainable and rights-respecting conditions. of the man. For this purpose, they are using blockchain technology, as food companies have been doing for quite some time to trace the origin of their raw materials.

Volvo Cars, owned by the Chinese giant Geely has revealed in turn the efforts to control its supplies of cobalt. The manufacturer primarily uses cobalt produced by a recycling plant in China and incorporated into battery cells manufactured by CATL. Volvo is also using the blockchain to control this supply chain. "We followed the cobalt from a Chinese recycling plant to our Zhejiang assembly plant over a two-month period," Volvo said, adding that its goal was "total transparency and traceability."

Volvo also announced that it has partnered with Ford, IBM, the Korean cell manufacturer LG Chem and Chinese cobalt producer Huayou Cobalt as part of a "responsible" cobalt sourcing. This consortium is supported by RCS Global, a company that audits and certifies raw materials that are ethically and sustainably produced.
Used batteries of electric vehicles for electricity storage in developing countries

Using used electric vehicle batteries, researchers at the University of Warwick have developed a small, portable electricity storage system for off-grid applications in least developed countries or isolated communities. Each unit has a capacity of about 2 kWh and can power "a small shop, a farm or a group of isolated dwellings".

Scientists have faced a number of challenges in maintaining the charge capacity of used batteries while reducing their cost and facilitating their maintenance. Among other things, lithium-ion cells must be protected against overloads and deep discharges. In particular, they sought to make cells from different manufacturers compatible. The team has designed a new battery management system (BMS) that uses only standard and inexpensive components. This battery can be recharged by second hand laptop chargers.
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