FMRG: Eco: Sustainable Route to 3D Solid-State Sodium-ion Battery by Direct Ink Writing and Capillary Rise Infiltration

While lithium-ion batteries have become increasingly popular in applications such as electric vehicles and grid energy storage, the roll-to-roll process used to manufacture these batteries is significantly inefficient. Furthermore, the recycling yield of materials used as electrodes in these batteries is very low. In addition, there are substantial geopolitical risks associated with the supply chains of critical elements such as the lithium and cobalt materials used in lithium-ion batteries.

This Future Manufacturing Research Grant (FMRG) EcoManufacturing award will support fundamental research to eliminate these drawbacks by enabling a cross-disciplinary team of researchers from academia, a national laboratory and industry to investigate a novel Eco Manufacturing route to lithium- and cobalt-free three-dimensional solid-state sodium-ion batteries in which the solid electrolyte is made of polymer composites, and the electrodes are solely made of Earth-abundant elements such as sodium, potassium, manganese and nickel. The battery manufacturing concept only involves direct ink writing-based 3D printing in combination with solid-state conversion and capillary rise infiltration.

These are sustainable processes that eliminate several deficiencies encountered in the conventional roll-to-roll battery manufacturing method. In addition to the research effort described above, the team plans to train the battery workforce of the next generation by creating an innovative hybrid online/in-person education and workforce development program called the Northeast Battery Workforce Training Program (NBWTP).

This workforce program targets adult-learners, career-seekers without academic degrees in the field of batteries, underrepresented minorities (URMs), and veterans returning to civilian life, who will be trained to become “Battery Ready Vets.” Industrial partners and the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at Penn will contribute to the development of this innovative workforce training program.

To eliminate the deficiencies encountered in the conventional roll-to-roll battery manufacturing process, the team will develop a sustainable route to three-dimensional solid-state sodium-ion batteries based on the following six integrated thrusts: Thrust #1 (Scaffold thrust) will use direct ink writing to print a three-dimensional porous metal scaffold with both microscale and macroscale pores. Thrust #2 (Cathode thrust) will use solid-state conversion to partially convert the microscale pore walls of the scaffold into a cathode, resulting in a three-dimensional scaffold/cathode composite.

Thrust #3 (Polymer electrolyte thrust) will investigate two polymer-based solid-state electrolytes infiltrated in the microscale pores of the scaffold/cathode composite using capillary rise infiltration. Thrust #4 (Anode and full battery thrust) will use capillary rise infiltration to impregnate the macroscale pores with a “self-healing” sodium anode and make the full three-dimensional solid-state sodium-ion battery.

To eliminate sodium dendrite-induced short-circuiting and achieve ultralong cycle life, the “self-healing” sodium anode will transform into a liquid when the battery is operating at moderate temperatures. Thrust #5 (Recycling thrust) will use air-free electrolytic leaching to recycle used batteries. Thrust #6 (Workforce thrust) will establish a self-sustained hybrid online/in-person workforce development program to train future battery workers.

This workforce training includes a professional certificate program consisting of online courses offered through Canvas Network in the form of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).

This Future Manufacturing award is supported by the Division of Materials Research (DMR) in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) and co-funded by the Division of Chemistry (CHE) in MPS, the Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI) in the Directorate for Engineering (ENG), and the Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems (ECCS) in ENG.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.