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Exploring the electrochemical and physical stability of lithium-ion cells exposed to liquid nitrogen
(2024)
The transport and storage of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries — damaged or in an undefined state — is a major safety concern for regulatory institutions, transportation companies, and manufacturers. Since (electro)chemical reactivity is exponentially temperature-dependent, cooling such batteries is an obvious measure for increasing their safety.
The present study explores the effect of cryogenic freezing on the electrochemical and physical stability of Li-ion cells. For this purpose, three different types of cells were repeatedly exposed to liquid nitrogen (LN2).
Before and after each cooling cycle, electrical and electrochemical measurements were conducted to assess the impact of the individual freezing steps. While the electrochemical behavior of the cells did not change significantly upon exposure to LN2 , it became apparent that a non-negligible number of cells suffered from physical changes (swelling) and functional failures. The latter defect was found to be caused by the current interrupt device of the cylindrical cells. This safety mechanism is triggered by the overpressure of expanding nitrogen which enters the cells at cryogenic temperatures.
This study underlines that the widely accepted reversibility of LN2 -cooling on a material scale does not allow for a direct extrapolation toward the physical integrity of full cells. Since nitrogen enters the cell at cryogenic temperatures and expands upon rethermalization, it can cause an internal overpressure. This can, in turn, lead to mechanical damage to the cell. Consequently, a more appropriate temperature condition — less extreme than direct LN2 exposure — needs to be found
A high precision nail‐penetration (NP) tool for characterizing the mechanically induced thermal‐runaway (TR) of lithium‐ion battery (LIB) cells in a defined range of temperatures down to −140 °C was developed. To understand the cell specific behavior at low temperatures aiming at the determination of safe handling conditions, different scenarios are analyzed. First, accuracy tests of the NP‐tool regarding motion and penetration depth are conducted with cylindrical cells at different temperatures. Thus, postmortem computer tomographic (CT) images are compared to the data measured with the newly integrated 3‐axis force sensor which is further combined with a high‐resolution position sensor. The herein developed setup allows evaluation of the NP‐metrics at an accuracy of ±1 pierced electrode layer without CT‐scans. Further NP examinations at 20 °C of fully charged cylindrical lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide cells reveal a reproducible minimum damage as a reliable TR‐trigger. Moreover, NP‐tests at low temperature disclose a relation of the short circuit conductivity and TR‐reactions during subsequent rethermalization to room temperature. Finally, the implementation of a novel fixture for a controlled very fast cooling of LIB‐cells during critical damage opens the way to investigate the individual steps during a TR and, thus, to gain important information of the specific TR‐mechanism of different LIB‐cells.
AbstractLithium‐ion cells connected in series are prone to an electrical safety risk called overdischarge. This paper presents a comprehensive investigation of the overdischarge phenomenon in lithium‐ion cells using operando nondestructive imaging. The study focuses on understanding the behavior of copper dissolution and deposition during overdischarge, which can lead to irreversible capacity loss and internal short‐circuits. By utilizing synchrotron X‐ray computed tomography (SXCT), the concentration of dissolved and deposited copper per surface area is quantified as a function of depth of discharge, confirming previous findings. The results also highlight for the first time a nonuniform distribution pattern for copper deposition on the cathode. This research provides insights for safer battery cell design.
For dangerous goods packagings, drop testing onto an essential unyielding target can be used to assess the mechanical resistance to impact loads. Adopted regulations like ADR/RID require that the impact surface provided shall be integral with a mass at least 50 times than that of the heaviest package to be tested. The problem is that many manufacturers do not possess impact targets that satisfy the required 50 times mass ratio for regulative drop tests during series production. The objective of this work is to verify existing and define improved criteria for impact target structures based on systematic investigations. Previous evidence highlights the relevance of other parameters in addition to the mass ratio. Therefore, in this research, a variation of drop test parameters was carried out experimentally. Furthermore, numerical vibration analysis was applied to investigate the deformability of the impact surface. The results conclude that the mass ratio of 1:50 cannot be defined as a decisive criterion. In order to determine the influence of further drop test parameters, the research findings were used to validate a parametric model which assesses impact target deflection. An approximation quality of over 90 % was achieved. As a result, new evaluation criteria are proposed. Firstly, a method for identifying critical impact target designs is provided. Secondly, a new comprehensive formula compares the approximated maximum deflection of a real impact target to the respective theoretical threshold derived from a worst-case assumption. In practice, this leads to great advantages in the evaluation of already installed impact targets for dangerous goods packagings.
The flow properties of powdery or granular filling substances for dangerous goods packagings are safety-relevant parameters. To specify the flow behavior, the angle of repose is measured in the recognized test centers for dangerous goods packagings in Germany. Previous investigations performed on non-hazardous substances revealed that some of the methods currently used have disadvantages in application. Additionally, for occupational health and safety reasons, it was generally viewed critically to carry out measurements of the angle of repose for dangerous goods at all. Instead, the dimensionless Hausner ratio to describe the flow behavior was proposed.
In this work, the investigations were extended to real hazardous substances to concretize the assessment. Five exemplary hazardous substances were tested for their angle of repose using the methods commonly applied in the test centers. The Hausner ratio was also determined. In addition, the influence of a different climatic preconditioning on the angle of repose measurement was examined using three selected non-hazardous bulk materials.
The results show that the measurement of the angle of repose is not fundamentally excluded for dangerous goods. However, for reasons of applicability, repeatability and occupational health and safety, only the ISO method can be applied for dangerous filling substances. This method provides conservative results regarding a safety-related evaluation of flow properties for the transport of dangerous goods.
In principle, both the ISO method and the determination of the Hausner ratio can be used for dangerous goods. It is also essential especially with finely powdered filling goods, to carry out controlled preconditioning.
As industrial demand for graphene-based materials (GBMs) grows, more attention falls on potential environmental risks. The present article describes a first assessment of the environmental releases of GBMs using dynamic probabilistic material flow analysis. The model considered all current or expected uses of GBMs from 2004 to 2030, during which time there have already been significant changes in how the graphene mass produced is distributed to different product categories. Although the volume of GBM production is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years, outflow from the consumption of products containing GBMs shows only a slightly positive trend due to their long lifetimes and the large in-use stock of some applications (e.g., GBM composites used in wind turbine blades). From consumption and end-of-life phase GBM mass flows in 2030, estimates suggest that more than 50% will be incinerated and oxidized in waste plants, 16% will be landfilled, 12% will be exported out of Europe, and 1.4% of the annual production will flow to the environment. Predicted release concentrations for 2030 are 1.4 ng/L in surface water and 20 μg/kg in sludge-treated soil. This study’s results could be used for prospective environmental risk assessments and as input for environmental fate models.
Meta-analysis of heat release and smoke gas emission during thermal runaway of lithium-ion batteries
(2023)
Herein a meta-analysis of 76 experimental research papers from 2000 to 2021 is given about possible effects on the thermal runaway of lithium-ion battery cells. Data on the hazards of gas emissions and released heat are related to each other and differentiated by cell properties such as, cell geometry, cathode type or state of charge. Quantitative information on the total heat release in the range of 2.0–112.0 kJ Wh−1, the peak heat release rate in the range of 0.006–2.8 kW Wh−1and the smoke gas emission were extracted, normalized in terms of cell energy (Wh), combined in a data library and compared graphically. The total amount of gas emitted (3–48 mmol Wh−1) as well as the released amount of carbon monoxide (1–161 mg Wh−1) and hydrogen fluoride (2–197 mg Wh−1) were investigated as a function of the state of charge and cell geometry. The analysis reveals that the measured values are significantly influenced by the types of calorimeters and smoke gas analyzers used as well as by the type of thermal runaway trigger. This meta-analysis can serve as an important basis for any risk assessment of lithium-ion batteries.
Evaluation of marker materials and spectroscopic methods for tracer-based sorting of plastic wastes
(2022)
Plastics are a ubiquitous material with good mechanical, chemical and thermal properties, and are used in all industrial sectors. Large quantities, widespread use, and insufficient management of plastic wastes lead to low recycling rates. The key challenge in recycling plastic waste is achieving a higher degree of homogeneity between the different polymer material streams. Modern waste sorting plants use automated sensor-based sorting systems capable to sort out commodity plastics, while many engineering plastics, such as polyoxymethylene (POM), will end up in mixed waste streams and are therefore not recycled. A novel approach to increasing recycling rates is tracer-based sorting (TBS), which uses a traceable plastic additive or marker that enables or enhances polymer type identification based on the tracer’s unique fingerprint (e.g., fluorescence). With future TBS applications in mind, we have summarized the literature and assessed TBS techniques and spectroscopic detection methods. Furthermore, a comprehensive list of potential tracer substances suitable for thermoplastics was derived from the literature. We also derived a set of criteria to select the most promising tracer candidates (3 out of 80) based on their material properties, toxicity profiles, and detectability that could be applied to enable the circularity of, for example, POM or other thermoplastics.
To ensure safety when transporting dangerous goods, it is important to specify the flow properties of the respective solid filling substance of the packagings. For this purpose, the angle of repose is currently used for the UN approvals in Germany. Measurements were carried out on 12 powdery or granular substances applying the angle of repose measuring methods customary in the test centres. The results of the methods differ significantly from each other. In addition, some of the techniques cannot be applied for very cohesive or coarse-grained materials. The results for the angle of repose show a strong scatter for some constellations (coefficient of variation more than 20 %). Safety during transport of dangerous goods cannot be guaranteed with this currently practiced system of measuring the angle of repose. As a consequence, an alternative parameter to characterize the flow properties of bulk materials should be used in the recognized test centers for dangerous goods packagings, such as the Hausner ratio. This approach leads to more precise test results for the substances examined (maximum coefficient of variation 2.8 %). It also has advantages in terms of applicability and occupational safety.
Since the flow properties are safety-relevant, both in terms of mechanical safety and safety against the release of dangerous substances, the testing practice in the recognized test labs should be improved and standardized.
Our ability to produce and transform engineered materials over the past 150 years is responsible for our high standards of living today, especially in the developed economies. Yet, we must carefully think of the effects our addiction to creating and using materials at this fast rate will have on the future generations. The way we currently make and use materials detrimentally affects the planet Earth, creating many severe environmental problems. It affects the next generations by putting in danger the future of economy, energy, and climate. We are at the point where something must drastically change, and it must change NOW. We must create more sustainable materials alternatives using natural raw materials and inspiration from Nature while making sure not to deplete important resources, i.e. in competition with the food chain supply. We must use less materials, eliminate the use of toxic materials and create a circular materials economy where reuse and recycle are priorities. We must develop sustainable methods for materials recycling and encourage design for disassembly. We must look across the whole materials life cycle from raw resources till end of life and apply thorough life cycle assessments based on reliable and relevant data to quantify sustainability.
In a laboratory test, transparent high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) jerrycans have been exposed to both UV radiation and 55 wt‐% nitric acid solution at (41 ± 2)°C, for up to 20 days. For comparison, UV radiant exposure (21 days) and nitric acid exposure (up to 6 weeks) were performed separately, at nearly equal temperatures. The damages are compared with FTIR spectroscopy in ATR and HT‐gel permeation chromatography(GPC) on a molecular level and with hydraulic internal pressure testing as a component test. For the used jerrycans, relevant oxidation can only be found after the combined exposure. This is caused by the decomposition of nitric acid into nitrous gases by UV radiation, which is also observed at lower concentrations (28 wt‐%). After 6 days of laboratory exposure, this is rated as critical, which corresponds to about 1/10 year in Central Europe, according to the UV radiant exposure. The gradual increase in oxidative damage shows the reproducibility of the test.
Carbons doped with iron and nitrogen (Fe–N–Cs) are highly promising electrocatalysts for energy conversion reactions in the oxygen, nitrogen and carbon cycles. Containing no platinum group metals, they nevertheless compete with platinum-based catalysts in crucial fuel cell reactions, such as oxygen reduction in acid. Yet deployment of Fe–N–Cs in fuel cells requires also a flow-enhancing pore structure, and a scalable synthesis procedure – a rarely-met combination of requirements. We now report such a simple synthesis of over 10 g of an Fe–N–C catalyst with high activity towards oxygen reduction in acid. Atomically-dispersed Fe–N4 active sites were designed orthogonally and simultaneously with hierarchical micro-, meso- and macroporosity, by exploiting a dual role of magnesium ions during pyrolysis. Combining the “active site imprinting” and “self-templating” strategies in a single novel magnesium iminodiacetate precursor yielded a catalyst with high specific surface area (SSA > 1600 m2 g−1), a flow-enhancing hierarchical porosity, and high relative abundance of the most desirable D1-type Fe–N4 sites (43%, by Mössbauer spectroscopy at 4.2 K). Despite the relatively low iron contents, the catalysts feature halfwave potentials up to 0.70 V vs. RHE at pH 1 and a mass activity of 1.22 A g−1 at 0.8 V vs. RHE in RDE experiments. Thanks to the simple and scalable synthesis, this active and stable catalyst may serve as a workhorse in academic and industrial research into atomically-dispersed ORR electrocatalysis.
The mechanical and geometrical properties of impact targets greatly influence the outcome of a drop test. The International Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) as well as ISO 2248 describe the characteristics of impact targets for drop tests of dangerous goods packagings.
According to these regulations, the impact target’s surface needs to be unyielding, under testing conditions non-deformable, flat, and integral with a mass at least 50 times that of the heaviest packaging to be tested. The problem is that many production facilities, especially manufacturers of corrugated fibreboard boxes, do not have their own testing device with the required 50 times mass ratio of the impact target for a regulation compliant drop test during series production. Furthermore, at UN level it is considered necessary to revise these requirements.
In the present paper, the impact target requirements are examined in detail and compared with those in other technical areas (e.g., impact target for container for the transport of radioactive materials). A research method is being developed to investigate the dependency between the mass ratio of the packaging and the target as well as the damage resistance of a drop tested package in relation to specific design characteristics. The results are of high relevance for industry purposes and intended to ensure a uniform level of safety assessment for the mechanical testing of dangerous goods packagings.
The leaks of dangerous goods from actually intact bags detected in the years 2018 to 2020 tend to be at an almost constant high level. These releases of powdery or granular dangerous goods represent violations of the sift-proofness required in the dangerous goods regulations. This article first analyzes the causes.
The components of the bags that are affected by leaks are micro-perforations, joins and closures, in particular internal sleeve valves. A distinction must be made between bags closed in conformity with or contrary to the manufacturer's instructions. The particle release is determined by a number of influencing factors of the filling substance, the packaging and other boundary conditions.
Therefore, a comprehensive test concept is developed in this work, which takes all these factors into account. The application of this test concept facilitates the planning of the test setup and the experiments. On this basis, the complex mechanisms involved in the release of solid substances can be systematically investigated in the test laboratory.
To prevent releases of powdery or granular substances from intact bags, it is necessary that the user has access to the closing instructions and the relevant properties of the test substance used for the design type approval. Further experimental investigations are needed to assess whether filling substances change their properties during transport and whether this enables them to escape.
Hard carbon is the material of choice for sodium ion battery anodes. Capacities comparable to those of lithium/graphite can be reached, but the understanding of the underlying sodium storage mechanisms remains fragmentary. A two‐step process is commonly observed, where sodium first adsorbs to polar sites of the carbon (“sloping region”) and subsequently fills small voids in the material (“plateau region”). To study the impact of nitrogen functionalities and pore geometry on sodium storage, a systematic series of nitrogen‐doped hard carbons is synthesized. The nitrogen content is found to contribute to sloping capacity by binding sodium ions at edges and defects, whereas higher plateau capacities are found for materials with less nitrogen content and more extensive graphene layers, suggesting the formation of 2D sodium structures stabilized by graphene‐like pore walls. In fact, up to 84% of the plateau capacity is measured at potentials less than 0 V versus metallic Na, that is, quasimetallic sodium can be stabilized in such structure motifs. Finally, gas physisorption measurements are related to charge discharge data to identify the energy storage relevant pore architectures. Interestingly, these are pores inaccessible to probe gases and electrolytes, suggesting a new view on such “closed pores” required for efficient sodium storage.
The potential release of hazardous substances from polymer-based products is currently in the focus of environmental policy. Environmental simulations are applied to expose such products to selected aging conditions and to investigate release processes. Commonly applied aging exposure types such as solar and UV radiation in combination with water contact, corrosive gases, and soil contact as well as expected general effects on polymers and additional ingredients of polymer-based products are described. The release of substances is based on mass-transfer processes to the material surfaces. Experimental approaches to investigate transport processes that are caused by water contact are presented. For tailoring the tests, relevant aging exposure types and release quantification methods must be combined appropriately. Several studies on the release of hazardous substances such as metals, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, flame retardants, antioxidants, and carbon nanotubes from polymers are summarized exemplarily. Differences between natural and artificial exposure tests are discussed and demonstrated for the release of flame retardants from several polymers and for biocides from paints. Requirements and limitations to apply results from short-term artificial environmental exposure tests to predict long-term environmental behavior of polymers are presented.
The Dangerous Goods Regulations currently do not include limit leakage rates orsensitivity requirements for industrial leak testing procedures that are equivalent tothe bubble test, which is the prescribed test method for design type testing ofdangerous goods packagings. During series production of such packagings, variousmethods are used, which often do not meet the requirements of the bubble test withregard to important criteria.Sensitivity, flow direction, pressure level and automatability are particularly importantfactors when selecting a suitable industrial leak testing method.The following methods are in principle both suitable and equally effective as thebubble test: pressure rise test (vacuum chamber), ultrasonic bubble leak detectionand gas detection methods (pressure technique by accumulation and vacuumchamber technique).To ensure a uniform test level during design type testing and production line leaktesting and therefore a comparable safety level as required by the Dangerous GoodsRegulations, it is necessary to include a more precise specification in these regula-tions. This requires, on the one hand, information about the sensitivity of the bubbletest and, on the other hand, the inclusion of a list of suitable, equally effective indus-trial test methods with their specific boundary conditions.