Abstract
Successful integration of metallic lithium anodes into secondary batteries could enhance energy density and enable new forms of electrified transportation. However, the outlook for widespread lithium metal adoption in energy storage devices remains mixed. This comes in part from existing gaps in our understanding of the relationships connecting the initial state of lithium, its evolution with cycling, and end-of-life state. It remains important to develop standardized protocols for material and cell characterization, cycling performance, safety, and recycling procedures for lithium metal-based batteries. In February 2023 a cohort of scientists and engineers from academia, national laboratories, and industry gathered to converge on a list of critical challenges and action items to provide better understanding of lithium metal evolution and to enhance academic, governmental, and industrial partnerships to address these challenges. Here, we highlight the major discussion topics revolving around the manufacturing of lithium metal, its related metrology and integration into battery form factors, and best practices testing its electrochemical performance relevant to automotive applications. We introduce a power-controlled discharge testing protocol for research and development cells, in alignment between major automotive stakeholders, that may reveal lithium metal battery dynamics closer to practical driving behavior.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1550-1555 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Joule |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs |
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| State | Published - Jun 19 2024 |
Funding
This commentary is drawn from conversations at a recent lithium metal battery workshop (February 2023), which was jointly organized by University of California San Diego (UCSD) and Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America (MBRDNA). MBRDNA was also the main sponsor for the workshop with additional support from the Battery500 Consortium, which is funded by the US Department of Energy Office of Vehicle Technologies. R.M. acknowledges the support from Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America to participate in the workshop. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (S.K.) acknowledges sponsorship by the US DOE, Vehicle Technologies Office's Advanced Battery Materials Research Program. The authors also acknowledge the following organizations that participated in the workshop: Brown University, Columbia University, Harvard University, Idaho National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Penn State University, University of Houston, Albemarle Corp, Applied Materials, Cuberg, Factorial Energy, LG Energy Solutions, Livent, Lyten, Our Next Energy, Polyplus, Pure Lithium Corp, QuantumScape, SES AI Corp, Sion Power, Temasek, and Wildcat Discovery. The authors declare no competing interests. This commentary is drawn from conversations at a recent lithium metal battery workshop (February 2023), which was jointly organized by University of California San Diego (UCSD) and Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America (MBRDNA). MBRDNA was also the main sponsor for the workshop with additional support from the Battery500 Consortium , which is funded by the US Department of Energy Office of Vehicle Technologies . R.M. acknowledges the support from Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America to participate in the workshop. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (S.K.) acknowledges sponsorship by the US DOE , Vehicle Technologies Office\u2019s Advanced Battery Materials Research Program. The authors also acknowledge the following organizations that participated in the workshop: Brown University, Columbia University, Harvard University, Idaho National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Penn State University, University of Houston, Albemarle Corp, Applied Materials, Cuberg, Factorial Energy, LG Energy Solutions, Livent, Lyten, Our Next Energy, Polyplus, Pure Lithium Corp, QuantumScape, SES AI Corp, Sion Power, Temasek, and Wildcat Discovery.