SBIR-STTR Award

The broad adoption of lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles requires ultrahigh safety battery separators characterized by high temperature integration and long term stability. Commercial polymer based battery separators exhibit extensive thermal shrinkage and significant structural degradation when exposed to high- temperature environments, which may trigger internal short circuits in the lithium-ion batteries. Thus, the commercial polymer based battery separators cannot meet these high safety requirements, and a new generation of ultrahigh safety battery separator is needed to address this formidable challenge. Leveraging our technical leadership on the preparation and processing of ceramic nanowires at large scale and low cost, we propose to develop a new generation high safety battery separator by using ceramic nanowires. The proposed battery separator will provide high temperature stability, long term stability and high ion conductivity, which are unachievable by the state-of- the-art commercial separators. We will fabricate alumina nanowire battery separators and battery pouch cell prototypes by using them as the separators. At the end of the Phase I program, alumina nanowire separators and battery prototypes with the targeted excellent performance will be demonstrated. Lithium-ion batteries with higher safety and longer life are critical to the arrival of the electric vehicle era. It is predicted that the overall market for lithium-ion battery separators is going to grow to $2.5 billion in 2020, and majority is for electric vehicle use. In addition, grid storage and residential electricity storage will also need the proposed high safety battery separator technology. The successful commercialization of the proposed separator technology will assure the large scale commercial use of large format lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

A key goal of our nation’s energy program is the development and proliferation of electric vehicles, plugin hybrid electric vehicles, and hybrid electric vehicles to replace our demand for gasoline and diesel engine powered vehicles. An important step for this electrification is the development of more cost effective, longer lasting, and more abusetolerant rechargeable batteries. Due to their low thermal and chemical stability, and low resistance to oxidation, current polymerbased battery separators have difficulties in meeting the increasingly stricter requirements for electric vehicle application. A groundbreaking breakthrough in battery separator technology is needed to address this formidable challenge. Leveraging our technical leadership on the preparation and processing of ceramic nanowires, we are developing a new generation high performance battery separator by using ceramic nanowires through a low cost manufacturing process. Our nanowire battery separator will provide lithium ion batteries with high safety, high energy density, long term stability, and high power density for various electric vehicle applications. We have successfully fabricated the world’s first flexible ceramic nanowire battery separators, and have demonstrated their high safety, long time stability and superior electrochemical performance at full cell level. All the key concepts have been experimentally validated. We will overcome any technical barriers to the large scale and low cost production and commercialization of our ceramic nanowire battery separators. And also we will fabricate high performance large format lithiumion pouch cells to convince battery manufacturers to adopt our ceramic nanowire separators for their electric vehicle battery use. The overall market for lithium rechargeable battery separators is expected to reach $3 billion in 2020, mainly driven by the demand for electric vehicles. The successful commercialization of this advanced nanowire separator technology will generate significant economic gains to the States as well as new employment for US workers. The adoption of this high safety battery separator technology will partially cure the public fear to the safety concern of lithium rechargeable batteries in electric vehicles, and help their fast and wide adoption in various electronic vehicles by automobile manufacturers. The large scale adoption of electric vehicles will reduce environmental pollution, improve air quality, improve human health, and reduce health care cost. Key Words: nanowire, ceramic, membrane, separator, battery, high safety, high energy density, long term stability, high power density. The nanowire battery separator technology is a critical technology for manufacturing high safety, high energy density, long term stability, and high power density lithiumion batteries desired by electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, and plugin hybrid electric vehicles. This will be a quantum leap technology in battery separator industry.