VIRTUAL: Department Seminar with Eric D. Wachsman: A Solid Transformation of Energy Storage

When

February 8, 2021    
3:20 pm - 4:10 pm

Event Type

This is a webinar event.

Speaker: Eric D. Wachsman, Director of the Maryland Energy Innovation Institute and William L. Crentz Centennial Chair in Energy Research at the University of Maryland

Title: A Solid Transformation of Energy Storage

Abstract: Solid-state Li-batteries (SSLiBs) have the potential to be a transformational and intrinsically safe energy storage solution. However, their progress has been limited by high solid-solid interfacial impedance and numerous reports of Li-dendrites and a corresponding “critical current density”. By first modifying the garnet surface to enable Li-metal to wet it and then fabricating garnet-electrolytes into tailored tri-layer microstructures to form electrode supported dense thin-film (~10μm) solid-state electrolytes we have been able to overcome these limitations. The microstrucurally tailored porous garnet scaffold support increases electrode/electrolyte interfacial area, overcoming the high impedance typical of planar geometry SSLiBs resulting in an area specific resistance (ASR) of only ~2 to 7 Ωcm-2 at room temperature. The unique garnet scaffold/electrolyte/scaffold structure further allows for charge/discharge of the Li-metal anode and cathode scaffolds by pore-filling, thus providing high depth of discharge ability without mechanical cycling fatigue seen with typical electrodes. Moreover, these scalable multilayer ceramic fabrication techniques, without need for dry rooms or vacuum equipment, provide for dramatically reduced manufacturing cost. The fabrication of supported dense thin-film garnet electrolytes, their ability to cycle Li-metal at high current densities with no dendrite formation, and results for Li-metal anode/garnet-electrolyte based batteries with a number of different cathode chemistries will be presented.

Bio: Dr. Eric D Wachsman, Director of the Maryland Energy Innovation Institute, is the William L. Crentz Centennial Chair in Energy Research with appointments in both the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Maryland. He received his Ph.D. in Materials Science & Engineering from Stanford University, and his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. Dr. Wachsman is Senior Vice President of The Electrochemical Society (ECS), Editor-in-Chief of Ionics, on the Editorial Board of Scientific Reports, Energy Systems, and Energy Technology, and a member of the American Chemical Society, the Materials Research Society, and the International Society for Solid State Ionics. He is a Fellow of both ECS and the American Ceramic Society (ACerS); elected member of the World Academy of Ceramics; the recipient of the 2017 Carl Wagner Award from ECS; the 2014 Sir William Grove Award from the International Association for Hydrogen Energy; the 2014 Pfeil Award from The Institute of Materials, Minerals, and Mining; the Outstanding Invention of 2013 award from the University of Maryland Office of Technology Licensing; the 2012 Fuel Cell Seminar & Exposition Award; and the 2012 HTM Outstanding Achievement Award from ECS. His research is focused on solid ion-conducting materials and electrocatalysts, and includes the development of solid oxide fuel cells, solid-state batteries, ion-transport membrane reactors, solid-state gas sensors, and the electrocatalytic conversion of CH4, CO2, and NOx, using advanced ion conducting materials. He has more than 270 publications and 34 patents/patent applications on ionic and electronic transport in materials, and their catalytic properties, and device performance, and to date three companies have been founded based on these technologies.

Seminar Host: Steve Martin

Zoom Link: https://iastate.zoom.us/j/98650465748

Recording Link: https://iastate.box.com/s/4ajxc32p8ckc4u0qojd1q1i7mzm0i3wv

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