Powering Britain's
Battery Revolution
Powering Britain's
Battery Revolution
Photo: Visiting Research Fellows Lucia Barbosa (centre) and Celso Baspineiro (right) speak to Virgina Echavarri-Bravo at the 2024 Faraday Institution Conference 2024.
The prestigious Visiting Research Fellowship (VRF) scheme offers an opportunity for early career researchers from Chile and Argentina to work alongside Faraday Institution battery researchers in five different UK universities for up to six months. The initiative is supported by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
Marin Freer, CEO, Faraday Institution, comments: “The aim of the scheme is to equip visiting fellows with the skills, knowledge, and connections to excel in their fields and make a significant impact in the advancement of lithium and battery-related research back in their home institutions. The fellowships will provide a gateway to develop enduring collaborations between British and Chilean and Argentinian battery researchers.”
Louis Piper, Professor of Battery Innovation at WMG, University of Warwick, comments: “The vast majority of lithium for Europe is sourced from the lithium triangle in South America. These fellowships strengthen UK/Faraday activities with Chile and Argentina and builds upon successful FCDO activities, such as the Warwick-Bolivia FCDO project for training, research and scholarships.”
Louise de Sousa, His Majesty’s Ambassador Santiago, at FCDO
“We’re proud to support this collaboration between the exceptional Faraday Institution and talented battery researchers from Chile and Argentina. This will help accelerate the development of key battery supply chains in the region and the UK. Diverse and resilient supply chains – with economic benefits realised in producer countries – are of vital importance as we aim to achieve a just and lasting green energy transition.”
The fellowship programme aims to leverage the knowledge and expertise of researchers across the lithium battery supply chain, fostering collaboration between the UK, Argentina, and Chile. This initiative is designed to establish enduring partnerships among research institutions. By bringing together researchers from diverse areas, such as high nickel and lithium iron phosphate cathode chemistries, critical to the UK battery sector, the programme addresses key challenges in manufacturing across materials, cell assembly and recycling.
This collaborative effort is expected to enhance the UK battery sector’s access to resources, drive technological advancements, strengthen energy security, create market opportunities, and promote sustainable practices. Ultimately, these collective benefits contribute to the development of a resilient and competitive battery industry, crucial for the transition to a low-carbon and sustainable future.
Visiting Research Fellows Celso Baspineiro (centre) with Jen Hartley (left) and Jacqueline Edge (right) at the 2024 Faraday Institution Conference.
The Visiting Research Fellows will have numerous opportunities to significantly enhance their career and research trajectory. Collaboration with UK-based researchers and experts in the field of lithium-ion batteries and energy storage will broaden knowledge and enhance exposure to cutting-edge research methodologies and facilities.
The VRFs provide a unique platform for professional networking and the fostering of the exchange of research ideas between the three countries. Fellows will have opportunities to attend conferences, and workshops, providing opportunities to showcase research, share insights, and build connections with academics and industry professionals.
The collaborative environment of the Faraday Institution projects will allow the fellows to immerse themselves into a new academic environment, providing opportunities to engage with colleagues from diverse backgrounds, broadening perspectives, strengthening research portfolios, and opening doors to future collaborations and opportunities.
From left to right: Gerard Bree (WMG) Nicolas Palma (VRF), Valeria Calani (Bolivian PhD researcher based at WMG), Ashok Menon (WMG), José Arroyo Gómez (VRF)
Following a call open to co-investigators on four of the Faraday Institution main projects, and an open call to attract fellows from Chile and Argentina, the following fellowships have begun.
| Topic area | Host researcher and university | Fellow, home institution | Faraday Institution project | Project summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation into the application of direct lithium extraction technologies for recycling batteries | Dr Jacqueline Edge, Imperial College London | Celso Baspineiro, CIDMEJu, Argentina | ReLiB | Also in collaboration with the University of Birmingham the fellow will investigate the extent to which direct lithium extraction methods can be applied to low concentration brines, such as those found in geothermal deposits across Europe, and to the solutions recovered from recycling batteries. The study will also compare the relative performance of these methods, as well as their environmental and techno-economic impacts. |
| Cracking of next generation advanced lithium-ion battery cathodes – CONGA-LIB | Dr Rhodri Jervis, University College London | Macarena Kroff Cortez, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile | CATMAT | The fellow will investigate cracking behaviour of LNO and doped LNO cathode materials using world leading X-ray characterisation suite in the Electrochemical Innovation Lab (EIL), comprising of nano-, micro- and macro-CT, XRD and SAXS. |
| Driving the design of next-generation cathode materials by local structure characterisation | Dr Phoebe Allan, University of Birmingham | Nicolás Flores-González, University of Concepcion, Chile | CATMAT | The project will uncover the structural origins of promising electrochemical behaviour in new cobalt-free cathode materials discovered in CATMAT – layered/disordered-rocksalt composites and disordered rocksalt oxyfluorides. The fellow will gain experience in advanced characterisation techniques including synchrotron techniques such as pair distribution function analysis and X-ray absorption spectroscopy as well as computational data analysis techniques. |
| LAW: Lithium from anode waste | Professor Peter Slater, University of Birmingham | Lucia Barbosa, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, Argentina | ReLiB | This fellowship is focused on maximising the potential of anode recycling, by aiming to recover, regenerate, or upcycle the graphite/SiOx anode material, while also recovering any lithium that remains in the anode. The project offers to improve the commercial potential of anode recycling by recovering this valuable Li component, while developing routes to repair/regenerate the anode material itself. |
| Characterisation of degradation effects on intercalation kinetics in the cathode electrode-electrolyte interface | Professor Dame Clare Grey, University of Cambridge | Lautaro Nicolás Acosta, CIDMEJu, Argentina | Degradation | The project aims to examine different cathode battery chemistries (LNO, LFP, LMFP), focusing on how degradation influences lithium-ion intercalation dynamics, working towards linking degradation phenomena with reduced rate capability and energy efficiency. To enhance battery performance, the Fellow will pioneer electrochemical testing methods based on short voltage pulses and advanced data analysis |
| Recovering kinetically limited capacity loss in single-crystalline Ni-rich NMC-graphite pouch cells for second life | Professor Louis Piper, University of Warwick | José J. Arroyo Gómez, CONICET, Argentina | FutureCat | This project aims to quantify the kinetics-related capacity losses in single crystal-NMC811/graphite systems and explore mitigative cycling protocols to recover lost capacity. Industry-format pouch cells will be aged through cycling then, multiple regenerative protocols will be applied to understand the specific effects of cycling rates and temperature on capacity recovery. The regenerated capacity can be quantified using electrochemical testing, with the changes in electrode properties measured via advanced characterisation including operando X-ray and gas analysis techniques in collaboration with the University of Cambridge. |
| Optimisation of phosphate-based cylindrical cell manufacture | Professor Louis Piper, University of Warwick | Nicolas Palma, Universidad de Antofagasta, Chile | Degradation | The project will optimise the manufacture of cylindrical cells containing LFP/graphite at the pilot line at the University of Warwick. Smaller scale cell manufacture will first be undertaken to optimise parameters such as slurry formulation and coat weight, after which 21700 cells will be produced. The performance of these cells will be assessed via electrochemical testing and benchmarked against similar commercial cells. Capacity loss will be diagnosed via advanced electrochemical methods, X-ray computed tomography and neutron analysis. |
Posted on October 4, 2024