Faculty seminar "Sustainability in battery manufacturing: the role of interface formation" | Faculty of Chemistry at the Gdańsk University of Technology

Abstract:

The formation and ageing processes in lithium-ion (Li-ion) and sodium-ion (Na-ion) batteries are critical to their long-term performance, safety, and electrochemical stability. Formation is the initial electrochemical cycling process that establishes the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) on the anode and the cathode-electrolyte interphase (CEI). This interfacial layer is essential for preventing continuous electrolyte decomposition, minimising capacity fade, and enabling stable cycling. The quality and composition of the SEI significantly influence key battery attributes, including cycle life, rate capability, and thermal stability. A well-formed SEI must be ionically conductive yet electronically insulating, chemically stable, and mechanically robust.

Formation typically involves slow charge-discharge cycling under controlled conditions, often at low current densities, with several wetting stages at different states of charge and optimised temperatures to promote uniform SEI growth and reduce gas evolution or lithium plating. The process is energy-intensive and time-consuming, making it a bottleneck in large-scale battery production. Advances in formation methodologies, such as pulse formation protocols, pre-lithiation strategies, electrolyte additives, and elevated-temperature cycling, aim to optimise SEI formation while reducing time and energy consumption. Additionally, in situ and operando diagnostics provide insights into SEI evolution, enabling real-time optimisation. Improving formation protocols enhances battery performance, safety, and manufacturability, making it a critical focus for next-generation Li-ion and Na-ion battery development. 

This presentation will explore state-of-the-art formation strategies, highlighting the interplay between electrolyte chemistry, voltage/current profiles, and ageing conditions. We will examine recent advances in fast formation techniques to reduce process time while maintaining battery reliability. Additionally, we will discuss how scaling formation protocols from small pouch cells to large-format batteries present unique challenges in electrolyte distribution, interfacial stability, and cycle life prediction. By integrating mechanistic insights with industrial best practices, this work aims to inform the development of next-generation formation protocols that enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve LIB durability.

Bibliografia:

Professor Emma Kendrick is a distinguished academic and researcher in the field of energy materials. She currently serves as Chair of Energy Materials in the School of Metallurgy and Materials at the University of Birmingham, where she is also a co-director of the Centre for Energy Storage (BCES) and co-lead of the Energy Materials Group (EMG). Her research focuses on sustainability in novel battery technologies, encompassing materials, manufacturing, testing, characterization, and recycling.

Before her tenure at the University of Birmingham, Professor Kendrick was a Reader at WMG, University of Warwick, and has held key roles in the battery industry. She served as Chief Technologist in Energy Storage at SHARP Laboratories of Europe Ltd (SLE) and worked with two lithium-ion battery SMEs, Fife Batteries Ltd and Surion Energy Ltd.

Professor Kendrick holds a PhD from Keele University, earned through a postgraduate transfer partnership with CERAM Research, an MSc in new materials from the University of Aberdeen, and a BSc in chemistry from the University of Manchester. Her research excellence in sustainable battery technologies has earned her several prestigious awards, including the 2021 Faraday Institution Researcher Development Champion, the Royal Society of Chemistry's 2021 Environment, Sustainability and Energy Division Mid-Career Award, and the 2019 Hothersall Memorial Award for outstanding services to Metal Finishing.

Link:

https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/profiles/metallurgy/kendrick-emma