Argonne National Lab

Aggreko Partners with Argonne National Laboratory

Aggreko has delivered a smart battery storage system to Argonne National Laboratory. The solution will expand high power charging for electric vehicles at the organisation's Smart Energy Plaza near Chicago, Illinois, USA.

New Lead-Based Anode for Next-Gen Lithium-Ion Batteries

Scientists report a new electrode design for the lithium-ion battery using the low-cost materials lead as well as carbon.

IDTechEx Assesses 5 Significant Electric Vehicle Opportunities in 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused 2020 to become the pivotal year as the automotive industry goes through a once in a hundred-year transformation.

Forge Nano

Forge Nano are developing atomic layer deposition techniques and tools for coatings various materials, including catalysts and powders for additive manufacturing but with a particular focus on Li-ion electrodes.

6K Energy

IDTechEx spoke with 6K Energy, part of 6K Inc., including with Bruce Bradshaw, Chief Marketing Officer, and Dr Richard Holman, VP Battery Products. 6K have developed plasma technology for synthesising various powders.

New Cathode Coating Extends Lithium Ion Battery Life

The new coating, called PEDOT, marks a breakthrough in lithium-ion battery technology since it fully and completely protects each particle of the cathode — inside and out — from reactivity with the electrolyte.

Deep Learning to Monitor Birds at Solar Facilities

Using artificial intelligence and advanced cameras will help improve our understanding of how birds interact with photovoltaic arrays.

Platinum Free Catalysts Could Make Cheaper Hydrogen Fuel Cells

The high cost of platinum catalysts used in hydrogen fuel cells limits the commercialization of fuel cell electric vehicles. Scientists are studying alternative catalysts to increase cost-effectiveness and maintain efficiency of hydrogen fuel cells.

Neutron Diffraction Used for the First Time to Improve Batteries

The first battery innovation project in Europe using hi-tech neutron diffraction techniques has been launched in Spain under the Consortium for Battery Innovation's new technical program.

Finalists Announced for 2019 R&D 100 Awards

Finalists for the venerable R&D 100 Awards have been announced by R&D World magazine and its new parent company, WTWH Media, LLC.

Big Advancements Ahead in Lead Battery Energy Storage Innovation

A three-year scientific research project currently underway at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory is showing promising results to unlock the untapped potential of lead batteries. Lead batteries currently supply over 70% of the world's rechargeable battery energy needs. Yet, possibilities exist to expand their performance to meet growing energy storage and transportation demands.

Building a Better Battery with Machine Learning

Designing the best molecular building blocks for battery components is like trying to create a recipe for a new kind of cake, when you have billions of potential ingredients. The challenge involves determining which ingredients work best together — or, more simply, produce an edible (or, in the case of batteries, a safe) product.

Ripple in Flexible Material Could Improve Electronic Properties

Two-dimensional materials — those either only an atom or layer thick — display a number of interesting properties and could form the foundation for a range of new devices. One of these materials, molybdenum disulfide, has shown an unusual flexibility that could make it attractive as a semiconducting component of bendable electronics.

Collaboration Reviews Battery Recycling Process for Electric Vehicles

The US Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory has collaborated with the Faraday Institution in a newly released Nature review of challenges and opportunities associated with recycling lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles.

Invention of Teeny-Tiny Organic Films Could Enable New Electronics

The first cell phone, released in 1983, was the size of a brick and weighed two-and-a-half pounds. The newest Apple Watch, released this fall, weighs 1.1 ounces.

Shedding New Light on the Charging of Lithium-ion Batteries

Exposing cathodes to light decreases charge time by a factor of two in lithium-ion batteries. Researchers have reported a new mechanism to speed up the charging of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. Simply exposing the cathode to a beam of concentrated light -- for example, the white light from a xenon lamp -- lowers the battery charging time by a remarkable factor of two or more. If commercialized, such technology could be a game changer for electric vehicles.

New electrolyte stops rapid decline of next-gen lithium battery

The lithium-ion battery is ubiquitous. Because of its versatility, this battery can be tailored to powering cell phones, laptops, power tools or electric vehicles. It is now the source of a multibillion-dollar enterprise annually that continues to grow each year.

Six degrees of nuclear separation

Scientists look to 3D printing to ease separation anxiety, which paves the way to recycle more nuclear material.

New materials to help stop lithium-ion battery fires

From automobiles and planes to laptops and e-bikes, lithium-ion batteries have been blamed for causing fires in high-tech devices. Now scientists have come up with patented techniques that may cut down the risk from these popular batteries, which are found in everyday devices such as phones and tablets.

Finding keyholes in metals 3D printing

New research has identified how and when tiny gas pockets form, as well as a methodology to predict their formation - a pivotal discovery that could dramatically improve the 3D printing process.