HZB paper appears in special anniversary edition of the Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics
One example from the paper: operando radiography (A)- (C) shows how sulphur compounds (black features) are deposited on the carbon cathode (gray) of a lithium-sulphur cell during charging and discharging. © HZB
A paper on X-ray tomography of various types of batteries has been published as a highlight in the exclusive special edition of the Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics. Two groups at the HZB along with a team from Justus Liebig University in Giessen, Germany, contributed to the article.
“We selected this article for inclusion because of its novelty, scientific impact, and broadness of appeal”, writes Executive Editor Tom Miller. The work has now been additionally published in a special issue (Synchrotron- and FEL-based X-ray Methods for Battery Studies) celebrating the journal’s 50-year history. The contribution really demonstrates that X-ray tomography is applicable in many ways and promises a substantial leap in knowledge for research on various types of batteries.
X-ray computer tomography combines X-ray images with three-dimensional methods of representation. It shows what processes within the interior of materials take place. Transport processes and chemical reactions in novel battery systems can be investigated in this way. These processes have been insufficiently understood thus far, which is why it is difficult to achieve specific improvements.
The researchers not only present in the article the utility of X-ray tomography for research on batteries in general, they also present numerous concrete examples illustrating the power of tomographic representation. These examples include zinc-air batteries, sodium-air batteries, and metal-sulphur batteries. They show what processes limit the storage capacity of each battery type and why performance falls with the number of charging cycles.
The article title: “In operando x-ray tomography for next-generation batteries: a systematic approach to monitor reaction product distribution and transport processes”.
D. Schroder, C. L. Bender, T. Arlt, M. Osenberg, A. Hilger, S. Risse, M. Ballauff, I. Manke and J. Janek
Published September 9, 2016
http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0022-3727/49/40/404001?fromSearchPage=true
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1088/0022-3727/49/40/404001
- Freeze casting - a guide to creating hierarchically structured materialsFreeze casting is an elegant, cost-effective manufacturing technique to produce highly porous materials with custom-designed hierarchical architectures, well-defined pore orientation, and multifunctional surface structures. Freeze-cast materials are suitable for many applications, from biomedicine to environmental engineering and energy technologies. An article in "Nature Reviews Methods Primer" now provides a guide to freeze-casting methods that includes an overview on current and future applications and highlights characterization techniques with a focus on X-ray tomoscopy.
- Cooperation with the Korea Institute of Energy ResearchOn Friday, 19 April 2024, the Scientific Director of Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Bernd Rech, and the President of the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), Yi Chang-Keun, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Daejeon (South Korea).
- Clean cooking fuel with a great impact for southern AfricaBurning biomass for cooking causes harmful environmental and health issues. The German-South African GreenQUEST initiative is developing a clean household fuel. It aims to reduce climate-damaging CO2 emissions and to improve access to energy for households in sub-Saharan Africa.