• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.196-205
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• 2019

Ni-rich layered oxides $Li(Ni_xCo_yMn_z)O_2$ (x + y + z = 1) have been extensively studied in recent times owing to their high capacity and low cost and can possibly replace $LiCoO_2$ in the near future. However, these layered oxides suffer from problems related to the capacity fading, thermal stability, and safety at high voltages. In this study, we use surface coating as a strategy to improve the thermal stability at higher voltages. The uniform and conformal $Al_2O_3$ coating on prefabricated electrodes using atomic layer deposition significantly prevented surface degradation over prolonged cycling. Initial capacity of 190, 199, 188 and $166mAh\;g^{-1}$ is obtained for pristine, 2, 5 and 10 cycles of ALD coated samples at 0.2C and maintains 145, 158, 151 and $130mAh\;g^{-1}$ for high current rate of 2C in room temperature. The two-cycle $Al_2O_3$ modified cathode retained 75% of its capacity after 500 cycles at 5C with 0.05% capacity decay per cycle, compared with 46.5% retention for a pristine electrode, at an elevated temperature. Despite the insulating nature of the $Al_2O_3$ coating, a thin layer is sufficient to improve the capacity retention at a high temperature. The $Al_2O_3$ coating can prevent the detrimental surface reactions at a high temperature. Thus, the morphology of the active material is well-maintained even after extensive cycling, whereas the bare electrode undergoes severe degradation.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.333-342
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• 2021

A flexible electrochromic device (ECD) is a promising technology that is expected to be applied in various fields such as smart windows. Polymer electrolyte is an important component that determines the bleaching-coloration performance and physical stability of flexible ECDs. In this study, a pore-filled polymer electrolyte membrane (PFPEM) with excellent dimensional stability was developed to effectively fabricate flexible ECDs and improve durability. Polyvinyl acetate, which has excellent adhesion, and polyethylene glycol, which can improve ionic conductivity, were filled in the pores of a porous substrate made of polyethylene, which is inexpensive and has excellent physical and chemical stability. The optimal lithium salt (LiTFSI) content of the prepared PFPEM was determined at about 27 wt%, and it was confirmed to possess excellent dimensional stability, adhesive strength, and ion conductivity close to that of conventional polymer electrolytes. Although the visible light transmittance was lowered by the use of the porous substrate, it was expected to act as an advantage in the colored state.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.59 no.3
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• pp.326-332
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• 2021

In this study, a spherical carbon composite material containing nano-silicon was synthesized using hydrothermal synthesis, and coated with petroleum pitch to prepare an anode material to investigate the electrochemical characteristics. Hydrothermal synthesis was performed by varying molar concentration, and the pitch was coated using THF as an organic solvent to prepare a composite material. The physical properties of anode materials were analyzed using SEM, EDS, XRD and TGA, and the electrochemical performances were investigated by cycle, C-rate, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance tests in 1.0 M LiPF₆ electrolyte (EC : DMC : EMC = 1 : 1 : 1 vol%). The pitch-coated silicon/carbon composite (Pitch@Si/C-1.5) with sucrose of 1.5 M showed a spherical shape. In addition, a high initial capacity of 1756 mAh/g, a capacity retention ratio of 82% after 50 cycles, and an excellent rate characteristic of 81% at 2 C/0.1 C were confirmed.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.183-188
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• 2021

The increasing demand for energy storage in mobile electronic devices and electric vehicles has emphasized the importance of electrochemical energy storage devices such as Li-ion batteries (LIBs) and supercapacitors. For reversible Li storage, alternative anode materials are actively being developed. In this study, we designed and fabricated an Nb₂O₅-Li₃VO₄ composite for use as an anode material in LIBs and hybrid supercapacitors. Nb₂O₅ powders were dissolved into a solution and the precursors were precipitated onto Li₃VO₄ through a simple, low-temperature hydrothermal reaction. The annealing process yielded an Nb₂O₅-Li₃VO₄ composite that was characterized by X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Electrochemical tests revealed that the Nb₂O₅-Li₃VO₄ composite electrode demonstrated increased capacities of approximately 350 and 140 mAh g^-1 at 0.1 and 5 C, respectively, were maintained up to 1000 cycles. The reversible capacity and rate capability of the composite electrode were enhanced compared to those of pure Nb₂O₅-based electrodes. These results can be attributed to the microstructure design of the synthesized composite material.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.126-136
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• 2021

The electrochemical performance of all-solid-state cells (ASSCs) based on sulfide electrolytes is critically affected by the undesirable interfacial reactions between oxide cathodes and sulfide electrolytes because of the high reactivity of sulfide electrolytes. Based on the concept that the interfacial reactions are highly dependent on the type of sulfide electrolyte, the electrochemical properties of the ASSCs prepared using three types of sulfide electrolytes were observed and compared. The Li2MoO4-LiI coating layer was also introduced to suppress the interfacial reactions. The cells using argyrodite electrolyte exhibited a higher capacity and Coulombic efficiency than the cells using 75Li2S-22P2S5-3Li2SO4 and Li7P3S11 electrolytes, indicating that the argyrodite electrolyte is less reactive with cathodes than other electrolytes. Moreover, the introduction of Li2MoO4-LiI coating on the cathode surface significantly enhanced the electrochemical performance of ASSCs because of the protection of coating layer. Pulverization of argyrodite electrolyte is also effective in increasing the capacity of cells because the smaller size of electrolyte particles improved the contact stability between the cathode and the sulfide electrolyte. The cyclic performance of cells was also enhanced by pulverized electrolyte, which is also associated with improved contact stability at the cathode/electrolyte. These results show that the introduction of Li2MoO4-LiI coating and the use of pulverized sulfide electrolyte can exhibit a synergic effect of suppressed interfacial reaction by the coating layer and improved contact stability owing to the small particle size of electrolyte.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.55-62
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• 2021

In Korea, a good recycled product (GR) certification system was introduced in 1997 to improve resource and energy use efficiency. However, in industry and society, recycled products are not used well because of the lack of awareness of recycled materials. In this study, the status of domestic and international quality standards for nickel materials was investigated, and the purity and electrochemical properties of nickel sulfate prepared from ore and nickel sulfate recovered from waste lithium-ion batteries were evaluated during the electroplating process. As a result of the test, it was found that there is no quality difference between recycled nickel sulfate and high-purity nickel sulfate reagents when used in the electroplating industry.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Geothermal and Hydrothermal Energy
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.7-18
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• 2022

Secondary batteries used in electric vehicles have a potential risk of ignition and explosion. Various safety measures are being taken to prevent these risks. A numerical study was performed using a computational fluid dynamics code on the cases where pressure relief vents that can reduce the blast overpressures of batteries were installed in the through-compression test room, short-circuit drop test room, combustion test room, and immersion test room in facilities rleated to battery used in electric vehicles. This study was conducted using the weight of TNT equivalent to the energy release from the battery, where the the thermal runaway energy was set to 324,000 kJ for the capacity of the lithium-ion battery was 90 kWh and the state of charge (SOC) of the battery of 100%. The explosion energy of TNT (△H_TNT) generally has a range of 4,437 to 4,765 kJ/kg, and a value of 4,500 kJ/kg was thus used in this study. The dimensionless explosion efficiency coefficient was defined as 15% assuming the most unfavorable condition, and the TNT equivalent mass was calculated to be 11 kg. The internal explosion generated in a test room shows the very complex propagation behavior of blast waves. The shock wave generated after the explosion creates reflected shock waves on all inner surfaces. If the internally reflected shock waves are not effectively released to the outside, the overpressures inside are increased or maintained due to the continuous reflection and superposition from the inside for a long time. Blast simulations for internal explosion targeting four test rooms with pressure relief vents installed were herein conducted. It was found that that the maximum blast overpressure of 34.69 bar occurred on the rear wall of the immersion test room, and the smallest blast overpressure was calculated to be 3.58 bar on the side wall of the short-circuit drop test room.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.237-245
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• 2021

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) enhances the stability of cathode materials via surface modification. Previous studies have demonstrated that an Ni-rich cathode, such as LiNi_0.8Co_0.1Mn_0.1O₂, is a promising candidate owing to its high capacity, but is limited by poor cycle stability. In this study, to enhance the stability of the Ni-rich cathode, synthesized LiNi_0.8Co_0.1Mn_0.1O₂ was coated with Al₂O₃ using ALD. Thus, the surface-modified cathode exhibited enhanced stability by protecting the interface from Ni-O formation during the cycling process. The coated LiNi_0.8Co_0.1Mn_0.1O₂ exhibited a capacity of 176 mAh g^-1 at 1 C and retained up to 72% of the initial capacity after 100 cycles within a range of 2.8-4.3 V (vs Li/Li⁺. In contrast, pristine LiNi_0.8Co_0.1Mn_0.1O₂ presented only 58% of capacity retention after 100 cycles with an initial capacity of 173 mAh g^-1. Improved cyclability may be a result of the ALD coating, which physically protects the electrode by modifying the interface, and prevents degradation by resisting side reactions that result in capacity decay. The electrochemical impedance spectra and structural and morphological analysis performed using electron microscopy and X-ray techniques establish the surface enhancement resulting from the aforementioned strategy.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.32-41
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• 2022

Various steps in the electrode production process, such as slurry mixing, slurry coating, drying, and calendaring, directly affect the quality and, consequently, mechanical properties and electrochemical performance of electrodes. Herein, a new method of slurry coating is developed: Double-coated electrode. Contrary to single-coated electrode, the cathode is prepared by double coating, wherein each coat is of half the total loading mass of the single-coated electrode. Each coat is dried and calendared. It is found that the double-coated electrode possesses more uniform pore distribution and higher electrode density and allows lesser extent of particle segregation than the single-coated electrode. Consequently, the double-coated electrode exhibits higher adhesion strength (74.7 N m^-1) than the single-coated electrode (57.8 N m^-1). Moreover, the double-coated electrode exhibits lower electric resistance (0.152 Ω cm^-2) than the single-coated electrode (0.177 Ω cm^-2). Compared to the single-coated electrode, the double-coated electrode displays higher electrochemical performance by exhibiting better rate capability, especially at higher C rates, and higher long-term cycling performance. Despite its simplicity, the proposed method allows effective electrode preparation by facilitating high electrochemical performance and is applicable for the large-scale production of high-energy-density electrodes.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.216-222
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• 2022

The capacity of high nickel Li(Ni_xCo_yMn_1-x-y)O₂ (NCM, x ≥ 0.8) cathodes is known to rapidly decline, a serious problem that needs to be solved in a timely manner. It was reported that cathode materials with the {010} plane exposed toward the outside, i.e., a radial structure, can provide facile Li⁺ diffusion paths and stress buffer during repeated cycles. In addition, cathodes with a core-shell composition gradient are of great interest. For example, a stable surface structure can be achieved using relatively low nickel content on the surface. In this study, precursors of the high-nickel NCM were synthesized by coprecipitation in ambient atmosphere. Then, a transition metal solution for coprecipitation was replaced with a low nickel content and the coprecipitation reaction proceeded for the desired time. The electrochemical analysis of the core-shell cathode showed a capacity retention of 94 % after 100 cycles, compared to the initial discharge capacity of 184.74 mA h/g. The rate capability test also confirmed that the core-shell cathode had enhanced kinetics during charging and discharging at 1 A/g.