Towards environmentally sustainable battery anode materials : life cycle assessment of mixed niobium oxide (XNO™) and lithium‑titanium-oxide (LTO)

Electric mobility has proven to be essential for the carbon neutrality of the transport sector. However, several studies have demonstrated the environmental costs linked to the supply of rechargeable batteries, which should not be overlooked. The supply of some elements has raised concerns, either because they are associated with environmental and social risks, or because they are considered critical raw materials due to their concentrated geographical supply. It is therefore important to look for innovative technologies capable of reducing the demand for traditional battery raw materials and technologies, but that also have lower environmental impacts linked to their supply. Niobium has been reported to improve the performance of battery components and could (partially) replace some traditional battery materials, but little is known about the environmental impacts of niobium-based battery materials. This study compares two commercial lithium-ion battery anode materials, namely lithiumtitanate (LTO) and an innovative mixed niobium oxide anode material (ECA-302, a formulation of XNOTM). Life cycle assessment is employed to quantify the environmental impacts of both technologies, taking into account impacts on global warming potential (GWP), acidification, ozone depletion, photochemical ozone formation (POF) and the use of fossil resources. The impacts were quantified by mass (1 kg anode material) and functionality (1 kWh delivered/cycle life), using primary industrial data for ECA-302 and literature-adapted data for the LTO. Results show that ECA-302 performs better than LTO considering both the material mass and energy delivery per cycle levels. The GWP for the supply of the ECA-302 was 51% lower than the LTO, but the most remarkable differences were observed for POF, for which ECA-302 had an impact about 72% lower than LTO at the production stage and 77% lower at the energy delivery. The results also indicate that 20% less ECA-302 material is needed to deliver 1 kWh over the cycle life of the battery compared to LTO

Effect of Ti Doping on the Microstructure and Properties of SiC_p/Al Composites by Pressureless Infiltration

The effects of Ti doping on the microstructure and properties of SiCp/Al composites fabricated by pressureless infiltration were comprehensively investigated using first-principles calculations and experimental analyses. First-principles calculations revealed that the interface wetting and bonding strength in an Al/SiC system could be significantly enhanced by Ti doping. Subsequently, the Ti element was incorporated into SiC preforms in the form of TiO2 and TiC to verify the influence of Ti doping on the pressureless infiltration performance of SiCp/Al composites. The experimental results demonstrated that the pressureless infiltration of molten Al into SiC preforms was promoted by adding TiC or TiO2 due to the improved wettability. However, incorporating TiO2 leads to the growth of AlN whiskers under a N2 atmosphere, thereby hindering the complete densification of the composites. On the other hand, TiC doping can improve wettability and interface strength without deleterious reactions. As a consequence, the TiC-doped SiCp/Al composites exhibited excellent properties, including a high relative density of 99.4%, a bending strength of 287 ± 18 MPa, and a thermal conductivity of 142 W·m−1·K−1

A 2D Cd(II)-MOF as a multifunctional luminescencent sensor for nitroaromatics, iron(III) and chromate ions

<p>A Cd(II)-MOF, {[Cd(L)(4,4′-bipy)]·H₂O·DMF}_n (<b>1</b>) (L = nicotinic acid (2,4-dihydroxybenzylidene)-hydrazide and 4,4′-bipy = 4,4′-bipyridine), has been synthesized and characterized by microanalyses, FTIR, TGA, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Additionally, powder X-ray diffraction was performed to check the phase purity of the synthesized compound. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that <b>1</b> has a 2D grid network. Photoluminescent sensing of nitrobenzene, Fe(III) and CrO₄²⁻ ions indicates that <b>1</b> could be a candidate for developing selective luminescent sensors for these species. Theoretical calculations have been performed to gain insight into the possible mechanism of quenching effect in emission on addition of nitrobenzene in <b>1</b> which supports the mechanism operating through ground state charge transfer between <b>1</b> and nitrobenzene.</p