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ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES •
FEBRUARY 2014
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Energy Storage Research (JCESR) showed that sodium ions leave bubbles
behind, potentially interfering with battery function. But up to this point,
TEMs have only been able to accommodate dry battery cells.
Working with JCESR colleagues, Wang led development of a wet bat-
tery cell in a TEM at DOE’s Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory
on the PNNL campus. The team built a tiny battery with one silicon elec-
trode and one lithium metal electrode,
both contained in a bath of electrolyte.
When the battery was charged, the silicon
electrode swelled, as expected. However,
under dry conditions, the electrode is at-
tached at one end to the lithium source
and swelling starts at just one end as ions
push their way in. In the study’s liquid cell,
lithium could enter the silicon anywhere
along the electrode’s span, and swelled all
along its length at the same time.
The total amount the electrode
swelled was about the same, though,
whether researchers set up a dry or wet
battery cell, suggesting that either condi-
tion could be used to study certain aspects
of battery materials. With regard to the
elusive solid electrolyte interphase layer,
Wang says they couldn’t see it in this ini-
tial experiment. In the future, they will try
to reduce the thickness of the wet layer by
at least half to increase the resolution.
“This layer is perceived to have pecu-
liar properties and to influence charging
and discharging performance,” explains
Wang. “However, we do not have a con-
cise understanding or knowledge of how
it forms, its structure, or its chemistry.
We expect the liquid cell will help us un-
cover this mystery layer.”
For more infor-
mation: Chongmin Wang, 509/371-6268,
www.pnnl.gov.
Official ceremonies held in December 2013 marked the
formal rebranding of
Sherry Laboratories,
Daleville,
Ind., under the
Element Materials Technology
name.
Acquired by Element in March 2013, Sherry adds nearly
300 specialized staff and more than 10 facilities to Ele-
ment’s global laboratories. Sherry will continue to pro-
vide testing services to the aerospace and defense, oil
and gas, transportation, power generation, environmen-
tal, microbiological and food, and petrochemical sectors.
www.element.com.
Bombardier Aerospace,
UK, selected
Moog
Industrial Group,
East Aurora, N.Y., to sup-
ply an aerospace test system to provide full-
scale structural testing on the CSeries
aircraft advanced carbon fiber wing. The test
system is being commissioned at Bom-
bardier’s facilities in Belfast, Northern Ire-
land, and will be used to carry out fatigue
testing of composite wing
structures. www.moog.
com/industrial.
Bombardier CSeries
FTV1 during flight
testing. Courtesy of
Moog.