ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | SEPTEMBER 2023 7 to understand how size influences the aluminum’s behavior. The group is also actively exploring other materials and microstructures with the goal of creating cost-effective foils for battery systems. gatech.edu. THE TRUE SHAPE OF LITHIUM Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) achieved a fundamental discovery that could lead to safer lithium-metal batteries with the ability to outperform today’s lithium-ion batteries. Metallic lithium reacts so easily with chemicals that, under normal conditions, corrosion forms almost immediately while the metal is being laid down on a surface such as an electrode. But the UCLA investigators developed a technique that prevents that corrosion and showed that, in its absence, lithium atoms assemble into a surprising shape—the rhombic dodecahedron, a 12-sided figure similar to dice used in common role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons. At tiny scales, a lithiumion battery stores positively charged lithium atoms in a cage-like structure of carbon that coats an electrode. By contrast, a lithium-metal battery coats the electrode with metallic lithium. The coating packs 10 times more lithium into the same space compared to lithium-ion batteries, which accounts for the increase in both performance and danger. The process for laying down the lithium coating is based on a 200-plusyear-old technique that employs electricity and electrolyte solutions. Often, the lithium forms microscopic branching filaments with protruding spikes. In a battery, if two of those spikes crisscross, it can cause a short circuit that could lead to an explosion. The revelation of the true shape of lithium—that is, in the absence of corrosion—suggests that the explosion risk for lithium-metal batteries can be abated, because the atoms accumulate in an orderly form instead of one that can crisscross. The discovery could also have substantial implications for high-performance energy technology. ucla.edu. Researchers developed a way to deposit lithium metal onto a surface while avoiding a layer of corrosion that usually forms. Courtesy of Li Lab/UCLA. Harnessing the power of ASM’s webinar platform, QuesTek will host a 7-part, 30-minute webinar series. Join to discover the possibilities of engineering materials for the future, Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) Advantage, and digital transformation. Upcoming webinars include: • August 31: Utilizing ICME to overcome materials challenges and accelerate alloy development • September 13: Alloy composition and processing optimization with ICME • September 28: Accelerated qualification and certification of materials with ICMD® design software • October 5: ICME applications for AM: Rapid additive manufacturing parameter set development • November 9: Using ICME to predict advanced materials properties: high and low cycle fatigue • November 16: Physics-based modeling & machine learning to solve materials challenges • December 5: Designing materials using ICMD® Scan QR code to register today! Webinars
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