Enhancement of electrochemical performance in lithium-ion battery via tantalum oxide coated nickel-rich cathode materials

Nickel-rich cathode materials are increasingly being applied in commercial lithium-ion batteries to realize higher specific capacity as well as improved energy density.However,low structural stability and rapid capacity decay at high voltage and temperature hinder their rapid large-scale application.Herein,a wet chemical method followed by a post-annealing process is utilized to realize the surface coating of tantalum oxide on LiNi_(0.88)Mn_(0.03)Co_(0.09)O_(2),and the electrochemical performance is improved.The modified Li Ni_(0.88)Mn_(0.03)Co_(0.09)O_(2)displays an initial discharge capacity of~233 m Ah/g at0.1 C and 174 m Ah/g at 1 C after 150 cycles in the voltage range of 3.0 V–4.4 V at 45℃,and it also exhibits an enhanced rate capability with 118 m Ah/g at 5 C.The excellent performance is due to the introduction of tantalum oxide as a stable and functional layer to protect the surface of LiNi_(0.88)Mn_(0.03)Co_(0.09)O_(2),and the surface side reactions and cation mixing are suppressed at the same time without hampering the charge transfer kinetics.

Probing the improved stability for high nickel cathode via dual-element modification in lithium-ion

One of the major hurdles of nickel-rich cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries is the low cycling stability,especially at high temperature and high voltage,originating from severe structural degradation,which makes this class of cathode less practical.Herein,we compared the effect of single and dual ions on electrochemical performance of high nickel(LiNi_(0.88)Mn_(0.03)Co_(0.09)O_(2),NMC)cathode material in different temperatures and voltage ranges.The addition of a few amounts of tantalum(0.2 wt%)and boron(0.05 wt%)lead to improved electrochemical performance.The co-modified Li Ni_(0.88)Mn_(0.03)Co_(0.09)O_(2)displays an initial discharge capacity of 234.9 m Ah/g at 0.1 C and retained 208 m Ah/g at 1 C after 100 cycles at 45℃,which corresponds to a capacity retention of 88.5%,compared to the initial discharge capacity of234.1 m Ah/g and retained capacity of 200.5 m Ah/g(85.6%).The enhanced capacity retention is attributed to the synergetic effect of foreign elements by acting as a surface structural stabilizer without sacrificing specific capacity.

Surface integrity and fatigue behavior when turning γ-TiAl alloy with optimized PVD-coated carbide inserts

This paper presents a comprehensive investigation on the effects of tool and turning parameters on surface integrity and fatigue behavior in turning c-Ti Al alloy. The wear of inserts surface, cutting forces, and surface roughness were studied to optimize PVD-coated carbide inserts.Surface topography, residual stresses, microhardness, and microstructure were analyzed to characterize the surfaces layer under different turning parameters. Surface integrity and fatigue life tests of c-Ti Al alloy were conducted under turning and turning-polishing processes. The results show that compared to CNMG120412-MF4, CNMG120408-SM is more suitable because it obtained low cutting force, surface roughness, and tool wear. With increasing the cutting speed and depth, the depths of the compressive residual stress layer, hardening layer, and plastic deformation layer increased. For turning and turning-polishing specimens, the compressive residual stress was relaxed by less than 20%–30% after 10^7 cycles. The fatigue life of a turning-polishing specimen with Ra= 0.15 mm has increased 3 times from that of a turning specimen with Ra= 0.43 mm.

Narrow-bandgap Nb_2O_5 nanowires with enclosed pores as high-performance photocatalyst

Porous niobium oxide nanowires synthesized via a solvothermal method exhibited decreased bandgap,en- hanced light absorption and reduced charge-recombination rate.The porous Nb2O5 nanowires showed increased performance for the photocatalytic H2 evolution and photo- degradation of rhodamine B,as compared to their solid counterparts,which could be ascribed to the peculiar porous nanostructure.