PbO/graphene nanocomposites-supercapacitor for advanced lead-acid batteries for use in micro hibrid cars and energy accumulators coupled with renewable energy

• Grant number: 21/12533-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: March 01, 2022
• End date: November 30, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Fabio Plut Fernandes
• Grantee: Fabio Plut Fernandes
• Company: Teccer Indústria e Comércio de Produtos Cerâmicos Ltda
• CNAE: Fabricação de produtos cerâmicos não-refratários não especificados anteriormente
• City: Cravinhos
• Associated research grant(s): 23/00153-3 - Pbo@graphene nanocomposites: supercapacitor for advanced lead-acid batteries for use in micro hybrid cars and energy accumulators coupled to renewable energies, AP.PIPE
• Associated scholarship(s): 22/03689-9 - PbO/graphene-supercapacitor nanocomposites for advanced lead-acid batteries for micro hybrid cars and energy accumulators coupled to renewable energies, BP.PIPE

Abstract

TECCER has been investing time and effort in the new development of materials for advanced batteries with innovation potential for the Brazilian industry. Working together with experienced researchers from R&D groups on batteries at Universities and Institutes of Science and Technology; TECCER is developing pilot production routes for new materials for different applications in its mini-pilot plant installed for the production of active materials of PbC-Supercapacitor, aimed at the domestic lead-acid battery industry. These new active materials, applied to both the negative and positive plates, allow the batteries to work in a partial stage of charge with an increased useful life, necessary for the new demands on advanced batteries coupled with renewable energies. These materials also increase the charge acceptance of lead-acid batteries needed for use in regenerative braking systems of new hybrid cars that will be launched in Brazil. For the production of these new materials, TECCER will use the route of incorporating nanomaterials based on carbon and niobium oxide. These new active materials prevent the sulfation of the negative plates with a consequent increase in their useful life, considerably increasing the charge acceptance for demands known as fast charges, with better energy efficiency by increasing the electrochemically active area and acting as a supercapacitor. There are several challenges for development routes, including: i) eliminating metallic contaminants on the carbon surface; ii) synthesizing surface functional groups; iii) increasing hydrogen evolution superpotentials; iv) increasing the electronic conductivity of the active mass; v) increasing capacitance; vi) increase pore sizes in carbon; vii) improve the affinity of carbon for lead; viii) evaluate the interaction with the organic component of the expander mixture on negative plates; iv) evaluate the wettability by the aqueous electrolyte solution; x) increase the electrochemically active area. The reported problem of these new active materials with nanometric carbons is the increase in the evolution of H2 gas, especially in the negative plate. Therefore, an important stage of development is the addition of metal oxide nanoparticles that inhibit these undesirable reactions, such as niobium. These materials can also exhibit 'Pseudocapacitance' and participate in electrochemical processes to generate increments in the chemical interaction between lead and nanocarbon. TECCER will use the strategy of developing these products in such a way that they can be adapted to the Latin American production of batteries, with the purpose of opening the national market both for the sale of additives and for technological transfers. (AU)