Dealloying under conditions of high TH, (or high intrinsic diffusivity of the more electrochemically reactive component) is considerably more complicated than at low TH. Since solid-state mass transport is available to support this process, a rich set of morphologies, including negative or void dendrites, Kirkendall voids and bi-continuous porous structures, can evolve. In order to study dealloying at high TH we have examined the behavior of Li-Sn and Li-Pb alloys. The intrinsic diffusivities of Li were measured in these alloys using electrochemical titration and time of flight measurements. Morphology evolution was studied with varying alloy composition, host dimension and imposed electrochemical conditions. Owing to diffusive transport, there is no parting limit for dealloying, however, there is a compositional threshold (pPD) as well as a critical potential for the operation of percolation dissolution and the formation of bi-continuous structures. Negative or void dendrite morphologies evolve at compositions below pPD and at large values of the applied electrochemical potential when the rate of dealloying is limited by solid-state mass transport. This process is isomorphic to dendrite formation in electrodeposition. Kirkendall voiding morphologies evolve below the critical potential over the entire range of alloy compositions.
We summarize our results by introducing dealloying morphology diagrams that we use to graphically illustrate the electrochemical conditions resulting in various morphologies that can form under conditions of low and high TH.
This project aimed to understand the effects of composition and phase distribution on the corrosion behavior of magnesium-aluminum (Mg-Al) alloys in an ionic liquid electrolyte. The purpose of studying corrosion in nonaqueous ILs is to determine the anodic dissolution behaviors of the alloy phases without the interference of side reactions that occur in aqueous electrolytes, such as di-oxygen or water reduction. Three commercial Mg-Al alloys were studied: AZ91D (9% Al), AM60 (6% Al), and AZ31B (3% Al). An annealed alloy containing solid-solution α-phase Mg-Al with 5 at% aluminum content (Mg5Al) was also used. The ionic liquid chosen for this project was 1:2 molar ratio choline-chloride:urea (cc-urea), a deep eutectic solvent. After potentiostatic corrosion in cc-urea, the magnesium alloys were found to form a high surface area porous morphology as corrosion duration increased. This morphology consists of aluminum-rich ridges formed by Al nanowires surrounding an aluminum-poor base area, but with an overall increase in surface Al composition, indicating selective dealloying of the Mg in cc-urea and redistribution of the Al on the surface. Further work will focus on the development of hydrophobic coatings using ionic liquids.
In the last several years, there has been interest in the development of flexible batteries as a substitute for traditional Li-ion batteries. Flexible batteries can fold, bend, and twist; studies have shown that mechanical stresses and fatigue may decrease battery performance and cause defects. In this paper, the viability of producing a mechanical fatigue-testing device from 3D printed and other off-the-shelf components was explored. The device was made using a servomotor and LCD screen controlled by a programmed Arduino board, and successfully met the expectations to be cheap, easily reproducible, versatile, and applicable to the testing of battery components. In a proof-of-concept test, the device was used to perform repeated folding tests on lithium cobalt oxide cathodes in different configurations, which were then characterized using a laser microscope. 3D topographical renderings suggested that bending at acute angles induces defects on the surface of the electrode where the electrode is creased. In future work, the device will be used to further explore the effect of mechanical fatigue on Li-ion battery components.
The objective of this experiment was to use water contact angle (WCA) to measure the effectiveness of adhesion, Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), and cleaning techniques within different operations at Intel Corporation. Using the Sessile Drop Method, goniometer instrument, and a Video Contact Angle system (VCA), the water contact angle across silicon wafers at various operations were determined. Based on the results, it was concluded that Operation 5 and Step 4.4 within Operation 5 were suspected to cause lack of uniformity across the wafers, which is detrimental to the durability of the wafer and the overall high performance of a microchip. Due to proprietary reasons, it could not be disclosed as to whether adhesion, ALD, or cleaning techniques were implemented and suspected to cause non-uniformity across the wafer, but despite any operation, the topography of the wafer should be leveled. The absolute slopes of Operation 5 and Step 4.4 were 2.445 and 3.189, respectively. These slopes represented the change in contact angles across different positions of the wafer. In comparison, these showed the greatest variation of contact angles across the wafers, meaning the surface topography was more concentrated in certain areas of the wafer than others. Given these characteristics, Operation 5 and Step 4.4 are not qualified to produce high performing microchips because their techniques and methods are prone to cause surface defects, wafer stress, and wafer breakage.
This thesis focuses on exploring the reconditioning Ni-MH HEV batteries. The goal of this thesis is to demonstrate the viability of a method for reconditioning Ni-MH HEV batteries which involves charging battery modules in series. To do this, a set of 8 modules were reconditioned by charging them in series and another set of 8 modules were reconditioned by charging them individually. Both sets of modules were charged at a rate of around 0.05C. Additionally, the modules connected in series were charged using a controlled current for cell balancing. The effectiveness of each reconditioning method was evaluated through capacity estimation. The capacity estimation was done during a standard five-hour discharge using simple coulomb counting. This experiment showed that charging the set of 8 modules in series is an effective method to use for reconditioning. Furthermore, it can be reasonably assumed from these results that charging an entire Ni-MH HEV battery pack in series is an effective method for reconditioning.